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372 Educators providing Avid courses delivered Online

Brian McMinn: Gestalt Therapy Workshops

brian mcminn: gestalt therapy workshops

I am Irish but have lived in the northwest of England for over 20 years. After originally qualifying as a person-centred counsellor in 1994, I worked in GP practices in the northwest and in north Wales before working in London at the Beverley Clinic. I was then invited to teach, part-time, on counselling courses at Oldham College, and progressed to a full-time post as programme leader for the counselling diploma. Subsequently, I worked full-time as lecturer and joint course leader at University of Salford for a number of years before deciding to leave teaching and focus on providing therapy. In 2006, I qualified as a Gestalt psychotherapist (Manchester Gestalt Centre and Metanoia Institute). Gestalt theory and practice is fascinating, and the thoroughness of the training, which is accredited by Gestalt Psychotherapy & Training Institute, makes it a highly respected and powerful approach. At a recent estimate, I have worked therapeutically with over 8000 clients for an average of ten sessions each. I would like to say that therapy was successful with all – but not quite, I’m sure. At University of Liverpool, where I work part-time, the CORE-OM system is used to assess outcomes, and my work has a high success rate. I have two teenage sons, and I’m an avid football fan and watch a lot of it. Recently I had the pleasure of working for Everton Football Club with some of their first team. I read a lot of non-fiction, watch Netflix, enjoy photography, walk our spaniel, Daisy, and exercise regularly. I got into counselling and therapy over 25 years ago when I decided to face my own personal problems. I needed a lot of help and to my surprise, and initial scepticism, it worked well for me. I feel transformed by this experience (it was long term and not always easy). From this experience I developed an endless fascination for psychotherapy. I was fortunate to have been a client to some very capable therapists, to whom I am more than grateful.

Sing and Sign Birmingham

sing and sign birmingham

London

I live in Birmingham with my Partner James and my 3 wonderful Children - Flynn, Coel and Phoebe. I have enjoyed signing with my older sister, through my work - working with children/adults with additional needs and A/autism and with my own children! Using baby signing with my children (starting with Flynn in 2001!), it helped them to tell me what they wanted/needed or how they were feeling. Baby signing boosted their confidence, helped them to be included and lessened their frustration! It really is amazing when your baby can start a 'conversation' with you about something that they are interested in! My children could tell me so, so much with their signs, before they were physically able to tell me with their voices - just wonderful! They were all super keen to say the words that they were signing too, which eventually happened in abundance! Flynn and Coel are both now very articulate, happy boys, who are proud to still be able to sign. My Daughter Phoebe is now 5 and she adored her Sing and Sign journey! She really is an avid dinosaur fan and I believe that she could actually talk the hind legs off a donkey (or T-Rex), telling you all the dinosaur names! She has started school now and as with her brothers, her teachers are amazed at her astounding vocabulary and she proudly shares her signing! It really is a magical and wonderful skill to learn together and one that can be taken on through life too! My work prior to this has always been promoting rights and inclusion - why shouldn't little ones have this too?! I study British Sign Language (BSL) also and I am currently at Level 3 and I am passionate about Deaf Awareness too. Being so passionate about communication and baby signing lead to me wanting to tell the World! - well Birmingham at least and so I bought my own little bit of Sing and Sign! I am very excited and happy to be able share Sing and Sign with you!