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I’ll share a case of visual hallucinations, showing how an existential-phenomenological approach helps understand their meaning and purpose. 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. Hallucination- between Prof. Ernesto Spinelli and Prof. Simon du Ploc “The phenomenon of hallucination has been a subject of debate for centuries. It has been suggested that its function was one of revelation or prophesy, and those who hallucinated were often considered to have a ‘sacred’ affliction. In recent times, their function, at least in the West since the Age of Reason, has been often been reduced to primary indicators of schizophrenia and other forms of psychosis. Lumped into the ‘core phenomena’ of schizophrenia, the concern is not so much what they are, or what they mean to the client, or even their content, but their treatment and control. I will present an excerpt from my own clinical practice with a client who presented with distressing visual hallucinations. This piece of work illustrates how approaching such irregular perceptions of reality from an existential-phenomenological perspective can provide a way of understanding their meaning and purpose within a client’s lived experience. I will suggest that such an approach also enables us to take a creative position regarding wider notions of sanity and madness, a position which enables us to navigate a path between, on the one hand, the medical model which typically focusses on reduction and management of hallucinations, and on the other hand, a Laingian view of hallucination as a route to ‘hyper-sanity’. Adopting such a path may enable us to work more confidently with clients when they present with unusual or disturbing perceptions.” Prof. Simon du Ploc. Prof. Simon du Plock is Senior Research Fellow at the Metanoia Institute, London. He was Head of the Faculty of Post-Qualification and Professional Doctorates at the Institute from 2007 to 2020, in which role he directed counselling psychology and psychotherapy research doctorates jointly with Middlesex University. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society for Medicine, a Foundation Member with Senior Practitioner Status of the BPS Register of Psychologists Specialising in Psychotherapy, and a Member of the BPS Register of Applied Psychology Practice Supervisors. He has been a BPS Chartered Counselling Psychologist and UKCP Registered Psychotherapist since 1994. He has authored nearly one hundred journal papers and book chapters on existential therapy, and he has co-edited Existential Analysis, the Journal of the British Society for Existential Analysis, since 1993. He was an editor of the 2019 Wiley World Handbook of Existential Therapy. He has lectured and trained internationally, and in 2006 he was made an Honorary Member of the East European Association for Existential Therapy in recognition of his contribution to cooperation between West and East Europe in the development of existential psychotherapy. His clinical and research interests include phenomenological research methodology, clinical and research supervision, existential pedagogy, and working with issues of addiction and dependency. 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 15 November 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:

The ceremony invites us to let go of all the distorted perceptions of the Feminine and reclaim her true nurturing qualities. The Spirits of Cacao and Rose will assist and support our journey with their alchemical transformative energy. The event combines Shamanic Journeys, Cacao and Rose Ceremony (following the energy of the Mayan calendar) and Sacred Sounds.

Recognizing the brilliance of someone psychological disturbance normalizes their experience and opens the door to transformative change. 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. Invention- between Prof. Ernesto Spinelli and Dr. Betty Cannon “When I first saw the topic of this year’s dialogues, I asked myself whether I had anything to contribute. After all, I told myself, I do not usually work with psychoses or other so-called ‘extreme’ or’ irregular’ states of consciousness. This started me thinking about a series of demonstration videos that I have been making with students and supervisees over the last couple of years as part of a book project. Do those videos display ‘extreme states’? To my surprise, the answer is yes. They are filled with experiences that might be described as hallucinations (positive and negative), dissociative states, paranoia, delusions, manic and depressive states, crippling anxiety, schizoid withdrawal, depersonalization and derealization, and body dysmorphic phenomena. Not to mention the so-called normal neurotic trances that Freud called transference, countertransference and defenses, psychedelically induced extreme states, and those nightly hallucinations, our dreams. So why did I not remember at least some of these states as being ‘extreme’? Perhaps the answer lies in my perspective on therapy, which is largely existential-phenomenological. I think that the following quote, from a letter that Sartre wrote to R.D. Laing, captures the essence of this perspective: “Like you, I believe that one cannot understand psychological disturbances from the outside, on the basis of a positivistic determinism or reconstruct them with a combination of concepts that remain outside the experience as lived and experienced. I also believe that one cannot study, let alone cure, a neurosis without a fundamental respect for the person of the patient, without a constant effort to grasp the basic situation and relive it, without an attempt to rediscover the response of the person to that situation and––like you, I think––I regard mental illness as the ‘way out’ that the free organism, in its total unity, invents in order to be able to live through an intolerable situation.”* When a client and I together are able to appreciate the true brilliance of this invention, my experience is that it not only normalizes the client’s experience, it also opens the doorway to change. It allows us to invent something new.” Dr. Betty Cannon. Betty Cannon, PhD, is a licensed psychologist who has taught and practiced in Boulder, Colorado, for over 40 years. She is Professor Emerita of the Colorado School of Mines and president and founder of the Boulder Psychotherapy Institute, which has trained mental health professionals in Applied Existential Psychotherapy since 1989. In addition to existential philosophy, especially the philosophy of Sartre, AEP has roots in Gestalt therapy, classical and contemporary psychoanalysis, humanistic psychology (especially the person-centered therapy of Carl Rogers), and body-oriented psychotherapy. Betty is a member of the editorial boards of the Journal for the Society of Existential Analysis and Sartre Studies International. She is the author of Sartre and Psychoanalysis and numerous articles and chapters on existential therapy. Her mentor was Hazel E. Barnes, who translated Sartre into English and who was the world’s foremost Sartre scholar until her death in 2008. Betty is her literary executor, and her book on Sartre is dedicated to Hazel. 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 25 October 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:

