The Ascent course + The Holding Space community

Understand the pattern. Practise a different response.

You can explain the family dynamics and still feel pulled back into the old role. The Ascent gives you a structured way to learn, reflect, and practise—with a community alongside you.

$99 USD/month or $249 USD/quarter · Recurring membership

Already a member? Log in to The Holding Space →

Illustrated traveler at basecamp studying a map, with the mountain trail ahead
A place to learn, reflect, and take your next step.
20 lessons · 5 sections · self-paced learningTwo live calls each week · replays includedThe Holding Space · private Circle communityReplays + tools · return at your pace

From insight to everyday life

For the moment the old pressure returns.

A message from home. Guilt after saying no. Another evening spent replaying a conversation. Knowing why it happens is useful; practising what comes next takes time.

Some of the things you’ll practise

  • Recognising family roles without making them your whole identity.
  • Noticing guilt and pressure before automatically responding.
  • Putting a clear limit into words without an endless explanation.
  • Making room for grief while choosing what matters now.
  • Considering contact choices in the context of your own life.

The focus is your understanding and choices. No program can promise that your family will change.

The same traveler walking on along the trail, noticing amber flowers

One membership · two connected spaces

A course to guide you.
A community to practise with.

Learn at your own pace, then bring what you are noticing to live calls and a private community of people working with similar family patterns.

Illustration of The Ascent digital course with mountain artwork

Digital course illustration. Lessons are accessed online in Circle.

The course

The Ascent

Twenty lessons across five sections exploring family systems, assigned roles, grief, differentiation, identity, and life beyond the family story.

  • Self-paced teaching you can return to.
  • Sovereign Scapegoat GPT and Slide Vault access for reflection and reviewing the teaching.
  • Prompts and tools for applying ideas to everyday decisions.

The Ascent Toolkit V4.1 workbook is free with the newsletter, whether or not you join. It is not an additional paid membership benefit.

The Holding Space: Blake at the centre of an illustrated circle of people, with the invitation to practise differentiation together

Community illustration. Surrounding portraits are fictional, not member photographs.

The community

The Holding Space

A private Circle community for learning alongside people exploring similar family patterns.

  • Two live calls each week with Blake.
  • Questions, discussion, and shared practice.
  • Call replays when you cannot attend live.
  • Room to listen and learn before choosing to share.

A look inside the course

Begin at Basecamp.
Build your own map.

The course currently has 20 lessons organised into five sections. Here is the route you will find inside Circle, with room to pause and return to what is useful.

The second-mountain metaphor: first mountain, valley, Basecamp, the work, and second mountain. Movement back and forth is part of the process.
The second-mountain metaphor offers a way to orient yourself. The five course sections below give that exploration a practical structure. Select the diagram to view it full size.

Find your starting point.

Course introduction · 7 minutes

Meet the course map and get a feel for the teaching. Start with the terrain you know, then choose one small next step.

Open the lesson in a new tab →

See your family patterns on paper.

Genogram lesson · 5:25

See how a genogram can help you map relationships and notice patterns across generations. Your map can stay private.

Open the lesson in a new tab →

Two lessons to explore before joining. Play either when you are ready; you can pause and come back.

Fictional family genogram showing two parents, three adult children, a focus person and a relationship being explored.
A fictional example of putting relationships on paper. Your own map can remain private. Select the diagram to view it full size.
Basecamp · 6 lessons

Begin with “Mapping the Shadow: The Lay of the Land at Basecamp,” a seven-minute orientation to the tent, the valley and the second mountain. The section introduces the course map, family projection and the four quadrants.

The Valley of Despair · 4 lessons

Explore the narcissistic family experience, the “hall of mirrors,” the ontological void and the four quadrants of the scapegoat experience.

The Alchemical Ascent · 2 lessons

Explore Jung, depth psychology and individuation, followed by sensitivity, synchronicity and the spiritual dimension of recovery.

The Systems Perspective · 3 lessons

Look at Bowen theory and family constellations, the fawn response and the balance of giving and taking. Learn how to create your genogram.

Back at Basecamp · 5 lessons

Bring the learning into identity, grief, body and habits, reparenting, values and your personal manifesto.

A small taste of the first lesson

Map one part of your terrain.

The first lesson invites you to name the terrain you have crossed. For a small start, write one sentence about a familiar family pattern and one thing you have learned about yourself. Keep your notes private; there is no need to share or complete your whole story.

A short adaptation of the lesson’s “Map Your Valley” reflection. You can pause at any point.

Get the free newsletter and Ascent workbook →

A simple place to begin

Your first week can be simple.

