A starting point to this series of dialogues on insanity, where we will be analyzing R. D. Laings brilliant book "Knots". With Bárbara Godoy We aim to explore the lived experiences on irregular perceptions of reality with an open mind. Each Saturday includes: a live dialogue between Prof. Ernesto Spinelli and an International Existential Therapist; a moment to share your thoughts and feelings with the teachers; and a final integration facilitated by Bárbara Godoy. This series of ten dialogues set out to explore the multifaceted dimentions and complexities associated with Existential Therapies. It attempts to engage with various interpretations of insanity through the lens of patients often painful, confounding, and deeply unsettling life experiences. Knots - between Prof. Ernesto Spinelli and Bárbara Godoy “As a starting point to this series of dialogues on insanity; I wanted to return to R. D. Laings brilliant book which was originally published in 1970. Knots consists of a series of dialogue-scenarios that can be read as poems or brief plays, each demonstrating the intricacies and insanities of human relationships. I would like to expand on Laings insights by exploring the professional relationship between therapist and client as yet another human relationship that, while constantly expanding (and expounding on) its intricacies, might do well to pay more attention to its accompanying insanities.” Prof. Ernesto Spinelli. Prof. Ernesto Spinelli was Chair of the Society for Existential Analysis between 1993 and 1999 and is a Life Member of the Society. His writings, lectures and seminars focus on the application of existential phenomenology to the arenas of therapy, supervision, psychology, and executive coaching. He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society (BPS) as well as an APECS accredited executive coach and coaching supervisor. In 2000, he was the Recipient of BPS Division of Counselling Psychology Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Profession. And in 2019, Ernesto received the BPS Award for Distinguished Contribution to Practice. His most recent book, Practising Existential Therapy: The Relational World 2nd edition (Sage, 2015) has been widely praised as a major contribution to the advancement of existential theory and practice. Living up to the existential dictum that life is absurd, Ernesto is also the author of an on-going series of Private Eye novels. Bárbara Godoy M.A., Adv. Dip. Exi. Psy, UKCP accredited Psychotherapist and Supervisor, MBACP and SEA – Director of Therapy Harley Street. Bárbara’s academic experience in London since 2008 includes lecturing and researching on the theory and practice of Phenomenological Existential Therapy on Doctorate, MA and professional courses at the School of Psychotherapy and Counselling Psychology, Regent’s University and the New School of Psychotherapy and Counselling directed by Emmy van Deurzen. Bárbara has facilitated therapeutic Group Work internationally since 1997. The question about the meaning of Being-Woman was the topic of her thesis completed in 2005 and evolved into two main Women’s Groups: “Nine muses” and “Four Seasons” which she leads in addition to her individual private practice. Currently, as the clinical director of THS, Bárbara leads a team of over 20 professional practitioners in the area of Psychological services and Wellbeing consultancy. Bárbara is also the founder-director of THS’s Personal Development and CPD Programmes. Date and Time: Saturday 25 January from 2 pm to 3 pm – (UK time) Individual Dialogue Fee: £70 Venue: Online Zoom FULL PROGRAMME 2025: 25 January “Knots” with Prof. Ernesto Spinelli and Bárbara Godoy 22 February “Healing” with Dr. Michael Guy Thompson and Prof. Ernesto Spinelli 22 March “Difference” with Prof. Tod DuBose and Prof. Ernesto Spinelli 12 April “Polarisation” with Prof. Kirk Schneider and Prof. Ernesto Spinelli 3 May “Character” with Prof. Robert Romanyshyn and Prof. Ernesto Spinelli 21 June “Opening” with Dr. Yaqui Martinez and Prof. Ernesto Spinelli 19 July “Meaning” with Dr. Jan Resnick and Prof. Ernesto Spinelli 25 October “Invention” with Dr. Betty Cannon and Prof. Ernesto Spinelli 15 November “Hallucination” with Prof. Simon du Plock and Prof. Ernesto Spinelli 13 December “Hysteria” with Bárbara Godoy and Prof. Ernesto Spinelli Read the full programme here > Course Organised by:
Are you feeling stressed or tired after a long week at work? Perhaps with the new hybrid working arrangement you are working from home? Then come and join me every Friday morning at 8AM (UK) for a rejuvenating yet relaxing somatic movement-based class. This class is based on the floor with the support of a blanket. Expect a class that involves gentle movements through the spine, hips, shoulders and other areas of the body. The aim is to release stress but also mobilise all of the key joints of the body, helping you to build strength, release tension and create new energy. ‘Yoga for Stress Relief & Fatigue Reduction‘ lasts around 45 minutes. No previous experience is necessary. All levels are welcome. Bring a blanket and mat with you.