The psychological insights and skills you need Knowing how to resolve conflict constructively is an essential life skill – improving personal and professional relationships, mental health, productivity and more… Accredited CPD Certificate : 6 hours Length 1 day (9.30am - 4.00pm) > Counts towards the Diploma – from 2024, this course will be a requirement of Part 1 of the HG Diploma. A fantastic approach that helps you unpack the issues, respond positively and find an effective solution that moves everyone forward... This course will: deepen your understanding of why conflicts develop and escalate, the psychological factors involved and the cultural and contextual influences on our perceptions, experience and responses to conflict build your confidence and comfort around being in situations that involve conflict give you a range of skills and techniques that you can use with both individuals and groups, in therapy or the workplace – or with your friends and family – to resolve conflict constructively It will also enable you to: help clients recognise conflict and understand their own responses to it help clients develop the skills to engage with conflict productively, so they are more likely to reach positive outcomes provide clients with a framework and structure for addressing conflict in a healthy way help clients become less fearful of conflict, so they don’t avoid it in ways that are unhelpful and to recognise the role of conflict in healthy relationships provide psychoeducation, explaining how barriers to needs can cause conflict and how this can be different in different cultural contexts The course is interactive and experiential, with a focus on developing practical and transferable conflict resolution skills. It combines trainer input, discussion, small group activities and role-play to build your confidence when helping to resolve conflict at all levels, whether one-to-one or in organisations. Why take this course Conflict isn’t always destructive. Properly handled it can be creative and productive, leading to better outcomes and possibilities for all. Although conflict is a normal, ever-present possibility in our lives – between family, friends, colleagues, neighbours, and in our interactions with organisations – when it becomes entrenched it can cause immense individual distress, and waste time and money. Addressing interpersonal conflict using the psychological insights, concepts and proven techniques you will learn on the day, helps us to solve problems creatively and improve the health and wellbeing of those involved. To lead a healthy life we don’t need to avoid all conflict, but we do need to know how to approach it in ways which can help everyone involved meet their emotional needs, a win/win for all. Learning the human givens approach to conflict resolution helps to reduce the potential damaging consequences of destructive conflict and embrace the benefits of constructive conflict. Throughout the day, Rupinder will draw on her own considerable practical experience of successful conflict resolution and mediation in a wide range of settings as she provides expert guidance and training in the psychological insights and skills you need to be able to constructively resolve conflict between individuals and/or groups. Addressing conflict in the right way helps us solve problems and improves the health and wellbeing of everyone involved... What the course covers The common causes of interpersonal conflict The negative impacts and potential benefits in conflict situations How to consider intentions and outcomes when engaging in conflict The different methods used to influence the outcome of conflict, and how the method influences the outcome What a resolution really is The cultural and contextual influences on perceptions, experience, and responses to conflict The role our innate needs and resources play in conflict situations Identifying our influence on the process of conflict Effective skills to engage people who are in conflict A practical, sequenced model for effective mediation and conflict resolution An effective framework for facilitating constructive conversations How to structure a session/s to: facilitate resolution, increase engagement, understanding and define the needs of all parties Effective skills to facilitate negotiations Techniques and diffusing strategies to reduce potential barriers How to access resources to build agreements that last The effective skills needed to facilitate negotiations How to implement opportunities in organisations to address conflict effectively Ways to develop your leadership ability to respond to conflict and/or support others who are enduring it How to use this to support the process of resolution by improving how individuals relate to one another and addressing the contentious issues constructively And much more… Course Programme The ‘Conflict Resolution’ course starts at 9.30am and runs until 4.00pm. From 8.30am Registration (Tea and coffee served until 9.25am) 9.30am Approaches to conflict 11.00am Discussion over tea/coffee 11.30am Understanding Causes and Impact 1.00pm Lunch (included) 1.45pm Increasing engagement 3.00pm Discussion over tea/coffee 3.15pm Reaching Resolution 4.00pm Day ends Who is this course suitable for? This course is for anyone wishing to understand more about the different ways conflict can affect us, or to feel more confident in a facilitation or leadership role when helping conflicted people It is also very relevant to anyone working in a supportive role – such as counsellors, psychotherapists, managers, HR staff, life coaches, Mindset Coaches, social workers etc. – as well as employees, customer service personnel and anyone working in schools and education. 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.

