Maturana spoke eloquently in his proposition to explain the origin of patriarchy in our western culture. He spoke about fences and boundaries as means of excluding others in the service of appropriation. We lock our houses and cars to keep unwanted people out based on our ownership of our house or car.

This relationship between excluding and appropriation pervades many professions and while it is perfectly understandable, it inevitably creates conflict, and often ends up restricting the wrong people.

When I was learning hypnosis in Victoria, Australia, its use was legally restricted to doctors, dentists, psychiologist and ministers of religion. This law was created out of a concern to prevent Scientologists from using hypnosis. Scientologists created the Church of Scientology, thereby sidestepping the legal restriction, and for decades other counsellors were preluded from access to the detriment of all who could have benefited.

In USA prohibition was supposed to stop alcohol production and only succeeded in driving it underground and spawned violence.

Scott Miller’s work shows that professional training has no relevance to clinical efficacy, and yet professional bodies persist in promoting it, for their own issues of ownership rather than what is best for lessening the suffering in our culture.

During the conflict in the Balkans, the heroic Norwegian Thorvald Stoltenberg was criticised for wanting to mediate with someone regard as a war criminal. He said he would speak to anyone if it would stop the killing of innocent women and children. What a brave and human gesture. What a tragedy that actions like this are so rare.

In “The three laws of performance” Steve Zafron and Dave Logan write about an extraordinary turn around in a South African company when the white CEO was open to an input from an elderly, poor, black woman. The process was so touching. The writers open the possibility of leadership to include all levels in a company and give examples of the dramatic transformation that can follow.

In my view, it’s time for “professionals” to be open to include anyone who has something to contribute, to step down from the exclusive members only club, and for the workers at the coal face to step up to a position of mutual respect and shared learning.

This has the potential to open so many additional possibilities that remain unavailable through mutual exclusion.

In response to this possibility, I am starting an Ericksonian learning community as an inclusive community, and would welcome contributions from anyone interested to join. Here’s a link to join.