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LOOKING FOR: MG, ADULT FICTION Jo Williamson has been in publishing for over 25 years. Having worked in Children’s books PR for Dorling Kindersley, HarperCollins and Orion, she started as an agent with Antony Harwood in 2008. She feels very privileged being with authors at the very start of their publishing journey and enjoys close working relationships with all her clients. From editorial help, general advice on the publishing world, guiding careers long-term and general cheerleading, she feels she has the perfect job. Although nothing is off limits and she loves being surprised by submissions, In middle grade children's fiction, Jo is particularly looking for books with heart, epic adventures with voice-led characters, and younger funny fiction with series potential.  In adult fiction, page-turning Commercial Women’s and Book Club fiction are right up Jo's street, including psychological suspense, thriller, cosy crime and books that don’t quite fit the mould. Above all, she wants stories that linger long after the final page has been read. Jo is not the right fit for police procedurals. Jo would like you to submit a covering letter, 1 page synopsis and the first 5,000 words of your manuscript in a single word document. (In addition to the paid sessions, Jo is kindly offering one free session for low income/underrepresented writers. Please email agent121@iaminprint.co.uk to apply, outlining your case for this option which is offered at the discretion of I Am In Print).  By booking you understand you need to conduct an internet connection test with I Am In Print prior to the event. You also agree to email your material in one document to reach I Am In Print by the stated submission deadline and note that I Am In Print take no responsibility for the advice received during your agent meeting. The submission deadline is: Wednesday 5th February 2025

"What does it mean to heal, properly speaking, in the context of an existential approach". With Dr. Michael Guy Thompson 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. Healing - between Prof. Ernesto Spinelli and Dr. Michael Guy Thompson “What does it mean to heal, properly speaking, in the context of an existential approach to psychotherapy and psychoanalysis? How can we take a term that we ordinarily associate with the object of medical treatment and apply it to conversations that are conducted between therapists and their patients with the aim to live a happier and healthy life? In this dialogue I want to explore the concept of healing by exploring the etymology of the word, “heal,” which is cognate with such terms as sane, sound, sanitary, cure, and whole, in order to offer a non-medicalized and diagnostically-laden notion of how an existential approach to psychotherapy may further a healthy way to live. To this end, I want to explore the relationship between health, healing, and sanity – all derived from the same etymological root – and how psychotherapy is not concerned with “treating illnesses,” but with furthering authenticity in our lives. I will argue that living a sane life assumes a life that is lived passionately, honestly, and authentically.” Dr. Michael Guy Thompson. Dr. Michael Guy Thompson, PhD, received his psychoanalytic training from R. D. Laing and associates at the Philadelphia Association in London, and served as the organization’s administrator from 1973–1980. He is Personal and Supervising Analyst and Faculty Member, Psychoanalytic Institute of Northern California, San Francisco, and former Adjunct Professor at the California School of Professional Psychology, San Francisco, and the California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco. He is the author of over 100 journal articles, book chapters, and reviews, as well as numerous books, including The Death of Desire: A Study in Psychopathology (1985), The Truth About Freud’s Technique (1994), The Ethic of Honesty (2004), The Legacy of R. D. Laing: An Appraisal of His Contemporary Relevance (Ed., 2015), The Death of Desire: An Existential Study in Sanity and Madness (2017, 2nd edition), an extensively revised and expanded edition of the original, and most recently, Essays in Existential Psychoanalysis: On the Primacy of Authenticity (2024), also published by Routledge. Most recently, Dr. Thompson is founder and director of New School for Existential Psychoanalysis, a certificate-based virtual training program modeled on his work with R. D. Laing in London, based in San Francisco. He founded Free Association, Inc. in 1988 in San Francisco to further the legacy of R. D. Laing, and inaugurated the annual R. D. LAING IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY symposium at Esalen Institute in 2015, to further the legacy and relevance of Laing’s contribution to contemporary psychiatry and psychotherapy. He lives in Berkeley, California. www.mguythompson.com 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 22 February 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:

Sanity is privileged over insanity, which is stigmatized. A therapoet views differences without hierarchy, valuing each unique expression. 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. Difference - between Prof. Ernesto Spinelli and Dr. Todd DuBose "Sanity and insanity have been situated in relation to each other on a hierarchical scale that privileges sanity over, beyond, above, and more than its “less than” subjugated copy, insanity. Framed in this way, insanity can only be stigmatized, devalued and pathologized, while sanity is that to which we are to strive, uphold, and genuflect. The therapoet as a phenomenological hermeneutic horizontalizes a spectrum of “sayings of suffering souls”, or “befallings”, which is the originally meaning of “symptom”, not as a pathogen to be excised. Countering supremacist hierarchies of sanity/insanity, or health/illness, the therapoet sees difference, not as deficient, but just different, anew, and not in relation to any centric norm, but just to other differences. The relation to other differences is a relative