The Art and Science of Helping

The course is open to anyone as well as Advanced Psychotherapy trainees at The Berne Institute and those in training elsewhere. 

The course will provide the equivalent of five full days of CPD experience.

 The course will unfold as an experiential exploration of the holistic application of TA.  In practice this means working with awareness of Mind, Body, Spirit and Context.  Theories help us to feel secure about what we do because they provide a kind of certainty. But any attempt to help another person will always involve uncertainty, and coping with it takes personal courage as well as knowledge and skill.  My aim on the course is to be helpful to TA trainees and practitioners as they grapple with this complexity

1. Some elaboration of familiar theory

Based on a whole-life model of development we will consider the concept of self-actualisation. We will look particularly at the formation of ego states, the concept of OK-ness and the notion of social and psychological autonomy.  

2. The complex issue of consciousness

Consciousness is what you wake up into every day.  Conventional science assumes that consciousness arises from observable activity in the material of the body, particularly the brain.  But there is a lot of evidence that does not support this view. We will look at the impact of a shift towards a model of non-material consciousness on our work.

3. A spiritual perspective 

Spirituality is not the same as religion, which is culturally transmitted.  Defined as the quest for larger meaning and purpose, spirituality is an innate capacity in all of us.  As a natural aspect of human psychological potential it can form part of a therapeutic dialogue. We will look at how this perspective can support the work we undertake.

4. An ecological perspective

In his book “The Myth of Normal”, Gabor Mate asks how we are to understand, in our world of increasing technical expertise, that we are seeing more and more chronic physical and mental illness. He concludes that a failure of connection to self, others and the planet is the reason. To reclaim this we need to equate what we see as normal with what is natural.  They are currently very far from aligned. We will consider how this informs our work. 

5. The context of now

Life in the 21st century presents many complexities and multiple new uncertainties.  Even our climate and our eco-systems are struggling to maintain stability. This deeply impacts the human psyche.  Psychotherapy has never been more in demand.  As professional helpers, how can we respond in this context?  How might we best make a difference? 

To book a place, please email office@theberne.com or click the Apply Now button below. Full details of how to access the Zoom link for both workshops will be emailed to you once your booking is confirmed. You will need a computer, stable internet access, and somewhere private to be while you are accessing the highly interactive course. 

In person workshop times are 10.00am to 5.00pm, usually with a break around 1pm for lunch and shorter breaks throughout the day. Online workshop times are 7pm to 9pm.