A slower simpler class for those that want to mobilise their body or release aches & pains. Calm the mind and take a break from a stressful life. Gentle yoga classes are suitable for all levels. Ideal for beginners.
MAGIC BALKAN MUSIC ACADEMY Balkan Melody Mastery Learn great Balkan tunes and how to play them amazingly. When? Wednesday evenings, 19:00 – 20:30h GMT Where? Online on ZOOM, limited spaces in-person in Kenton, London HA3 This course will explore authentic Balkan tunes, emphasizing essential techniques for playing with precision and expression. The curriculum is taught via a mixture of by-ear learning and sheet music, allowing participants to delve into dynamic phrasing, articulation, ornamentation, tone, and speed. The course also offers exercises to enhance overall technique and flexibility. Details Wednesday evenings, 19:00 – 20:30h GMT Start on the 17th January 2024. The course will run weekly throughout the year, expect school holidays. Booking either annually on a 6-weekly direct debit or by booking 5-lesson units (more info below) Location: Online on zoom – limited in-person spaces in London HA3 Participants: players of melodic instruments from intermediate to advanced. Fee: £60/£45 concessions for 1 Unit of 5 weeks (half a term). Discounts when signing up until the end of the academic year Booking Page: Click here to read details of payment and sign up for the course. Read below for extra events, extra discounts and all-inclusive fees. Watch Information Videos and including small demonstrations. Detailed Information The Balkan region is known for its rich and diverse musical heritage, which has been influenced by various cultures and traditions over the centuries. I am launching this new course to share the finer things about Balkan music. The correct notes can be played by any musician, but how often do I find myself in tears when listening to a great musician who gets it so wrong, simply because they did not have the opportunity to travel, listen, and learn from native masters? Instead, they might have learned it third-hand or from a piece of sheet music. Western classical music notation cannot fully capture the essence of other types of music, and a metronome can stifle the authentic phrasing of asymmetric Balkan rhythms. I am not a native Balkan music master either, but I feel very privileged that I had the opportunity to learn from several of them, and engage in endless, wild jam sessions. In this course, I aim to convey not only the right musical feel but also the fervour and passion for this music. The weekly course primarily targets melodic instruments. Tunes will be taught by ear, initially using the voice (sheet music will be sent out beforehand), and then practiced on the instrument. Special attention will be devoted to phrasing, articulation, and, of course, the typical charisma of Balkan music to give it that truly magical sound. Whilst I am a violinist and will demonstrate and lead with the violin and voice, the course is suitable for any melodic instrument. The level is aimed at intermediate to advanced players, although ambitious and diligent lower-intermediate players will also do well. We will briefly cover accompaniment aspects, including chord progressions, rhythm patterns, and techniques. Dedicated workshops for chordal instruments and percussion will be offered as we progress. The course will run weekly and continuously, with no regular sessions during usual UK school holidays. Booking will be in advance in 5-session units. Each unit can be booked individually, or you can sign up for an annual booking and pay in 6 instalments distributed over the whole year, receiving a 20% discount on the total course fee. For precise dates and a detailed payment plan please visit the BOOKING page. Information Videos about the general aims and philosophy of the course how to achieve expressive ornamentation how the accompaniments relate to the tunes Additional Events Balkan Academy Jam Session: A music making session, 3 times a year (towards the end of each term), online and in person, where course participants and their friends can play the studied material with a full-on group, including rhythm section and vocals. Fee: £9 for course participants, £12 for others - sheet music downloads included Dates to be announced. Chord Progressions and Accompaniment Special: A special workshop three times a year for guitars, accordions, pianos, bass players, and similar instruments, both online and in person. This workshop delves into the details of chord progressions and accompaniment patterns, including riffs and breaks. It will be co-hosted by an experienced guitarist. Fee: £9 for course participants, £12 for others. Dates to be announced. Balkan Percussion Special: A workshop designed for percussionists to study the rhythm patterns and techniques related to the course material. This workshop will be co-hosted by an experienced Balkan percussionist. It is tailored to friends and bandmates of the Balkan Melody Mastery course participants, allowing the pieces to be performed together in your own groups and jam sessions. Fee: £9 for course participants, £12 for others. Dates to be announced.
Yin Yoga will fast-track flexibility. Breathe and meditate to help cope with a stressful life. Holding passive yoga poses for several minutes to stretch deep tissue and gain flexibility. Yin yoga classes are suitable for all levels.