You do not need to catch up on everything before you begin. Start with one lesson, one practice and one call or replay.

One lesson.

Open The Ascent and begin in Basecamp with “Mapping the Shadow: The Lay of the Land at Basecamp.” Choose one idea to sit with. You can stop there for today.

One practice.

Try a small reflection from the lesson or workbook. Keep your notes private; sharing your family story is optional.

One call or replay.

Look at the community calendar for the next call. You can listen before choosing to speak. If the time does not work for you, use an available replay.

The course and community offer education and shared practice. Individual coaching and Ontario psychotherapy are separate services.

Meet your guide

I’m Blake Anderson, RSW.

I created The Ascent for the gap between understanding a family pattern and staying connected to yourself when it returns.

The teaching draws on Bowen family systems, IFS, Jungian, and Integral perspectives. In this course and community, my role is coach, educator, and facilitator.

Read about Blake’s approach →

Participation without performance.

You do not need a diagnosis for a relative, a polished account of your history, or one particular decision about contact.

The course can support your learning, including alongside individual care. It does not establish a therapy relationship or replace confidential, individualized treatment.

Looking for individual support? →

Membership

Choose the billing rhythm that fits.

You can join at any time. Cohort 3 runs September 1–December 1, 2026, with learning organised in three-month cohorts. Choose monthly membership or a three-month quarterly plan; you do not need to wait for the next cohort to begin.

Both plans include the complete Ascent course, The Holding Space community, two live calls each week, replays, Sovereign Scapegoat GPT and Slide Vault access.

Monthly billing

$99 USD / month

A recurring monthly membership with the course and community.

View plans & join

Quarterly billing

Save $48 over three monthly payments

$249 USD / quarter

Three months of membership with the same course and community, renewing quarterly. Equivalent to $83 USD per month, billed quarterly.

View plans & join

Membership renews at $99 USD monthly or $249 USD every three months until canceled. Cancel in Circle’s Billing settings before your next renewal; access continues until the end of your paid period. Cohort dates do not determine your billing or cancellation date.

Questions before joining? Email Blake, or start with the free newsletter and workbook.

Common questions

Before you join.

What is the difference between The Ascent and The Holding Space?

The Ascent is the course. The Holding Space is the private community where members connect and join live calls. Both are included in the monthly and quarterly membership plans.

Can I join after a cohort has started?

Yes. People can join at any time. Cohort 3 runs September 1–December 1, 2026; the course is self-paced and call replays are included. Monthly membership is available, or you can choose the quarterly plan for three months of membership.

Is this therapy?

No. The course and community are educational. Blake participates as a coach, facilitator, and educator here. Ontario psychotherapy is a separate, session-based service.

Do I have to share my story in the group?

You can begin by listening, reading, and working through the course. Share only what you feel comfortable sharing in a community setting.

What if I cannot attend a live call?

Call replays are included. Check the community calendar for current live-call times and announcements.

Will I be told to go no-contact?

No single contact decision fits everyone. The work supports reflection on your values, circumstances, and choices rather than prescribing a relationship decision.

Are the GPT, Slide Vault and Advanced assessment included?

Sovereign Scapegoat GPT and Slide Vault access are included while your membership is active. IFSA 3.1 Advanced is a separate purchase for new members. Existing legacy access keeps its own terms.

Does membership include individual coaching sessions?

No. The separate coaching package includes six one-hour video sessions, self-completed IFSA 3.0 and IFSA 3.1 Advanced assessments, and 90 days of The Ascent course, The Holding Space community, Sovereign Scapegoat GPT and Slide Vault access. It costs $1,400 USD in full or two $700 USD payments, now and one month later. The package does not automatically renew. Explore the coaching package and booking process.

Should I begin here or with individual support?

The course and community offer structured education and shared practice. Individual support gives you a more personal focus. If you are unsure, book a free 15-minute consultation to discuss fit.

The traveler planting an amber flag with a mountain goat emblem

When you’re ready

A place to keep practising.

If this feels like the support you are looking for, choose your membership plan and begin at your own pace.

$99 USD monthly or $249 USD every three months. Membership renews until you cancel.

Questions about joining?

info@blakeanderson.coach
(437) 747-7417

For a first email, a brief question is enough; you don’t need to send personal or clinical details.

Toronto, Ontario · Online sessions
In-person location: 50 Carroll St, Toronto. Confirm arrangements when booking.

Website content, courses, and community are educational. This website and email are not monitored for emergencies. If you need immediate help, contact your local emergency or crisis service.