EMBODIED-RELATIONAL
THERAPY
A one year course
with
Nick Totton
and
Allison Priestman
four residential blocks in Derbyshire starting April 2010
Cost: 2500 pounds
WHAT IS EMBODIED-RELATIONAL
THERAPY?
Embodied-Relational
Therapy has its roots in Reichian body work, process approaches,
psychodynamic therapies and earth-centred spirituality. Initiated by
Nick Totton and Em Edmondson in the late 80s, ERT continues to grow and
develop, especially through Allison’s contribution.
ERT
is an holistic integrative approach focusing on two facts about human
beings: we are embodied and in relationship. To be alive we need to
be a body, to be alive we need to relate to others; our greatest
challenges and our greatest joys follow from this. As
human beings, we are integrated body-mindspirit; on the whole, we find
this condition hard to manage. Our nature seeks to express itself
freely, while at the same time protecting itself in conditions
sometimes of great difficulty. This double task of expression and
protection makes us often subject to contradictory pulls, and offering
double messages about what we feel, want and need. Through a
relationship which is challenging but supportive and non-invasive, it
is possible to disentangle our doubleness and allow our process to
unfold.ERT draws a
great deal from other therapies, but brings these ideas and techniques
into a new synthesis with its own unique flavour and values, described
in terms of seven ‘metaskills’: Awareness, Trust, Contactfulness,
Spontaneity, Spaciousness, Relaxation and Wild Mind. Encouraging
a deep letting go into what is, ERT takes a position of profound trust
that what ever is trying to happen in someone's life needs to happen,
and whatever needs to happen is trying to happen.
THE ONE YEAR COURSE
This
eighth one year course offers a solid grounding in the principles and
practice of Embodied-Relational Therapy, and should enable people with
sufficient basic therapeutic skills to use ERT confidently with
clients. There is no requirement to do written work. If in the view of
both the facilitators and your fellow trainees you complete the course
successfully, you will receive a diploma.
The following themes will be covered:
Embodiment
Exploring
the different ways in which we try to deal with the tricky but
rewarding situation of having a body, and their implications for our
life as human beings.Relationship
How
our individual style of embodiment expresses itself through our
relating to the world and to people - our needs, our projections, our
desires, our defences - sometimes creatively, sometimes problematically.Character
Understanding
the range of possible bodily/emotional/energetic organisation available
to people, and how each person's individual style is formed through
their response to key developmental thresholds.
The following skills will be taught:
Contact
For
creative change to happen in therapy, it is vital to be in touch with
self and others on several levels. You will learn sensitivity to
contact and its absence and to the needs different characters have
around contact.Information gathering
Attending
to the flow of information that a client is continually producing,
through the whole range of available channels including seeing,
listening, feeling, intuiting, thinking, touching, and relating Amplifying
Using
all the multitude of ways in which we can help an identified
process to develop and grow. As well as specific skills for
amplification, you will be supported in an improvisational and playful
approach.Integrating
Making sense of the work done, connecting it up with the shape and meaning of the client's life, moving on into the future.WHO THE COURSE IS FORThis
is primarily a post-qualification course: most participants will have
completed a previous training in psychotherapy, counselling, or perhaps
some relationship-based form of healing work (e.g. massage,
cranio-sacral therapy, homeopathy, etc.) The course will offer a second
training in ERT which you should be able to integrate into your
practice. We also welcome people without
a previous qualification but with a good deal of experience of therapy
and growth work, who might use the course as part of an independent
practitioner training, or might simply value it for personal
development. We require participants intending to practice ERT to be in
therapy for the duration of the course if they have not already had an
extended period of therapy. Successful graduates will be able to take a one year Advanced Course, which gives membership of the ERT Practitioners Group.FACILITATORS
See information about Nick here and Allison here.
PRACTICALITIES
The course will be made up of four
five-night residential workshops at Unstone Grange, near
Chesterfield. The fee includes all residential costs. The
dates are all Thursday evening to Tuesday lunchtime:April 15-20 June 17-22 Oct 21-26 Feb 24-March 1 2011
Once the three of us decide that you should do the training, a deposit
of 400 pounds will be due. The balance of 2100 pounds is
payable by agreed installments over the period of the course. There may
be some possibility of reductions.
If we have not already worked together, then you will
need to come for an interview with Allison, Nick, or both
of us; you may prefer to do this in any case. This can
happen during a weekend workshop. The interview will be
mutual - a chance for each of us to assess the other. As
already mentioned, if you have not already been in
personal therapy you will be expected to do so for the
duration of the course except by special negotiation.
Successful graduates will be able to take a one year
Advanced Course, which gives membership of the ERT
Practitioners Group.
This cannot possibly cover every aspect of the course;
please feel free to contact us with any questions you may
have.
Nick Totton, 01422 886 525
nick@erthworks.co.uk
http://www.erthworks.co.uk
Allison Priestman, 01453 768524
info@ allisonpriestman.co.uk
http://www.allisonpriestman.co.uk
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