The Art and Science of Helping

Event price: £525

Booking details: office@theberne.com

21st & 22nd February 2024 - In Person at The Berne Institute 3 seminars

21st March, 25th April & 16th May Online. 7-9pm 

5th & 6th June 2024 - In person at The Berne Institute.  

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?