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Experiential Psychotherapy Certificate Course for Individuals and Groups
This 30 hour advanced, professional course is for therapists who are looking to deepen their sessions with more creativity. Whether you are working with individuals, couples or groups, there are always opportunities to go beyond talk therapy; to get behind a client’s words, help them connect to their feelings and actually experiment with new ways of being.
A lot of therapy involves clients coming in and retelling what they already know. Here clients have the opportunity to explore themselves, unplanned and unrehearsed. That same spontaneity is also true for the therapist, which makes the sessions more alive and exciting.
A therapist may be versed in many styles of experiential work including, but not exclusive to: role playing, art, writing, movement, voice dialoguing, and sound. However, experiential work is not just a series of modalities or techniques. The magic happens when the therapist knows how to support the client in developing an inner awareness as they go through these sessions, staying present to what is actually happening in the moment. When done in a group, experiential work can also be used to create connection and bonding, resolve conflict, foster empathy, and break the monotony of talking heads.
The course will focus on:
- the role of the therapist
- exploring the therapist’s resistance as well as the client’s
- timing and pacing for experiential work
- processing and debriefing
- unlocking the therapist’s creativity
- the Gestalt concept of therapeutic experiments
- a range of experiential techniques, from light and fun to intensive-style family sculpting
- some basics of groups dynamics
- conflict resolution
- a Gestalt approach to working with transference, counter-transference and projection
This course combines theory, practice and experiential learning. Students will be expected to participate as both client and therapist in the classroom setting, giving them first-hand experience of the process.
When: Sat. Feb. 23, 2013, 9am-5pm and Sun. Feb. 24, 2013, 10am-5pm and Sat. Mar. 16, 2013, 9am-5pm and Sun. Mar. 17, 2013, 10am-5pm
With: Michelle DesRoches, Spiritual Gestalt Therapist and Group Facilitator
Pre-requisite: Student or Graduate of Spiritual Psychotherapy Program or equivalent
Fee: $915 + HST ($300 non-refundable deposit to reserve your space. Financial plans are available.
Register: Pre-registration is necessary. Contact Linda Kuschnir at 416-484-0454 ext. 23 or lindak@transformationalarts.com.