The Hero’s Journey Guide to Confrontation
A bossy colleague keeps pushing a really bad idea. Your manager tells you you do not deserve a raise. And once again, you end up with the least interesting tasks in the project.
What do you do? Do you give in? Avoid the conversation altogether? Or push your point through, hoping for the best?
Every confrontation is a moment in your story—and the way you respond reveals which archetype is leading the scene. Are you the Warrior who speaks truth? The Caregiver who soothes to keep peace? The Orphan who feels attacked? Or the Sage who analyzes from a distance?
Confrontation is rarely comfortable. But avoiding it comes at a cost. There is another option. You can learn how to confront in a way that feels honest, clear, and constructive—by understanding which archetype serves you, and which one keeps you stuck in your Hero’s Journey.
Learn How to Confront Through the 12 Archetypes
When handled with care, confrontation can open the door to better conversations and stronger working relationships. This training helps you find words for what you need, and the courage to speak them out loud—by discovering which of the 12 archetypes is running the show when tension rises.
You explore how verbal and non-verbal communication shape difficult conversations. How to express yourself clearly, without attacking or withdrawing. And how to stay present when things feel tense. Instead of shying away from conflict or forcing your way through, you learn how to engage with confrontation in a more thoughtful way—accessing the archetype that serves the moment.
The Hero’s Journey Guide to Confronting with Skill
In this one-day training, you explore how to confront others with more confidence and tact. You will discover your dominant conflict archetype—and understand how each of the 12 archetypes handles confrontation differently. What effect does this have on your work, your relationships, and your fulfillment?
Together with a small group of peers, you practise different ways of setting boundaries, expressing disagreement, and improving the quality of your conversations. Not to win an argument, but to stay true to yourself and draw more energy from your work. This is the warrior’s code: fight for what matters, but never lose your humanity.
In This Training, You Will:
- Discover which of the 12 archetypes dominates your conflict style—and which ones you avoid
- Learn when to speak up, and when not to—knowing the wisdom of timing each archetype brings
- Practise expressing yourself honestly and tactfully, so your message is clear and your story is heard
- Gain insight into what holds you back from saying what matters—and which archetype is running the show
- Explore practical ways of handling difficult conversations through the lens of the 12 archetypes and the Hero’s Journey
- Apply these approaches to situations from your own work—rewriting the scenes that no longer serve you
- Build confidence in engaging with confrontation more openly—stepping into the archetype that serves you best
What Is Your Story?
Every conflict is a crossroads in your narrative. Will you play the victim? The aggressor? Or will you step into the role of the conscious protagonist—the one who knows which archetype to call upon, speaks truth with clarity, and moves the story forward with courage?
This is The Hero’s Journey Guide to Confrontation—your invitation to answer that call.
Who is this course for?
Do you sometimes feel that you were not given the opportunity to make your point? Do you avoid situations in which you might have to stand your ground, challenge someone’s assumptions, or risk disappointing others?
Then you may be ready to begin your own hero’s journey.
Set in Paris, this one-day course invites you to step away from familiar patterns and explore a more courageous way of communicating. Inspired by the spirit of Shakespeare & Company—a literary meeting place on the Left Bank where writers, readers, and outsiders found the confidence to give voice to their ideas—the course is designed for professionals who want to approach difficult workplace conversations with greater clarity, courage, and compassion. Shakespeare & Company has been a meeting place for anglophone writers and readers since 1951, continuing the legacy of Sylvia Beach’s original bookstore, founded in Paris in 1919.shakespeareandcompany
You will learn to:
- Recognise the situations in which you silence yourself or avoid confrontation.
- Understand the fears, loyalties, and assumptions that hold you back.
- Find your own voice without becoming aggressive or defensive.
- Express disagreement clearly and constructively.
- Stand up for your ideas, boundaries, and values.
- Turn challenging conversations into opportunities for growth and connection.
This course is for any professional who wants to move from avoidance to agency: to speak with more confidence, listen with greater openness, and take a meaningful step towards becoming the author of their own professional story.
Practical information
Price: €695, excluding VAT
Professional development budget: 80% of our participants use their professional development budget for this training. Ask your employer whether they are willing to cover the cost. Contact peterdekuster2023@gmail.com for a quote.
Language: English
Duration: One full day, from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm, including a homemade vegetarian lunch
Location: Paris, with the programme inspired by the literary atmosphere of Shakespeare & Company on the Left Bank
Travel tips: Travel by public transport, bicycle, or use one of the Park & Ride locations in Paris
Group size: Minimum of 5 and maximum of 15 participants
Study load: No mandatory homework. However, we encourage you to test and apply the techniques in your daily work after the training.
Experience level: Open to everyone
Would you like to book this training for a team?
We also offer this training in-company and would be happy to discuss how the hero’s journey can help your team develop a more open, courageous, and constructive culture of communication.
Peter de Kuster is the founder of The Heroine’s Journey and The Hero’s Journey. His books and stories about the Hero’s Journey—making money doing what you love—have reached millions of creative professionals worldwide. Through storytelling, archetypes, and narrative transformation, Peter helps leaders and professionals discover the story they’re living and rewrite it into one of purpose, agency, and impact.