‘t Tijdloze Uur (the Timeless Hour – original Dutch version)
‘t Tijdloze Uur by Michiel Czn. Dhont / Amsterdam
‘your hands know all your inner images and dreams, trust them to express your images’
‘the Timeless Hour, a work book for therapists in various professional fields’
- Man’s spirit in heart and soul seen as an emotional, social and cognitive intelligent being
- Characteristic for the expressive exercises is the playfulness through motion and the moments of learning by discovery
- Some people cannot be reached through words but can be reached through the power of imagination (often boys)
For years the Timeless Hour has been a source of inspiration for therapists in different therapeutic training courses and/or practical situations within health care institutions or private practices.
The content of this method lends itself very well to coaching through concrete therapeutic applications with children as well as adolescents and adults. The primary training courses in the Netherlands for which this book is on the required reading list are higher vocational education courses in creative, expressive and art therapy.
In 2009 the Timeless Hour method was incorporated as an Evidence Based method in the Handboek Beeldende Therapie Uit de verf‘ ( Handbook Art Therapy) next to 39 other methods.
Handbook Art Therapy with the method ‘the Timeless Hour’ Incorporated in 2009 next to 39 other Evidence Based therapies.
Publishers Bohn Stafleu en van Loghum/Houten ISBN 978 90 313 5253 1
Through application of modules in practice is has become evident that the method is also very suited to collecting diagnostic data from children.
Read more under References in the Menu under Research & Cases.
The interaction and the specific dialogue (trialogue) after the images have been created by the client often run a different course with the focus on speaking.
In the following pages on this website you can find various data about the method.
Head, heart and hands are the triangle…
forming the base for the child’s spiritual growth as regards emotional, social and cognitive intelligence.,
This workbook contains descriptions of 22 exercises out of visual expression for the promotion of the integration of emotional, social and cognitive intelligence.
When the book was published in the year 2000 it was accompanied by an introduction and instruction video which came into being through financial support of the Netherlands Child Postage Stamps Fund (Stichting Kinderpostzegels Nederland). These videos show group sessions in a class with eleven and twelve year old children and can now be seen on YouTube together with an older film.
It is not customary to take pictures of or film therapeutic treatments. As an exception we have placed one single picture showing a child in ‘dialogue’ with the drawings she has done and the therapist who is present in the role of ‘trialogue’.
The dialogue is between the child (or adolescent or adult) and the drawing or the clay-object and the coach/therapist provides the role of a third person called the trialogue.
YouTube / short film…….a unique moment as an example!
Here Michiel coaches a group of eleven and twelve year old children in various expressive exercises in the manner of the Timeless Hour method.
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The essence being shown in this short film:
In this short film in which Michiel gives a lesson from the Timeless Hour, you see the children in an ‘open eyes meditation’ look at the object they have brought with them and for which they have a strong affection.
You may assume to get a good insight in the situation occurring in that group of children.
Almost at the start of the film you clearly hear and see an infant class after playtime loudly shouting enter the school past a thin and temporary hardboard wall in the gym.
At the same time you see that the children in the gym, despite the shouting, do not lose their concentration even for a moment. This is a unique moment, not often captured on film. This film excerpt in essence shows the intention and power of this exercise. It shows children’s intuitive ability to remain focused under these kinds of conditions. It turns out to be dependent on training and the level of conviction of the person offering the exercises and the coach.
By having children work with these exercises from the Timeless Hour on a regular basis and out of variation and repetition, you train them to remain close to themselves and build up a strong personality during the learning process. What this film shows, also applies to an individual/client of therapeutic coaching within your area of expertise.
The Dutch version of the Timeless Hour (‘t Tijdloze Uur) was published as workbook in 2000 by Lambo publishers in Arnhem, the Netherlands (see under Order).
The text has now been translated into English. A German creative therapist and a German Social Pedagogue are working on a German translation of the Timeless Hour as professional literature for German therapists, group teachers in primary and other education and various professional art therapy training courses.
The book will shortly be published as a digital book in Dutch and English by an American Internet Publisher.
Various contacts have already been made to arrive at digital versions in German, Spanish, Finnish, French and Hebrew.
During a single session of 1,5 hours this woman processed her feelings of detachment towards her premature baby, which she had not been able to feel with her during the first six weeks, as the baby was in an incubator. The now 11 month old boy who was present during the session lying on a blanket , experienced all the energies his mother was going through. He was extraordinarily alert. He kept making small sounds as if he was giving his mother his approval for this process. By expressing her feelings through drawing (partly with eyes closed) the mother released much of her anger and sadness and the connection between her and her child became harmonious again.
A slide of one of the visual therapy sessions in Lesley College Boston USA (1987). Michiel Czn. Dhont worked for several months in an exchange project between Dutch Creative Therapists and American Art Therapists.
During a single session of 1,5 hours this woman processed her feelings of detachment towards for her premature baby, which she had not been able to feel with her during the first six weeks, as the baby was in an incubator. The now 11 month old boy who was present during the session lying on a blanket , experienced all the energies his mother was going through. He was extraordinarily alert. He kept making small sounds as if he was giving his mother his approval for this process. By expressing her feelings through drawing (partly with eyes closed) the mother released much of her anger and sadness and the connection between her and her child became harmonious again.
The United Nations, on the recommendation of the NIGZ (Dutch Institute for Health and Care) through the UN Committee of the World Health Organization has positively motivated her choice for the Timeless Hour.
Read more under Presentations under UN Conference.
Please note:
In the Menu under Primary Education under STATEMENTS you can find spontaneous reactions from teachers about the effects of the method.
In the Menu under REFERENCES under References Therapies you can read the experiences and insights of various therapists.
