Deep Talk
What is this new thing ‘Deep Talk’?
Deep Talk takes a number of Godly Play principles and some Godly Play stories—along with
some new stories—and adapts these for a spiritual process suitable to secular and religious
settings, to help groups consider their organisation’s / workplace’s vision, mission, issues or
challenges. This has been used in Finland, Britain and Australia in secular and church
contexts usually with existing adult teams, such as a staff team.
Deep Talk sessions are a lot like Godly Play. They begin with the making of a circle; the
showing of a story; and the wondering time; but then everyone changes places and a
dialogue game is played, arising from the story. This is when the group explores their work
and life together. Then a celebration follows before a farewell.
Jerome Berryman says:
“Deep Talk is a perceptive adaptation of Godly Play
to help develop work communities in creative ways.
The groups gather around significant stories and wonder
what they might mean for each person and how to work together.
The guide quietly lays out the story to discover how ‘to untie knots’
as one critic observed. Other critics, familiar with all kinds of ‘group techniques’,
found this to be a promising way to keep things open and creative in the work place.
A Deep Talk session ends by asking, ‘Is this good enough?'”
Jerome Berryman: recommending Tuula Valkonen’s book ‘Deep Talk’
Tuula Valkonen devised and developed Deep Talk, in her words to uncover
“the flowers from the weeds” so that a garden could be made, with Godly
Play principles, for people at work to talk together. Deep Talk is “an
adaptation of Godly Play … to help work communities develop in creative
ways” (Jerome Berryman). Tuula Valkonen began to use the techniques of
Deep Talk in 2000 to enable the language acquisition methodology of
Godly Play (story and wondering) for the corporate world.
Like Godly Play, it is best to experience the stories and the wondering. There
are some Godly Play storytellers in Australia who are able to offer an
introduction and demonstration of Deep Talk.
For more information contact Judyth Roberts: [email protected]