gradation, whose incomparability resists any kind of nothing-but-ism any more than a fish can be said to be nothing but a squirrel with fins, or dirt as nothing but dry water. The therapoet, therefore, attends to each showing or saying of the suffering soul, sufficient in itself, as it is, in its own way of presencing, by being with it, letting it be, without why.” Dr. Todd DuBose. Dr. Todd DuBose is a world-renowned, Distinguished Full Professor at The Chicago School’s College of Professional Psychology. He teaches philosophical foundations of practices of care, ethics, loss and mourning, psychology and spirituality, psychopathology, among other courses, all from a human science perspective, and with a particular focus on therapoetic care. He is a licensed psychologist, supervisor, consultant, and former chaplain, with over thirty-five years of experience. He holds degrees in continental and comparative philosophy of religion and existential-hermeneutical-phenomenological human science clinical psychology and integrates these approaches as a way of caring for such experiences as the impossible (no way out, boundary or limited situations), extreme experiences (such as psychosis, nihilism, suicidal and homicidal ideation), and the taboo (the places no one wants to go: the unwanted and unacceptable, unsayable, unforgiveable, forbidden, and irreverent). He regularly presents workshops in several international venues such as the Circulo de Estudios en Psicoterapia Existential, in Mexico City, Mexico, the Zhi Mian International Institute of Existential-Humanistic Psychology in Dali, China, and the Centre for Existential Practice in Melbourne, Australia. He is widely published and has written on caring for others in very difficult situations including traumatic loss, surviving the COVID-19 pandemic, and meaninglessness. He has also written a short dialogue with Miles Groth, edited by Loray Daws, called, Dialogues on The Soul of Existential Therapy, published by The Society for Existential Analysis. Most of all, he considers himself simply a fellow human being. 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 22 March 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:

Getting Started The primary objective of the QUALIFI Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Marketing program is to equip learners with the knowledge and competencies required in the fields of marketing and branding. This training aims to foster a deep understanding of strategic decision-making processes, enabling individuals to effectively contribute to an organization's ability to sustain its competitive edge.   The learning outcomes for the QUALIFI Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Marketing qualification are as follows: • Develop a solid foundation in strategic marketing to effectively plan and implement practical strategic marketing initiatives commonly found in professional settings. • Apply analytical and problem-solving skills within the realm of marketing management. Critically assess and synthesize theoretical frameworks related to strategic marketing, consumer behaviour, brand management, digital marketing, market research, and design and innovation as they apply to marketing. • Understand the practical significance of these frameworks in a variety of strategic business scenarios. • Create frameworks for analysing and comprehending strategic marketing processes in diverse types of organizations operating in evolving marketing environments. • Cultivate research and analytical capabilities, especially in developing value propositions within provider/customer relationships in market-driven strategies. • Adapt, enhance, integrate, and apply transferable concepts and skills in strategic marketing, branding, consumer behaviour, and digital marketing, especially from a strategic standpoint, in the management of product and market development Key Benefits Comprehend the processes of conducting external and internal environmental assessments for the purpose of crafting marketing plans. • Gain knowledge about the essential psychological, sociological, structural, and cultural factors that exert influence on purchasing behaviors. • Comprehend the significance of information technology and social media in the realm of digital marketing. • Analyze the fundamentals of strategic marketing management. • Comprehend the steps and elements associated with the creation and improvement of a brand's image over an extended period. • Acquire the competence to develop suitable methodologies for conducting business research. Key Highlights • Are you a practicing Strategic Marketer seeking greater knowledge and understanding of the industry, aiming to support your development into senior positions? If so, the Qualifi Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Marketing is the ideal starting point for your career journey. • The course will help forge a career and prepare individuals for professional roles and future managers in the health and social care sector. • Remember, the assessment for the qualification is based on assignments only, so there's no need to worry about taking any exams. • With the School of Business and Technology London, you can complete the qualification at your own pace, choosing between online or blended learning from the comfort of your home. • Learning and pathway materials, as well as study guides developed by our Qualifi-approved tutors, will be available around the clock on our cutting-edge learning management system. • Most importantly, at the School of Business and Technology London, we will provide you with comprehensive tutor support through our dedicated support desk. • If you choose the blended learning option, you will also enjoy live sessions with an assigned tutor, which you can book at your convenience. Career Pathways Upon completion of the Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management, graduates may pursue various career paths in education and training, such as: • Marketing Manager, with an estimated average salary of £40,000 per annum • Market Research Analyst, with an estimated average salary of £41,809 per annum • Public Relations (PR) Manager, with an estimated average salary ranging between £35,000 and £70,000 per annum • Advertising Manager, with an estimated average salary of £42,125 per annum • Consultant, with an estimated average salary of £52,250 per annum   About Awarding Body QUALIFI, recognised by Ofqual awarding organisation has assembled a reputation for maintaining significant skills in a wide range of job roles and industries which comprises Leadership, Hospitality & Catering, Health and Social Care, Enterprise and Management, Process Outsourcing and Public Services. They are liable for awarding organisations and thereby ensuring quality assurance in Wales and Northern Ireland. What is included? Outstanding tutor support that gives you supportive guidance all through the course accomplishment through the SBTL Support Desk Portal. Access our cutting-edge learning management platform to access vital learning resources and communicate with the support desk team. Quality learning materials such as structured lecture notes, study guides, and practical applications, which include real-world examples and case studies, will enable you to apply your knowledge. Learning materials are provided in one of the three formats: PDF, PowerPoint, or Interactive Text Content on the learning portal. The tutors will provide Formative assessment feedback to improve the learners' achievements. Assessment materials are accessible through our online learning platform. Supervision for all modules. Multiplatform accessibility through an online learning platform facilitates SBTL in providing learners with course materials directly through smartphones, laptops, tablets or desktops, allowing students to study at their convenience. Live Classes (for Blended Learning Students only)   Assessment Assignment based Assessment No exam Entry Requirements The qualification has been intentionally crafted to ensure accessibility without imposing unnecessary barriers. To be eligible for this qualification, applicants should meet the following criteria: • Be at least 21 years of age, and • Possess one of the following: A Level 6 Qualification, or A first-degree qualification. International students whose first language is not English will need to have a score of 6 or above in IELTS (International English Language Testing System).     Progression Upon successful completion of the QUALIFI Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management, learners will have various pathways for progression, including: • Pursuing the QUALIFI Level 8 Diploma. • Enrolling in a university program to earn a master's degree. • Entering the workforce in a related professional field.   Why gain a QUALIFI Qualification? This suite of qualifications provides enormous opportunities to learners seeking career and professional development. The highlighting factor of this qualification is that: The learners attain career path support who wish to pursue their career in their denominated sectors; It helps provide a deep understanding of the health and social care sector and managing the organisations, which will, in turn, help enhance the learner's insight into their chosen sector. The qualification provides a real combination of disciplines and skills development opportunities. The Learners attain in-depth awareness concerning the organisation's functioning, aims and processes. They can also explore ways to respond positively to this challenging and complex health and social care environment. The learners will be introduced to managing the wide range of health and social care functions using theory, practice sessions and models that provide valuable knowledge. As a part of this suite of qualifications, the learners will be able to explore and attain hands-on training and experience in this field. Learners also acquire the ability to face and solve issues then and there by exposure to all the Units. The qualification will also help to Apply scientific and evaluative methods to develop those skills. Find out threats and opportunities. Develop knowledge in managerial, organisational and environmental issues. Develop and empower critical thinking and innovativeness to handle problems and difficulties. Practice judgement, own and take responsibility for decisions and actions. Develop the capacity to perceive and reflect on individual learning and improve their social and other transferable aptitudes and skills.       Learners must request before enrolment to interchange unit(s) other than the preselected units shown in the SBTL website because we need to make sure the availability of learning materials for the requested unit(s). SBTL will reject an application if the learning materials for the requested interchange unit(s) are unavailable. Learners are not allowed to make any request to interchange unit(s) once enrolment is complete. UNIT1- Contemporary Issues and Principles of Marketing. Reference No : H/650/7075 Credit : 20 || TQT : 200 The objective of this unit is to enhance learners' comprehension of assessing the potential ramifications posed by emerging contemporary marketing challenges. It also aims to cultivate strategic thinking abilities to formulate future marketing strategies based on marketing principles, adaptable to diverse contexts. UNIT2- Consumer Behaviour and Market Communications. Reference No : J/650/7076 Credit : 20 || TQT : 200 This unit's goal is to foster learners' grasp of both the theoretical and practical aspects of the processes and elements that impact the consumer behaviour of both individuals and organizations. UNIT3- Digital and Social Media Marketing. Reference No : K/650/7077 Credit : 20 || TQT : 200 In this unit, learners will acquire knowledge of cutting-edge tools and theories for leveraging social media to effectively attain branding and communication objectives. Participants will explore the scientific and strategic aspects of marketing, with practical, hands-on experience in implementing online marketing and social media strategies. UNIT4- Contemporary Challenges and Strategic Marketing. Reference No : L/650/7078 Credit : 20 || TQT : 200 The objective of this unit is to cultivate learners' comprehension of current insights into the business environment, competitive dynamics, and the skill of incorporating marketing strategy seamlessly into a comprehensive business strategy. UNIT5- Strategic Brand Management. Reference No : Strategic Brand Management. Credit : 20 || TQT : 200 This unit empowers learners to formulate a strategic branding approach at the product/service level that aligns with the corporate brand. Participants will cultivate an understanding of how to approach marketing from a branding standpoint. UNIT6- Marketing Research Project. Reference No : Y/650/7080 Credit : 20 || TQT : 200 The objective of this unit is to enhance learners' research capabilities, encompassing the creation of research proposals, conducting literature reviews, mastering referencing, gathering data through interviews and surveys, designing questionnaires, performing statistical analysis using SPSS, and employing qualitative data and methodologies to derive conclusions from the analysed data. Delivery Methods School of Business & Technology London provides various flexible delivery methods to its learners, including online learning and blended learning. Thus, learners can choose the mode of study as per their choice and convenience. The program is self-paced and accomplished through our cutting-edge Learning Management System. Learners can interact with tutors by messaging through the SBTL Support Desk Portal System to discuss the course materials, get guidance and assistance and request assessment feedbacks on assignments. We at SBTL offer outstanding support and infrastructure for both online and blended learning. We indeed pursue an innovative learning approach where traditional regular classroom-based learning is replaced by web-based learning and incredibly high support level. Learners enrolled at SBTL are allocated a dedicated tutor, whether online or blended learning, who provide learners with comprehensive guidance and support from start to finish. The significant difference between blended learning and online learning methods at SBTL is the Block Delivery of Online Live Sessions. Learners enrolled at SBTL on blended learning are offered a block delivery of online live sessions, which can be booked in advance on their convenience at additional cost. These live sessions are relevant to the learners' program of study and aim to enhance the student's comprehension of research, methodology and other essential study skills. We try to make these live sessions as communicating as possible by providing interactive activities and presentations. Resources and Support School of Business & Technology London is dedicated to offering excellent support on every step of your learning journey. School of Business & Technology London occupies a centralised tutor support desk portal. Our support team liaises with both tutors and learners to provide guidance, assessment feedback, and any other study support adequately and promptly. Once a learner raises a support request through the support desk portal (Be it for guidance, assessment feedback or any additional assistance), one of the support team members assign the relevant to request to an allocated tutor. As soon as the support receives a response from the allocated tutor, it will be made available to the learner in the portal. The support desk system is in place to assist the learners adequately and streamline all the support processes efficiently. Quality learning materials made by industry experts is a significant competitive edge of the School of Business & Technology London. Quality learning materials comprised of structured lecture notes, study guides, practical applications which includes real-world examples, and case studies that will enable you to apply your knowledge. Learning materials are provided in one of the three formats, such as PDF, PowerPoint, or Interactive Text Content on the learning portal. How does the Online Learning work at SBTL? We at SBTL follow a unique approach which differentiates us from other institutions. Indeed, we have taken distance education to a new phase where the support level is incredibly high.Now a days, convenience, flexibility and user-friendliness outweigh demands. Today, the transition from traditional classroom-based learning to online platforms is a significant result of these specifications. In this context, a crucial role played by online learning by leveraging the opportunities for convenience and easier access. It benefits the people who want to enhance their career, life and education in parallel streams. SBTL's simplified online learning facilitates an individual to progress towards the accomplishment of higher career growth without stress and dilemmas. How will you study online? With the School of Business & Technology London, you can study wherever you are. You finish your program with the utmost flexibility. You will be provided with comprehensive tutor support online through SBTL Support Desk portal. How will I get tutor support online? School of Business & Technology London occupies a centralised tutor support desk portal, through which our support team liaise with both tutors and learners to provide guidance, assessment feedback, and any other study support adequately and promptly. Once a learner raises a support request through the support desk portal (Be it for guidance, assessment feedback or any additional assistance), one of the support team members assign the relevant to request to an allocated tutor. As soon as the support receive a response from the allocated tutor, it will be made available to the learner in the portal. The support desk system is in place to assist the learners adequately and to streamline all the support process efficiently. Learners should expect to receive a response on queries like guidance and assistance within 1 - 2 working days. However, if the support request is for assessment feedback, learners will receive the reply with feedback as per the time frame outlined in the Assessment Feedback Policy.

Mental Toughness has been growing in popularity, demand, and demonstrated success among top performers. It is a continuing education course focused on the key aspects of psychological strength for fitness and sport. Mental toughness helps to provide greater awareness and effectiveness in getting performance results by keeping the mind engaged, responsive, resilient, and strong under pressure.

Polarization, or the “polarized mind,” is a fixation on one view, causing widespread destructiveness. It needs presence and love to address. 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. Polarisation - between Prof. Ernesto Spinelli and Prof. Kirk Schneider “I view polarization or that which I call the “polarized mind” as the fixation on a single point of view to the utter exclusion of competing points of view, and I see it as a core dimension of human destructiveness both individually and collectively. Arguably, polarization or the polarized mind is responsible for more devaluation and abuse than any other general psychological dimension, and it crosses cultures, parties, disciplines and so-called diagnosed and undiagnosed populations. In fact it is the undiagnosed populations—polarized cultural, political, and religious leaders and their followers–who have arguably caused the most human destructiveness by far, over those whom we conventionally termed the diagnosed The polarized mind may be partly dispositional but appears to be largely fear-driven and requires abiding presence and love to address it. We are in a race against time to avail people to these “nutrients.” Prof. Kirk Schneider. Prof. Kirk J. Schneider, Ph.D. is a leading spokesperson for contemporary existential-humanistic and existential-integrative psychology. Dr Schneider was a 2022 Candidate for President of the American Psychological Association (APA), a co-founder and current president of the Existential-Humanistic Institute (an award-winning psychotherapy training center), and a two-term Member of the Council of Representatives of the APA. He is also past president (2015-2016) of the Society for Humanistic Psychology (Division 32) of the APA, recent past editor of the Journal of Humanistic Psychology (2005-2012), a founder and frequent presenter/facilitator of the bridge-building dialogue approach the Experiential Democracy Dialogue and a trained moderator for the conflict mediation group Braver Angels. Dr Schneider is also an adjunct faculty member at Saybrook University and Teachers College, Columbia University and an Honorary Member of the Society for Existential Analysis of the UK and the East European Association for Existential Therapy. He received the Rollo May Award for “outstanding and independent contributions” to the field of humanistic psychology from the Society for Humanistic Psychology, APA and is a Fellow of seven Divisions of the APA (5, 9, 32, 42, 12, 29, and 24). His work on existential-integrative psychotherapy has been featured in a special issue of the Journal of Psychotherapy Integration (March 2016), as well as The Wiley World Handbook of Existential Therapy and the APA’s forthcoming Handbook of Psychotherapy. Dr Schneider has published over 200 articles, interviews and chapters and has authored or edited 14 books including The Paradoxical Self, Horror and the Holy, Rediscovery of Awe, Awakening to Awe, The Spirituality of Awe, The Polarized Mind, The Handbook of Humanistic Psychology, Existential-Humanistic therapy, Existential-Integrative Psychotherapy, The Wiley World Handbook of Existential Therapy, The Depolarizing of America: A Guidebook for Social Healing and his latest volume (February, 2023) Life-Enhancing Anxiety: Key to a Sane World. Dr. Schneider’s work has been featured in Scientific American, the New York Times, USA Today, The Guardian, Vanity Fair, Forbes Health, Psychology Today, BBC World News and many other health and psychology outlets. 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 12 April 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:

LEARN HOW TO BECOME A WEIGHT MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT WITH THE CLIENT'S HEALTH & WELLBEING AT THE CORE. A MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR As you enter into this study, I want you to be fully aware of what lies before you. If you save people from overweight, you will also increase life-expectancy and/or prevent the onset of serious debilitating diseases. There will also be those clients whose life has been long limited in a psychological sense and you will be able to help them to restore their sense of verve and vitality so they can again live life to the fullest extent. This will be done through learning special expertise both technically and in person-to-person relations. With these words of encouragement, I warmly welcome you to this course of study where the amount of potential job satisfaction is incalculable. DR. LAWRENCE PLASKETT Course Duration 12 months Study Hours 200 hours Course Content 13 sections Course Fee £475 Course Overview The Plaskett Weight Management Consultancy course will provide you with a detailed, systematic and scientifically-based training, fuller than any other we know of in the field. It will enable you to practise as a well-informed Weight Management Consultant and most importantly, you will be able to help and support individuals in their quest to lose weight whilst maintaining health and well-being. Learn the Basic Elements of Nutrition You will gain an understanding of the basic elements of nutrition with a focus on the key nutrients in order to avoid deficiencies when working with weight loss clients. Create Individualised Weight Loss Programmes You will develop the confidence to be able to make informed choices from a wide span of weight loss options and avoid the use of rigidly fixed methods, thereby delivering programmes best suited to individual needs. Become a Skilled Adviser You will learn the skills to be able to counsel on a one-to-one basis, we believe that this favours the resolution of individual circumstances and problems. You will receive the training to see your clients through every stage of the process, thereby maximising their chances of success. Expand Practice of Current Health Professionals In addition to those wanting to set up practice as a Weight Management Consultant, this course is ideally suited to current health & fitness professionals looking to enhance their practice. BREAKDOWN OF THE COURSE SECTIONS The Weight Management Consultancy Diploma includes the following 13 sections: SECTION 1 BASIC SCIENCE SUPPORT Whilst our main concern will be with weight loss, we need to understand some of the basic aspects of nutrition. These deal with the key nutrients that we have to control to reduce weight. They will also help us to understand how to lose weight without developing deficiencies.  In Section 1, we begin the study of nutrients and foods by looking at the main bulk nutrients that our diets contain: protein, carbohydrate and fat. Before one can consider individual vitamins and minerals, one has to know about the nutrients that make up most of our diets, namely the bulk nutrients. These are the suppliers of food energy and ultimately help to decide an individual's size. You will need to understand these so as to manipulate them with skill. Areas Covered What are the bulk nutrients? Chemical elements contained in the bulk nutrients Proteins Carbohydrates Fibre Fats The energy reserve role of fat The lipoproteins of the blood SECTION 2 UNDERSTANDING THE FIELD & NATURE OF THE PROBLEM This section introduces the basic ideas of the training. The purpose of this course of training is to enable the student to help others who are overweight or obese to lose weight, and to do so in a professional manner. At the same time, it aims to motivate you and empower you to set up a practice as a ‘Weight Management Consultant’ that will lead to your gaining a good reputation in this field, developing a panel of satisfied clients and bringing you both status and income.  Since losing weight is not easy, one has to be aware of all the different methods and ramifications that are a part of this intriguing subject. The professionalism comes from knowing a number of different “ways in” to help the clients and also from being able to develop awareness of the individuality of each client. This will put you in a position to find the best and most successful route to weight loss for each person who consults you. This will mean giving individual advice, not just the same advice to everyone. By recognising individuality we earn the client’s trust and appreciation and we also increase the chances of achieving the fullest possible success by being in a position to find individual solutions to each client’s problem. Areas Covered The aims of the work The clients’ motives The clients themselves The clients’ knowledge of nutrition The place of psychology The arithmetical equation of body weight Ways of working Getting fat is all too easy – we review how it happens Definition and classification: criteria for weight normality SECTION 3 THE THEORY OF THE CAUSES OF OVERWEIGHT & OBESITY In this section we explore 'The Theory of what Causes Overweight and Obesity'. We look at the underlying reasons for this current epidemic scale of the problem in developed societies throughout the world. Understanding this will give you an insight into what needs to be done. The Weight Management Consultant clearly needs to understand as fully as possible the causes of obesity in order to be able to formulate good advice. It is necessary to understand that, although the ultimate cause is always eating more than the body requires, that factor is modified by many subsidiary factors. One, that always interests clients, is whether or not one may be predisposed by one’s inheritance to put on and retain weight, so we deal with this question. Areas covered Relative effect of genetics and environment Hormonal disturbance in obesity Slower than normal rates of energy expenditure The role of fat cells Role of the enzyme lipoprotein lipase SECTION 4 THE HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF EXCESS WEIGHT It is well known that being overweight or obese increases the chances of contracting chronic illnesses. This section examines the types of illnesses involved and the way that their incidence is affected by body weight. From the standpoint of a Weight Management Consultant, the use of this information is to present clearly the vital benefits that your work can bring to your clients in terms of freedom from illness. This knowledge can augment your job satisfaction, especially when you can see the client’s health condition improving as weight comes down. That can be expected to happen sometimes, but of course not always. So, potentially this information can serve to inform your clients about the degree to which slimming down from an overweight or obese condition can help them to avoid very negative health consequences. By passing on parts of this data to some carefully selected clients, you may perhaps either improve their flagging motivation, or increase their satisfaction level with their early results or with the efforts they are making. Areas covered The connection between overweight and ill health The risk of early death Illness and death from cardiovascular disease Illness and death from diabetes mellitus Illness and death from hypertension Illness and death from respiratory problems Illness and death from gallbladder disease Illness and immobility from arthritis Illness from gout Illness and death from cancer SECTION 5 FIRST PRINCIPLES OF CORRECTING EXCESS WEIGHT In this section we approach the practical side of the Weight Management Consultant’s job. The greatest skill required of the Consultant is that of formulating the advice in a way that combines efficacy with client acceptability. The mistake most often made in the approach to weight reduction is to employ only one method yet in pursuing reduction in a person’s weight, it is best to come at the problem from multiple angles simultaneously. The person’s diet may well have to be the first and foremost approach however, the main alternative approaches involve several different ways of preventing excess food materials from being stored, leading to overweight.  If control of the diet is the only method one employs, then so much depends upon strict dietary control that the will and the motivation of the client may be too severely tested. However, an approach in which dietary control takes pride of place, but is supported by a number of other approaches, is more likely to find client acceptability and is therefore more likely, ultimately, to be successful. In this section we list these “prevention of storage” approaches before dealing more fully with the diet. Areas covered Strategy of weight control Reduction of food intake The use of balanced hypocaloric diets Strategies for reducing food intake in practice Using foods intended to increase metabolic rate Mixtures of the various strategies SECTION 6 REDUCING WEIGHT THROUGH DIET & DIETARY COMPOSITION The principal purpose of this section is to understand the scope that we have to reduce food calories in the diet without necessarily reducing the total weight of food consumed. It looks closely at understanding and measuring food energy. Working in this way with diet is kindest to the clients and makes fewer demands upon their efforts and their will to succeed. Areas covered Understanding food energy The make-up of daily diets What does the body have to do with tis energy? Water content of foods The differing energy contents of food dry matter Substituting low-calorie for high-calorie foods The first stage of calorie reduction Combining diet with exercise A further stage of calorie reduction SECTION 7 SELECTING INDIVIDUAL FOODS The previous section talks mainly about the first principles of reducing calorie intake while keeping the weight of daily food dry matter level. This is done mainly by varying the extent to which each food class contributes to the overall diet; we simply reduce the proportions of those food classes with the higher calorie content. This section now looks within food classes to pick out those foods that, individually, have lower calorie content than the average for foods within the class concerned and make the best contribution to an individual client’s diet. This is a further step to calorie reduction without loss of food bulk. Areas covered Different foods within any given class have different calorific values Choosing foods within food classes for calorie reduction Specific recommendations for individual foods within each class Care needed in using the information Calorie contents of the “more suitable foods” Dietary results from substituting individual foods The necessary provision of dietary fat The quality of dietary protein The quantity of dietary protein Choosing foods for overall dietary suitability SECTION 8 BUILDING YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF FOODS INTO DIETS In the Sections that have gone before, we have noted several key strategies aimed at reducing the client’s intake of calories. This section gets down to the key job of building and structuring a diet to help each particular client - the aim now is to address the actual prescribing of diets to enable you to build upon the principles already learned and to give the client a workable diet that can achieve his or her aims. Areas Covered The adjusting and re-balancing of the food classes Calculating the food replacements Targeting individual foods SECTION 9 FIRST LOOK AT CONDUCTING CONSULTATIONS This section takes you through managing the consultation, helping you to structure the activity to provide a satisfactory experience for your clients. This is the basis for a good approach to weight reduction.  The section culminates in the provision of example diet sheets with guidelines according to food classes and guidelines according to mealtimes and considers the benefits of both. Areas Covered The consultant’s surroundings and manner Direction of the early conversation Collection of the dietary data Weight-loss ideas come to you during the data collection Identifying the largest food contributions to overweight Balancing the food classes Writing down the guidelines Substitution of individual foods Reduction in the food bulk eaten Integrating the entire diet Example diet sheets SECTION 10 COUNTING CALORIES. BENEFITS OF EXERCISE. THE KETO DIET. In section 10 we cover the method of calculating the calories in everyday life. We look at the benefits of exercise for suitable clients and discuss more specific diets such as the ketogenic diet.  Areas Covered Calculating the calories The benefits of exercise The ketogenic diet SECTION 11 PROMOTING GOOD HEALTH. UNDERSTANDING DRUG TREATMENTS. FOLLOW-UP GUIDELINES. Brings us to the section where we set about designing slimming programmes that are not only effective at weight loss, but also promote good health. To give you an insight into the potential problems, we also look at the drug treatments given for overweight by doctors. We also take you through the guidelines for follow-ups after the first consultation. Areas Covered Slimming programmes to promote good health Understanding drug treatments for overweight Follow-up guidelines SECTION 12 USE OF SUPPLEMENTS TO PROMOTE LOSS OF WEIGHT This section deals with non-food substances, or supplements that with help with weight loss. It looks at how they actually achieve this and discuss their effectiveness and safety implications for the individual. These include some micronutrients, herbs, enzyme inhibitors and sequestering agents. Areas Covered Inhibition of fat absorption Changing body composition Substances encouraging increased thermogenesis Appetite suppressants Enzyme inhibition Prevention of fat synthesis Nutrients that may accelerate metabolism Appendix 1 – some abstracts of key articles Appendix 2 – summary of modes of action SECTION 13 MANAGING This rather substantial last section deals with a fuller and final part on “Managing the Consultations”. This further develops your consultation skills and objective setting in weight management practice. It also addresses the tricky question of compliance and weight regain and how to avoid it. Finally, it looks at “Running your Practice as a Business” to ensure that you have a grasp of the business principles that you will need. Areas Covered Managing the consultations – basic methodology Note on progressive reduction in energy needs Construction of the overall prescription – different components Running your practice as a business Appendix (more about why the slimming process slows down) TESTIMONIALS Here's what students have to say about the course Mrs E. Marriott UK “The Plaskett course in Weight Management Consultancy has been a really good introduction into the importance of nutrition and balancing food groups to make up a healthy diet plan for those who are obese and wishing to lose weight. It would be good if you want to do it for your own understanding or if you are looking for a step into a professional qualification or practicing yourself. The tutors communicate with you and give you detailed feedback on assignments and the work is achievable within a year, quicker if your apply yourself. There is a lot of information in the course surrounding basic nutrients, composition of foods and on how to set up and run your own practice”.

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:

Introduction to Cardiovascular Disease (2-Day Course)Course Description:BBO Training has responded to numerous requests for a course focused on cardiovascular disease, following the success of our previous courses, such as Introductions to COPD/Asthma/Diabetes and Minor Illness. In response, we have developed a comprehensive two-day agenda on this critical subject.These days are designed to provide a holistic approach to cardiovascular diseases, encompassing Coronary Heart Disease (CHD), Stroke, Heart Failure, and Hypertension. Participants will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to perform annual reviews for patients with these conditions.This course is particularly well-suited for Nurse Associates, Practice Nurses, Nurse Practitioners (NPs), Emergency Nurse Practitioners (ENPs), Paramedics, and Pharmacists. Dr. Tamara Cunningham, an experienced GP Trainer, will lead these interactive online sessions.Day One09.15 - Coffee and Registration09.30 - Introduction and Course Objectives09.45 - Setting the Scene: - Screening, Diagnosis, Pathophysiology, and Symptoms10.30 - Q-Risk Assessment10.45 - Coffee Break11.00 - Diet & Cardiovascular Disease: - Healthy Eating - Range of Dietary Approaches - Weight Management Services (PH25)11.45 - Benefits of Activity for Cardiovascular Disease12.30 - Lunch01.30 - Hypertension - A Review of NICE Guidelines (NG136): - Targets - Risk Assessment - Medications - Assessing Target Organ Damage02.45 - Lipid Modification - A Review of Nice Guidelines (NG181): - How Lipids Affect Cardiovascular Risk03.15 - Case Studies03.30 - Action Plan, Evaluation, and Resources03.45 - CloseDay Two09.15 - Coffee and Registration09.30 - Heart Failure - How to Perform a Safe Annual Review (NG106)10.45 - Coffee Break11.00 - CHD - Performing an Annual Review and Including Assessment of Angina12.30 - Lunch01.30 - Stroke - Secondary Prevention and Management of Long-Term Complications02.30 - Case Studies - Group Work to Consolidate Learning03.30 - Competencies, Training, and Resources03.45 - CloseKey Learning Outcomes for Both Days:Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:1. Explain the basic physiology of cardiovascular disease.2. Perform risk assessments with patients and discuss modifiable factors such as diet and exercise.3. Describe the targets for blood pressure and cholesterol and how these affect primary and secondary prevention of CVD.4. Describe the basic anti-hypertensive and cholesterol-lowering medications involved in CVD.5. Name the major complications that may arise in people with a long duration of CVD and measures that may limit or prevent them.6. Describe the key advice to patients regarding Heart Failure and recognition of when to escalate/refer.7. Perform a safe review for stroke, CHD, and HF, recognizing how to work within your professional limits and when to signpost.8. Provide examples of referral pathways to other services, e.g., weight management, secondary care, activity, and psychological services.9. Explain the key components and process of an annual review and a self-management plan.Join us for this comprehensive 2-day course via Zoom and enhance your ability to provide effective cardiovascular disease care within primary care settings.