To understand psychopathology, one must learn a foreign language, lend an ear as it were to a language that is complex and symbolic. We aim to explore the lived experiences on irregular perceptions of reality with an open mind. Each Saturday includes: a live dialogue between Prof. Ernesto Spinelli and an International Existential Therapist; a moment to share your thoughts and feelings with the teachers; and a final integration facilitated by Bárbara Godoy. This series of ten dialogues set out to explore the multifaceted dimentions and complexities associated with Existential Therapies. It attempts to engage with various interpretations of insanity through the lens of patients often painful, confounding, and deeply unsettling life experiences. Character- between Prof. Ernesto Spinelli and Prof. Robert Romanyshyn “I begin with the term psychopathology to emphasize that the word is about the logos—the thinking/speaking—about the sufferings of the psyche. To understand psychopathology, one must learn a foreign language, lend an ear as it were to a language that is complex, symptomatic, symbolic, and embodied. As complex, psychopathology reveals and conceals the sufferings of psyche. As symptomatic, psychopathology reminds one of things too important to forget but which are forgotten because they are too painful to remember. As symbolic, psychopathology is neither about facts nor ideas but about images, alchemical vessels that not only hold and contain psyche’s sufferings, but also cooks them. As embodied, psyche’s sufferings are inscribed in the flesh, etched as lines of character. To practice psychotherapy as an existential therapist situates therapist and patient in a dialogical field that is complex, symptomatic, symbolic, and embodied as a gestural field between them.” Prof. Robert Romanyshyn. Prof. Robert D. Romanyshyn, an Affiliate Member of The Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts, a Fellow of the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture, and a Professor Emeritus of Clinical Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute, was recently awarded the Distinguished Lifetime Contributions to Humanistic Psychology Award from the Society for Humanistic Psychology APA Division 32. He has published eight books and numerous articles in psychology, philosophy, education, and literary journals. He is also a published poet and has written a one-act play about Frankenstein. In 2009 he created a multi-media DVD entitled Antarctica: Inner journeys in the Outer World, which offers a psychological reflection on the melting polar ice. In addition to online seminars and interviews, he has given lectures and workshops at universities and professional societies in the U.S., Europe, Australia, South Africa, Canada, and New Zealand. Prof. Ernesto Spinelli was Chair of the Society for Existential Analysis between 1993 and 1999 and is a Life Member of the Society. His writings, lectures and seminars focus on the application of existential phenomenology to the arenas of therapy, supervision, psychology, and executive coaching. He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society (BPS) as well as an APECS accredited executive coach and coaching supervisor. In 2000, he was the Recipient of BPS Division of Counselling Psychology Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Profession. And in 2019, Ernesto received the BPS Award for Distinguished Contribution to Practice. His most recent book, Practising Existential Therapy: The Relational World 2nd edition (Sage, 2015) has been widely praised as a major contribution to the advancement of existential theory and practice. Living up to the existential dictum that life is absurd, Ernesto is also the author of an on-going series of Private Eye novels. Date and Time: Saturday 3 May from 2 pm to 3 pm – (UK time) Individual Dialogue Fee: £70 Venue: Online Zoom FULL PROGRAMME 2025: 25 January “Knots” with Prof. Ernesto Spinelli and Bárbara Godoy 22 February “Healing” with Dr. Michael Guy Thompson and Prof. Ernesto Spinelli 22 March “Difference” with Prof. Tod DuBose and Prof. Ernesto Spinelli 12 April “Polarisation” with Prof. Kirk Schneider and Prof. Ernesto Spinelli 3 May “Character” with Prof. Robert Romanyshyn and Prof. Ernesto Spinelli 21 June “Opening” with Dr. Yaqui Martinez and Prof. Ernesto Spinelli 19 July “Meaning” with Dr. Jan Resnick and Prof. Ernesto Spinelli 25 October “Invention” with Dr. Betty Cannon and Prof. Ernesto Spinelli 15 November “Hallucination” with Prof. Simon du Plock and Prof. Ernesto Spinelli 13 December “Hysteria” with Bárbara Godoy and Prof. Ernesto Spinelli Read the full programme here > Course Organised by:
