Person-to-Person Program

Connecting One-to-One

The Person-to-Person Program offers an opportunity for two individuals to meet together on a regular basis to practice the Principles of Attitudinal Healing and provide mutual support to each other.  The means of communicating, the frequency, and the duration of the relationship remain up to the individuals.

There are numerous ways to find a Person-to-Person partner:

  • Download and fill out the application form  and submit the application to Trish Ellis.
  • Reach out to your group facilitators.
  • Find your own match from your group or other individuals you might know within the AH community.

For additional information, please contact Trish Ellis.

The Process

There are numerous ways to find a Person-to-Person partner:

  • Download and fill out the application form  and submit the application to Trish Ellis.
  • Reach out to your group facilitators.
  • Find your own match from your group or other individuals you might be aware of or know.

Before you meet with your partner for the first time, we suggest you do the following:

  • Take a quiet minute to get centered and present with each other.
  • Decide on a schedule and form of communication that works for both of you.
  • Read the Principles and Guidelines out loud.
  • Share with each other within the agreed time frame.
  • Make a six-week commitment to the process and each other.

History of the Person-to-Person Program

In the late 1970s, the founder of Attitudinal Healing, Dr. Gerald (Jerry) Jampolsky, started a program he came to name Person-to-Person. It began in his private practice when he realized that some of his patients didn’t need a psychiatrist but needed some form of healing. During a meditation one day, his inner guidance instructed him to match up an unlikely pair; an older woman who had lost her husband of sixty years and a twenty-one-year-old fellow who had lost both of his parents and was having drug issues.

Arising from the Twelve Principles of Attitudinal Healing, his instructions were simple. "Get together for coffee, a walk, or chat on the phone. Share, listen without judgment, and see each other as healed and whole." His guidance further instructed him not to tell either what the other person's supposed issue was. As a result, Jerry witnessed the evolution of a beautiful and healing relationship, leading him to match more people.

As the Tiburon (first) Center for Attitudinal Healing grew, the success of the Person-to-Person Program did as well, and was added to its roster of services. Subsequently, the program came and went several times, and now, decades later, many of us feel this might be the perfect time to re-introduce it.

One-to-One Connection

As the name implies, this is a "one-to-one" connection. Jerry was very clear that the relationship should not be complicated. The means of communicating, the frequency, and the duration of the relationship remain up to the individuals. The Person-to-Person relationship is peer support, not mentoring or counseling. Both participants are equals and are matched through careful consideration. They may or may not be facing the same issue. The intent is to be both a teacher and student, to speak and listen with open hearts, and be there for each other's healing. The one-to-one interaction holds the potential for deeper, more vulnerable communication, free of the time restraints one sometimes finds in a group meeting. Participants often find that though the circumstances causing their challenges might not change, the time spent together brings a different awareness where one's perceived problems subside.

We believe that in this day and age, there might be new opportunities for the Person-to-Person Program to become reinvented. AH is now an international organization spanning the globe. Zoom and other video/chat platforms make it easier for individuals to communicate, regardless of location. It is also clear to AHI that as the program unfolds, we'll learn more fruitful ways to implement it. We hope that inner guidance will continue to lead us, along with your participation and feedback.

We look forward to your participation.