9 Courses

Following the recent success of this workshop, this rerun will provide another opportunity for counselling and psychotherapy practitioners to learn about and get ready for setting up in independent private practice. The workshop will focus on matters of planning, preparation, launch, growth and sustainability of your practice with topics including suitable legal structures, financial and money matters, marketing and promotion, networking, assessment/intake sessions, contracting with clients, ongoing training and CPD, and much more.

Strapping & Taping Course covering Sports tape, k-tape (kinesio) & biomechanical tape. Perfect for Sports therapists osteopaths physiotherapists chiropractors

This workshop/seminar is designed for counsellors, psychotherapists, psychologist and art therapists working with, or planning to work with members of the LGBTQ+ community. Participants will be able to explore and augment their cultural awareness and competency for working with LGBTQ+ clients. This workshop will provide a a safe and supportive space to learn and will include experiential exercises as well as taught elements. The workshop will be delivered by Claire Black, Gestalt Therapist/Supervisor in private practice and Counselling Coordinator at LGBT Health and Wellbeing. 

Strapping & Taping Course covering Sports tape, k-tape (kinesio) & biomechanical tape. Perfect for Sports therapists osteopaths physiotherapists chiropractors

This seminar is aimed at counselling and psychotherapy practitioners working with members of the LGBTI+ community who are presenting material and/or concerns about the use of illicit drugs, such as Methamphetamine, Mephedrone and GHB/GBL in combination with sex (Chemsex).  The seminar will provide insights into the latest research by presenting case material from a PhD project and focuses on fostering a non-stigmatising/pathologising, shame-reducing approach to clinical practice with this client group. Participants will gain an understanding of the phenomenon by examining the practice from within different therapeutic approaches.   ABOUT THE PRESENTER: Peter Hellsten is a psychodynamic (eclectic) psychotherapist in private practice at A Quiet Room and has worked extensively with members of the LGBT+ community. He is a PhD candidate and qualitative researcher at The University of Edinburgh, where he is working on a project concerning gay men’s sexual behaviour and Chemsex. 

Discover practical ways you can help using the core skills and concepts of human givens therapy – early intervention and ‘treating the whole person’ can be crucial… Accredited CPD: 6 hours Length: 1 day (9.30am - 4.00pm) Excellent trainer, very engaging, invaluable insights and knowledge This new course for HG therapists builds on the online Understanding Eating Difficulties introductory webinar. It will deepen your understanding of working with clients experiencing eating difficulties and give you practical guidance on the most appropriate ways to support them, whether they have an official diagnosis or not. You will leave the workshop with a much better understanding of how to apply the skills and concepts encompassed in human givens therapy in this area. Jo Baker has a wealth of experience in this area; she has previously worked as a volunteer for BEAT and other local eating disorder charities and helped people with eating difficulties in both private practice and university settings. NEXT DATE:  This course is part of our new range of recommended CPD for HG therapists. We don’t currently have another date for it, if you are interested in attending please register here so we can let you know when one becomes available. Why take this course The numbers of people experiencing eating difficulties are hitting an all time high – in the UK, 1.25 million people are estimated to have a diagnosable eating disorder¹ with hospital admissions more than doubling from 10,318 to 22,000 in the four years between 2016 and 2020². The early stages (or ‘subthreshold’ stages i.e. when symptoms do not meet full diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder as defined by the DSM-5 or the ICD-11) have been identified as a critical period for preventing progression of an eating disorder³. However, stigma directed towards those experiencing eating difficulties that aren’t believed to be ‘serious enough’ to warrant support⁴ can present a barrier to seeking help. With its deliberate use of non-clinical language Jo Baker’s new workshop for HG therapists considers all difficulties around eating worthy of help, understanding and support, irrespective of whether or not these difficulties have been diagnosed or meet the criteria for a diagnosable eating disorder. In this regard, the human givens approach takes a step forward towards early intervention, and treating the whole person. As well as having been a practising Human Givens therapist for 12 years, and teaching the HG Diploma, Jo has previously worked as a volunteer for BEAT and other local eating disorder charities and brings to the day a wealth of practical experience of working with eating difficulties both in private practice and in university settings. What will you learn The nuance of language – how to avoid causing unintentional distress The causes of most eating disorders and difficulties Creating space for the client’s story How to help your client identify and challenge destructive thought processes Therapeutic tools to get to the root of the problem – we look at which techniques can be useful, and what to be careful of The barriers created by clinical language and diagnostic criteria Diversity in eating difficulties – a greater understanding of the impact of cultural and contextual factors around eating How to help your client meet their needs and use their resources in a healthy way Eating difficulties and neurodiversity An increased awareness of complicating conditions – such as alcohol / substance abuse and medical conditions The important role of sleep in recovery Accessing resources and helping the individual to develop a nurturing self Ethical practice Understanding the boundaries of your role and your own limitations And more… Course Programme The ‘The Mind-Body Connection in depth: Movement, Emotion and Calm’ course starts at 9.30am and runs until 4.00pm. From 8.30am Registration (Tea and coffee served until 9.25am) 9.30am Eating difficulties: an overview 11.00am Discussion over tea/coffee 11.30am Understanding and resolving difficulties 1.00pm Lunch (included) 1.45pm Group discussion – questions from the day so far 3.00pm Discussion over tea/coffee 3.15pm Bringing it all together 4.00pm Day ends Who is this course suitable for? This course is for experienced, qualified HG therapists and counsellors who would like to understand more about eating difficulties, eating disorders and the different ways they can affect people. It is an invitation to recognise that all experiences of eating difficulties are equally valid and worthy of care and support. It is hoped that the learner develops further depth and breadth to their understanding and feels an increased confidence to support clients with eating difficulties however they present. The course combines trainer input, discussion and small group activities. All training is limited by time constraints and whilst we have done our utmost to include a diversity of perspectives there will inevitably be topics that have not been covered. This course is an invitation to recognise that all experiences of eating difficulties are equally valid and worthy of care and support. It is hoped that the learner develops further depth and breadth to their understanding and feels an increased confidence to support clients with eating difficulties however they present. This course has been independently accredited by the internationally recognised CPD Standards Office for 6 hours of CPD training. On completion of this training you’ll receive CPD certificates from the College and the CPD Standards Office.

This intensive week of skills practice, feedback and ongoing assessment is the final stage before becoming a fully-qualified human givens practitioner Dates: Mon 6th – Fri 10th Feb 2023Mon 26th – Fri 30th June 2023 Length: 5 days (9.00am – 5.30pm) Tutors: Dr Gareth Hughes, Jo Baker, Rosalind Townsend, Carol Harper Open to: Graduates of Part 2 of the Human Givens Diploma Qualification: Human Givens Practitioner Level Diploma (HG.Dip.P.) This week far exceeded my expectations – I can’t wait to get back and apply what I’ve learntJOHN BUCHANBERGER Part 3 is the Human Givens Practitioner Qualification; the pre-requisite to becoming a fully qualified human givens therapist, eligible for inclusion on the HGI’s Professional Register (which is independently accredited in the UK by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care). Throughout the week, students practise and demonstrate a broad range of practical therapeutic skills under close supervision and rigorous on-going assessment by the two tutors and experienced facilitators. Students who have already successfully graduated from the course enthuse about how useful and enriching it is. Between Part 2 and Part 3 of the Diploma students are expected to carry out extensive therapeutic practice, with a minimum of 10 different people, under ongoing supervision. For more information, please read the following downloads. Course Dates All Part 3 weeks are held at Engineers’ House in Bristol Winter 2023 – Code WK14 Mon 6th–Fri 10th February 2023 – FULL Summer 2023 – Code WK15 Mon 26th–Fri 30th June 2023 – Full, with waiting list Autumn 2023 – Code WK16 Mon 20th–Fri 24th November 2023 – Waiting list, please contact the office HOW TO APPLY: To attend Part 3, your supervisor must be happy that you have gained enough therapeutic experience and are ready to progress with this part of the Diploma. As there are only 12 places on each Part 3, we recommend you contact us as soon as possible to let us know which course you and your supervisor think you will be most likely to attend. Your name will then be added to the list for that course (for more information on this stage of the Diploma, see: Working towards Part 3). Please contact Fiona Heffernan if you have any questions about the course, or are ready to put your name down for a place on one. Meet your tutors Carol Harper Carol has 30 years’ experience in private practice, her holistic outlook and curiosity has influenced her professional development… Read more Dr Gareth Hughes Gareth is an HG psychotherapist, researcher, nationally recognised expert on university mental health and wellbeing and a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Read more Jo Baker For many years Jo worked as a therapist within the Psychological Wellbeing department at the University of Derby, where she dealt with an extensive and varied caseload… Read more Rosalind Townsend Ros Townsend is an experienced psychotherapist and supervisor with busy practices in SW England, where she combines private therapy work with referrals from Occupational Health and the NHS. Read more

EMDR networking and workshops EMDR CPD

Why do young people increasingly turn to self harm as a way of dealing with stress? And what can caring adults do to respond to this mystifying behaviour? This workshop will explore the many variables which lead to self harm while exploring methods of healing distress through curiosity and compassionate understanding Hosted by Dr Leslie Lund Leslie is an Adolescent Psychotherapist and Family Therapist with nearly 30 years of experience. As a senior therapist, she supervises other private practice therapists, school counsellors and administrators within schools, as well as other psychological professionals within the wider community. She has a special interest in the mental health of young people within educational environments and supports the development of Wellbeing programmes in schools. We would like to thank the Ashcombe school for allowing us to use their facilities to run our training and workshops.