Hysteria’s history, rooted in Greek myth, evolved into a Victorian belief of a “wandering uterus” leading to disturbing medical practices. 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. Hysteria- between Prof. Ernesto Spinelli and Bárbara Godoy “In this talk, I will compare the Histerical patient to the ancient Greek myth of Persephone, the goddess who traversed the boundaries between the world of the living and the underworld. Just as Persephone’s cyclical descent and return mirrored the changing seasons, hysteria was seen as a condition where emotions and experiences defied easy classification. This notion of transgressing boundaries became a cornerstone of early psychoanalysis. In Victorian times, hysteria took a decidedly bizarre turn. Here, the culprit was believed to be a mobile womb, an organ capable of throwing into disorder and confusion. This “wandering womb” was blamed for a variety of ailments and behaviours, particularly any expression of female desire out-of-wedlock. In a truly disturbing reflection of these beliefs, legal rulings based on this theory emerged. In some cases, women diagnosed with hysteria could be forced to undergo a hysterectomy.” Bárbara Godoy. 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. 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 13 December 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:

This course provides a comprehensive exploration of equality, diversity, and inclusion, equipping participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to foster inclusive environments in various settings. Participants will delve into key concepts, legislations, and protected characteristics, gaining a deeper understanding of the nuances surrounding equality and equity. They will learn to recognize and challenge stereotypes, biases, and microaggressions, while also exploring the different types of discrimination and strategies to combat them.

In the United States, the number of teenagers affected by obesity has nearly tripled since the 1970s. From lack of exercise to lack of motivation, online gaming to minimal school resources, there are several reasons why today’s youth has fallen behind the curve when it comes to staying active. That’s why we’ve created a specialization for trainers who want to help reverse the problems facing today’s youth and face their challenges head-on. Through hands-on exercises and expert programming, you’ll understand how to help keep kids motivated and engaged in sports, weightlifting, running, and more. With this fully digital program, you’ll learn about exercise variables and modifications for nutritional needs, cardiorespiratory, core, balance, plyometrics, and resistance training all geared towards younger populations. Plus, get everything you need to know about fitness assessments, psychological considerations, and how to grow your business by working with today’s youth.

Enhance your relationship with practical, realistic, fun coaching from Rachel New.

Pricing can determine whether your business succeeds or fails – yet too many entrepreneurs rely on guesswork or back-of-the-napkin calculations to set prices. This learning stream reveals a proven methodology for developing a pricing strategy, as well as ways to increase customer perceptions of value so you can justify higher prices and boost margins. As part of the process, you’ll learn how investors evaluate pricing strategies, the advantages and drawbacks of different pricing models, how to calculate margins, average margins for specific industries and retail categories, how to gauge price sensitivity, and how to build a pricing profile specific to your offering based on eight key variables. Tips and examples are included for both product- and service-based businesses, as well as businesses that contend with seasonal pricing variations. The session offers guidance on bundling, discounting, and other pricing techniques, which you can apply in a workshop session that walks through the pricing strategy framework step by step.

Workshop is designed to support participants in using the Six Stages Framework in Board development and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion