Counselling & Psychotherapy
The practice of existential counselling and psychotherapy is grounded in three thousand years of Western philosophy, involving itself with the everyday concerns of human existence. The focus is on the client's experience of their world rather than a reliance on external theories or specific techniques.
The relationship between practitioner and client is paramount. It is where two humans encounter each other and enter into a dialogue allowing exploration and challenge of the client's worldview with regard to their values, beliefs and emotional attitude about life. Simultaneously, this exploration allows for the physical, social, private and spiritual dimensions to be brought into focus.
All courses and workshops will integrate the philosophy of existentialism into a practical context.
Sydney Workshops 2009
- Depression or Meaninglessness - an existential perspective on working with Depression
- Working with Children - The Existential Sand Tray
- The Inter-relationship - Working within the 4 interconnecting realms of relationship
- Group Leadership - An Introduction
- Foundation of Existential Theory & Practice
- Supervision Training - The Wheel of Supervision
- Existential Sex
- The Relational World of Couples
- The Anxious Client
- Advanced Existential Practice
- Exploring the Spiritual World
Melbourne Workshops 2009
Brisbane Workshops 2009
Registering your interest in any of the following courses does not commit you to any payment. It simply enables us to provide you with further information.
2009 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS
Sydney Workshops 2009
Depression or Meaninglessness - an existential perspective on working with Depression
1-day workshop
Friday 13 February
PD Points: 6
Depression or despair is an emotional state embracing an intense loss of meaning. For some people it may feel like a life-long state while for others it may follow a specific event or series of events. It can follow failure, but may also follow success.
Most people will experience a 'crisis of meaning' at some point in their lives; hence understanding and working with this group of clients is intrinsic to our work as counsellors and psychotherapists. This workshop will examine the existential perspective on working with clients who are experiencing depression.
Workshop Description to follow:
Course Facilitator: Dr Alison Strasser & Trudy Adelstein
Cost: $195 (ex GST)
Working with Children - The Existential Sand Tray
1-day workshop
Saturday 28 February
PD Points: 6
Working with children from an existential viewpoint involves the creation of an inter-relational space where the therapist meets the child in such a way that the child's innermost thoughts and feelings are revealed. Using the sand tray is one dynamic mode of achieving this.
This 1-day workshop will explore how it is possible to work using the sand tray with children within an existential framework.
Workshop Description to follow:
Course Facilitators: Odelia Carmon & Adam McLean
Cost: $195 (ex GST)
The Inter-relationship - Working within the 4 interconnecting realms of relationship
1-day workshop
Saturday 14 March
PD Points: 6
Everyone is talking and writing about how the therapeutic relationship is the key to a successful outcome. But what does this 'relationship' concept actually mean?
The phenomenological/existential tradition of practice is embedded within the inter-relationship, specifically working within the 4 realms of the 'I', 'You', 'We' and the 'They' of experience. During this 1-day workshop participants will gain a theoretical understanding as well as practising what it truly means to work within the relationship.
Workshop Description to follow:
Course Facilitators: Dr Alison Strasser & Trudy Adelstein
Cost: $195 (ex GST)
Group Leadership - an introduction
1-day workshop
Friday 17 April
PD Points: 6
This workshop introduces participants to Irvin Yalom’s Interpersonal Model, focusing on the important qualities and skills of group leadership. It will include an overview of the model with an existential focus and reflect upon other group theories. Time will be allocated to allow participants to practice leading the group and to experience the power of group in the here and now.
Workshop Description (PDF)
Course Facilitators: Adam McLean & Dr Alison Strasser
Cost $195 (ex GST)
Foundations of Existential Theory & Practice
5-day workshop over 5 weekends
Saturday & Sunday 9 and 10 May
Saturday 16 May
Saturday & Sunday 23 and 24 May
Sunday 24 May
PD Points: 30
This five-day workshop introduces participants to the fundamental philosophical concepts that inform the practice of existential counselling and psychotherapy. It will include an overview of the major existential/phenomenological philosophers and also incorporate the thinking of current practitioners working within this modality. Time will be allocated to allow participants to practice the elements of existential work.
The workshop is suitable for practitioners who wish to incorporate existential notions of theory and practice into their work.
This Professional Development workshop can be used to apply for Advanced Standing into the MA Existential Psychotherapy & Counselling at the New School of Psychotherapy & Counselling (NSPC) in London.
Workshop Description (PDF)
Course Facilitators: Dr Alison Strasser & Trudy Adelstein
Cost $750 (ex GST)
Supervision Training - The Wheel of Supervision
5-day workshop over 5 weeks
Wednesday 6 May
Wednesday 13 May
Wednesday 20 May
Wednesday 27 May
Wednesday 3 June
PD Points: 30
Supervision is a profession in its own right. To work as a supervisor requires learning specific skills that are additional to those used when working as a counsellor, coach or psychotherapist.
This course has evolved from in-depth research conducted by Dr Alison Strasser that has now become known as the Wheel of Supervision. Within this Wheel are found the universal themes that are present in all modes of supervision and which form the basis of this program.
This Supervision Training Course is designed for practitioners who are now ready to work as a supervisor or who wish to understand supervision from an existential perspective. Participants are encouraged to develop their personal model of supervision and thereby maximise best practice for themselves and their supervisees.
A further five 2-hour group supervision practice sessions will be offered following the program.
Workshop Description to follow:
Course Facilitators: Dr Alison Strasser, Adam McLean, Trudy Adelstein
Cost $750 (ex GST)
Existential Sex
1-day workshop
Saturday 20 June
PD Points: 6
How do we understand our own sexuality? How do we work with our client's sexuality? Sex and sexuality are often the taboo topic in the counselling room. This workshop will explore how working within the existential paradigm can bring alive our understanding of ourselves as a sexual human being.
Workshop description to follow:
Course Facilitators: Carlos Webster & Dr Alison Strasser
Cost: $195 (ex GST)
The Relational World of Couples
1-day workshop
Friday 3 July
PD Points: 6
Existential therapy focuses on the relational aspects of experience and working with couples is an extension of this concept. In essence, the therapist works with understanding the way that individuals relate to themselves through each other, including their personal expectation of each other.
This 1-day workshop will introduce participants to some of the key existential concepts of relationship and applies these concepts to the practice of working with couples.
Workshop description to follow:
Course Facilitators: Kerry Spence & Adam McLean
Cost $195 (ex GST)
The Anxious Client
2-day workshop
Saturday & Sunday 22 and 23 August
PD Points: 12
To be human is to experience anxiety. As practitioners we encounter anxiety in many forms, including overt panic attacks and phobias as well as less distinct yet still pervasive everyday anxieties.
Existential anxiety is a universal phenomenon arising from our deep-seated responses to living in an uncertain world. Philosophers from Kierkegaard to Sartre wrote copiously about anxiety, dread, bad faith and angst, while practitioners such as Yalom, May and Van Deurzen have written about how acknowledging anxiety is related to meaning and is an essential part of assuming responsibility. This two-day workshop will explore the existential approach to working with anxiety and how this knowledge helps us work with our clients.
Course Description PDF
Workshop Facilitators: Trudy Adelstein & Carlos Webster
Cost: $350 (ex GST)
Advanced Existential Theory and Practice
5-day workshop over 5 weekends
Saturday & Sunday 17 and 18 October
Saturday & Sunday 24 and 25 October
Saturday & Sunday 31 October and 1 November
PD Points: 30
This five-day workshop builds on the Foundations of Existential Practice by exploring the philosophical foundations in more detail and expanding on the application of this philosophy into the sphere of counselling and psychotherapy.
Participants will be encouraged to critically examine the work of the major existential/phenomenological philosophers and to analyse how these views are meaningful in the practise of existentialism in today’s world. Concurrently, participants will be asked to examine their practise with regard to client's issues, beliefs, emotions and world-views in a manner that respects the client's autonomy within an existential-phenomenological perspective of the therapeutic relationship and process.
This Professional Development workshop can be used to apply for Advanced Standing into the MA Existential Psychotherapy & Counselling at the New School of Psychotherapy & Counselling (NSPC) in London.
Workshop Description PDF
Course Facilitators: Dr Alison Strasser, Trudy Adelstein, Adam McLean, Carlos Webster
Cost: $750 (ex GST)
Exploring the Spiritual World
1-day workshop
Saturday 21 November
PD Points: 6
The Spiritual World is one of the four worlds or dimensions of human existence that we live within. From an existential position, this is the world of meaningfulness and integrates ideas, religious beliefs and ethical values into our personal and relationship realms. It incorporates the attitudes we have towards life and living and is intrinsic to being human.
Understanding the spiritual world helps opens up our exploration to allow for a fuller description of our own and our client's overall meaning.
Workshop description to follow:
Course Facilitator: Pamela Ray & Carlos Webster
Cost $195 (ex GST)
Melbourne Workshops 2009
Group Leadership - an Existential Approach
2-day workshop
November 09 (Date to be scheduled)
This two-day workshop introduces participants to Irvin Yalom’s Interpersonal Model focusing on important qualities and skills of group leadership. It will include an overview of the model with an existential focus and reflect upon other group theories. Time will be allocated to allow participants to practice leading the group and to experience the power of group in the here and now.
Workshop Description (PDF)
Workshop Facilitator: Adam McLean & Dr Alison Strasser
Cost $350 (ex GST)
Introduction to Existential Theory & Practice
2-day workshop
Saturday & Sunday in June (Dates to be scheduled)
PD Points: 12
This two-day workshop introduces participants to the fundamental philosophical concepts that inform the practice of existential counselling and psychotherapy. It will include an overview of the major existential/phenomenological philosophers and also incorporate the thinking of current practitioners working within this modality. Time will be allocated to allow participants to practice the elements of existential work.
The workshop is suitable for practitioners who wish to incorporate existential notions of theory and practice into their work.
Workshop description to follow:
Course Facilitators: Dr Alison Strasser & Trudy Adelstein
Cost $350 (ex GST)
Brisbane Workshops 2009
Introduction to Existential Theory & Practice
2-day workshop
Saturday & Sunday in August (Dates to be scheduled)
PD Points: 12
This two-day workshop introduces participants to the fundamental philosophical concepts that inform the practice of existential counselling and psychotherapy. It will include an overview of the major existential/phenomenological philosophers and also incorporate the thinking of current practitioners working within this modality. Time will be allocated to allow participants to practice the elements of existential work.
The workshop is suitable for practitioners who wish to incorporate existential notions of theory and practice into their work.
Workshop description to follow:
Workshop Facilitators: Dr Alison Strasser & Pamela Ray
Cost $350 (ex GST)