I want to discuss the existential-phenomenological challenges of viewing the human condition and explore alternatives for openness. We aim to explore the lived experiences on irregular perceptions of reality with an open mind. Each Saturday includes: a live dialogue between Prof. Ernesto Spinelli and an International Existential Therapist; a moment to share your thoughts and feelings with the teachers; and a final integration facilitated by Bárbara Godoy. This series of ten dialogues set out to explore the multifaceted dimentions and complexities associated with Existential Therapies. It attempts to engage with various interpretations of insanity through the lens of patients often painful, confounding, and deeply unsettling life experiences. Opening- between Prof. Ernesto Spinelli and Dr. Yaqui Martinez “From my early days studying psychology, I never felt comfortable with psychopathological nosologies. They seemed exaggerated to me and demonstrated the intense human desire to classify all possible expressions of our existence. Likewise, I have not been comfortable with the tendency to promote dualistic perspectives that compartmentalize our reality into separate aspects where one is not only different from the other but even in opposition, such as the sane/insane dichotomy. During this dialogue, I want to talk with Ernesto about the difficulties involved, from an existential-phenomenological perspective, in viewing the human condition from this position. Perhaps we can ask ourselves together what advantages they offer and what alternatives for openness we can propose.” Dr. Yaqui Martinez. Dr. Yaqui A. Martínez-Robles is a psychologist with Masters, PhD and PsyD in Psychotherapy. He has training in Gestalt Therapy; Music Therapy; Transpersonal Psychology and Holotropic Breathwork (with the Grof Transpersonal Training Association); Narrative and postmodern therapies and Social Constructionism; and in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (with the Integrative Psychiatry Institute and MAPS-Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies). He is the author of four books, and co-author of another two, focused on the existential perspective. He has participated with chapters in several books and with articles in several journals. Yaqui is the founder of the Circle of Studies in Existential Therapy, in Mexico City and in Medellin, Colombia,. He teaches existential-phenomenological psychology and therapy in Mexico and different countries of South America. He is the current president of the Latin American Association of Existential Psychotherapy (ALPE). He works in private practice as an existential-phenomenological therapist and coach, in modalities one-on-one, couples and groups. Prof. Ernesto Spinelli was Chair of the Society for Existential Analysis between 1993 and 1999 and is a Life Member of the Society. His writings, lectures and seminars focus on the application of existential phenomenology to the arenas of therapy, supervision, psychology, and executive coaching. He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society (BPS) as well as an APECS accredited executive coach and coaching supervisor. In 2000, he was the Recipient of BPS Division of Counselling Psychology Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Profession. And in 2019, Ernesto received the BPS Award for Distinguished Contribution to Practice. His most recent book, Practising Existential Therapy: The Relational World 2nd edition (Sage, 2015) has been widely praised as a major contribution to the advancement of existential theory and practice. Living up to the existential dictum that life is absurd, Ernesto is also the author of an on-going series of Private Eye novels. Date and Time: Saturday 19 June from 2 pm to 3 pm – (UK time) Individual Dialogue Fee: £70 Venue: Online Zoom FULL PROGRAMME 2025: 25 January “Knots” with Prof. Ernesto Spinelli and Bárbara Godoy 22 February “Healing” with Dr. Michael Guy Thompson and Prof. Ernesto Spinelli 22 March “Difference” with Prof. Tod DuBose and Prof. Ernesto Spinelli 12 April “Polarisation” with Prof. Kirk Schneider and Prof. Ernesto Spinelli 3 May “Character” with Prof. Robert Romanyshyn and Prof. Ernesto Spinelli 21 June “Opening” with Dr. Yaqui Martinez and Prof. Ernesto Spinelli 19 July “Meaning” with Dr. Jan Resnick and Prof. Ernesto Spinelli 25 October “Invention” with Dr. Betty Cannon and Prof. Ernesto Spinelli 15 November “Hallucination” with Prof. Simon du Plock and Prof. Ernesto Spinelli 13 December “Hysteria” with Bárbara Godoy and Prof. Ernesto Spinelli Read the full programme here > Course Organised by:
Step into Hogwarts and write your own magical scenes, characters, and stories inspired by Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone! Teacher: Mollie, 4 weeks, beginning end of July. Teacher: Mollie Please note: Lessons for this course will be on 30th of July, 6th, 13th, 20th of August Wednesdays at 1pm UK/4pm UAE/8pm HK If you cannot attend a lesson for any reason, Lauren will record it and send you a link to watch the sessions.
Learn to explore the nature that surrounds you, and to collect samples and data like a true ecologist. Children must be able to access outdoor spaces with natural plants and wildlife between lessons. E.g. meadow, garden, field, forest. Teacher: Nate Please note: Lessons for this 4 day course will be on the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th August at 10am UK/1pm UAE If you cannot attend a lesson for any reason, Lauren will record it and send you a link to watch the sessions.