4 Year Training Diploma in Humanistic & Integrative Psychotherapy

(Full program in PDF format is here.)

FURTHER INFORMATION  
Telephone:
Alison Hunter 061 - 376331, Shirley Ward 061 - 374533, Carmel Byrne 061 - 374926 
Write to: Amethyst, Ballybroghan, Killaloe, Co. Clare, Ireland
E-mail:
AMETHYST

THE PSYCHOTHERAPY TRAINING PROGRAMME

The Psychotherapy Training Programme at Amethyst is Humanistic and Integrative in approach. This definition of Humanistic & Integrative Psychotherapy was agreed by The Irish Association of Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy (IAHIP) and is as follows:

“Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy emphasises that persons are self-regulating, self-actualising and self-transcendent beings, responsible for themselves and whilst recognising the tragic dimensions of human existence, it emphasises the ability of persons to go beyond themselves and release their true nature. Its focus is on individuals as organisms living out their present integration in the wholeness of body, feelings, intellect, psyche and spirit, and in relation to other people. Based on a phenomenological view of reality, the emphasis is on experience and the therapeutic relationship is seen as a meaning contact between equals.

Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy acknowledges the validity of a variety of approaches to the individual. While accepting the contribution of many approaches, it is concerned with discovering and working with the essential elements of the functioning individual as these are understood and made sense of in a humanistic perspective. It is open to the exploration of the inter-relationship and inter-connection of theory and method in two or more approaches and may employ these as is judged appropriate, or it may attempt to integrate these as one organised and coherent.”

The programme at Amethyst is designed to comply with the recommended European standards and will enable successful graduates to apply for membership of the IAHIP. It draws from different counselling and therapy schools, formulating client problems and implementing approaches. Being humanistic it emphasises the whole person and stresses that deep down the person is OK. It tailors treatment according to the individual, not the medical insurance they possess. Each patient is cared for in the most holistic way. This approach to Psychotherapy has proven to be one of the most effective. Working on the body, feelings, intellect and spirit, change and development are paramount. It is integrative in attempting to blend and integrate together theoretical concepts and practical interventions drawn from different counselling and therapy approaches into coherent and integrated wholes. The approaches incororpated are:
Person-Centred Therapy; Gestalt, Transactional Analysis; Cognitive Behaviour Therapy; Existentialism, Psychosynthesis, Bodywork and an emphasis on Pre & Perinatal Psychology and Psychotherapy.

THE PRE AND PERINATAL EMPHASIS OF THE TRAINING PROGRAMME

Pre and Perinatal Psychology are dedicated to the in-depth exploration of the psychological dimension of human conception, reproduction and pregnancy. Pre & Perinatal experiences have a profound impact on human behaviour, health and well-being, with life starting at conception, and not birth as so commonly thought. Within the concept of psychotherapy, the effects of conception, pregnancy and birth upon the infant, child, teenager and adult behaviour are studied. The inclusion of Pre & Perinatal Psychology widens the concept of theory and experiential work into the realm of Transpersonal Psychology incorporating Psychosynthesis. This is based on the work of Ken Wilber and his exploration into the evolution of consciousness.

Pre & Perinatal Psychotherapy allows blocks at a cellular level to be released and to enable the person to re-own all the parts which may have been disowned and traumatised, by using the approaches named above which address the many levels of consciousness often needed for healing.

Science is proving the validity of this work in Pre & Perinatal Psychology on an ongoing basis.  In addition works of Bruce Lipton (The Biology of Belief: on the science of epigenetics, and how consciousness shapes our health, genetics, and evolution) and Candice Pert (Molecules of Emotions: on the intimate relationship between mind and body) along with others, support this science.

The course is intended to give Amethyst Graduates a thorough and intensive experiential and academic course of study to equip them to deal with the problems of clients in this modern world.

Application form is here.

OUTLINE OF 4 YEAR PSYCHOTHERAPY COURSE

YEAR 1

  • Weekend 1 – October 2-4  2009

Getting to know each other; Intro to Psychotherapy; Basic attitudes for effective counselling/therapy; Learning listening skills; Boundaries, Transactional Analysis (Lake, Rogers, Berne, Whitfield.)

  • Weekend 2 – December 11-13  2009

History and importance of Pre and Perinatal Psychology and Psychotherapy (Lake, Emerson, Findeisen, Rank, Chamberlain, Verny, Ward, Lipton).

  • Weekend 3 – February 5-7  2010

            Gestalt Therapy (Perls).

  • Weekend 4 – March 12-14  2010

            Existential and Client Centred Therapy (Rogers, Yalom, Frankl).

  • Week long intensive – April 5-10  2010

Developmental psychology – experienced as a journey through life, using Erik Erikson’s stages as a framework and learning appropriate therapeutic techniques for each stage when something has gone wrong e.g. pre and perinatal work, play therapy, inner child work, working with adolescents (Lake, Piaget , Freud, Jung, Oaklander, Whitfield, Bradshaw)

  • Weekend 5 – May 14-16  2010

Psychosynthesis (Assagioli, Ferruci)

  • Weekend 6 – June 11-13  2010

The integration of the year’s experience and assessments. Projection, transference and counter-transference.

YEAR 2 – WITH SPECIFIC EMPHASIS ON PRE AND PERINATAL PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHOTHERAPY

  • Weekend 1- September17th-19th 2010

Beginning of the Sacred Journey; preconception and conception – state and status of parents and would-be embryo (Ward, Verny, Farrant, Wilber, Sheldrake, Einstein)

  • Weekend 2- November 26th-28th 2010

Personal womb, birth and life scripts and how to recognise them and how we recreate them; fractal patterns; foetal consciousness (Lake, Verny, Chamberlain, Ward, Houston)

  • Weekend 2- January 21st-23rd 2011

Types of birth and birth traumas. Obstetric interventions leading to birth trauma. Difference between shock and trauma, recognising and working with dissociation. (Lake, Chamberlain, Ward, Emmerson, Levine.)

  • Weekend 4- March 18th-20th 2011

The importance of the chakras in psychotherapy; the integration of healing and psychotherapy (Bruyere, Ward )

  • Weekend 5- May 27th-29th 2011

Intra-uterine trauma; displacement of negative feelings; the maternal/foetal distress syndrome. (Grof, Lake,Rank,Mott,Winnicot )

  • Weekend 6- June 24th-26th 2011

Body symbology and energy healing, incorporating ancient wisdom with modern psychotherapy. Comparing the medical model with the Humanistic & Integrative model of today (Ward, Bruyere, Myss)

  •  Intensive week- July 18th-23rd 2011

Recognising and working with Pre and Perinatal material in psychotherapy. The importance of knowledge of different cultures and customs for a multicultural approach.

    • Experiential work
    • Integration and assessments
    • Introduction to clinical experience and supervision

YEAR 3 – GENERAL PSYCHOTHERAPY-  2011/2012

 “You can’t solve a problem with the same consciousness that caused the event” - Einstein

  • Weekend 1

Ethics and the Law in Psychotherapy.   Professional issues for the practising psychotherapist.

  • Weekend 2

            Group Psychotherapy

  • Weekend 3
  • Gender and identity issues
  • Sexual addictions
  • Weekend 4

Psychopathology – diagnosis and medication in current medical practice; personality disorders in relation to trauma in the first trimester. (Lynch, Ward)

  • Weekend 5
    • Wombtwin Survivors (Hayton, Ward )
    •  Advanced body symbology
    • Displacement of negative umbilical affect as the possible cause of future disease.
  • Weekend 6

Group Psychotherapy

  • Intensive week
    • 6 day training
    • Student presentations
    • Assessments

YEAR 4 - GENERAL PSYCHOTHERAPY      2012/2013

  • Weekend 1

Death; separation/grief/bereavement; suicide issues; anger (Kubler-Ross , Keneally)

  • Weekend 2

            Group psychotherapy

  • Weekend 3

Attachment and bonding for individuals and groups; adoption – problems for biological mother, adopted child and adoptive parents (Ainsworth, Bowlby , Verrier.)

  • Weekend 4

Prenatal learning; foetal consciousness; abuse in the intrauterine period, Development of client/group specific treatment plans e.g. eating disorders, OCD, ADHD etc (Verny, Chamberlain et al.)

  • Weekend 5

            Sexual abuse, Domestic violence, Secondary traumatisation, self-care

  • Weekend 6

            Group psychotherapy

  • Intensive week
    • 6 day training
    • Student presentations
    • Assessments
    • Endings

Application form is here.

APPROACH TO LEARNING

Instruction and learning will be by lecture, group discussion, video, experiential work, movement, visualisation, energy work, reading, written work and peer group. Students may have some of their experiential work filmed with video playback for supervision and assessment.

  • Techniques for facilitation are drawn from many humanistic and integrative psychotherapies.
  • It is anticipated that students will enthusiastically participate in their own pre and perinatal experiences and will facilitate each other during the course.
  • All skills are rooted in experiential learning.

ASSESSMENT

Assessment will be ongoing by self, peers, trainers, and an external adjudicator.

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

Clinical experience will be discussed with the trainers. Client work will be due to commence in Year 3. Two hundred hours will be required for the diploma. Supervision will be provided within the course. 

REQUIRED FROM STUDENTS

  1. In the first year students will be expected to produce 3 short assignments of 1500 words each. In the second year 3 Assignments of 3,000 words each will be required. In the remaining years, 6 assignments (3 each year) of 5,000 words each on subjects or research of interest to each student will be submitted. Twelve (1 hour) tutorials are mandatory, to provide support to students with their assignments.
  1. A case study will be submitted in year 3 and 4
  1. A journal to be handed in every 3 months , beginning in year 1, to cover:
    1. Reading – what and when,
    2. Time spent on research and writing assignments, and
    3. Summary of personal process for 3 months.
  1. 2 extra experiential days each year (dates for these will become available in consultation with students).
  1. Peer groups for student support and practical experience will be formed and will need to meet at least once a month.
  1. Weekends are from 7-10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. -6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

AWARD

A Diploma will be awarded to students who successfully complete the training programme. This  training programme complies with the recommended European standards and will enable  successful graduates to apply for membership of The Irish Association of Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy(IAHIP).

Application form is here.

FEES

Fees are payable in advance and are €5,000 for the first year. The course fee is subject to annual review. This includes a NON-REFUNDABLE FEE OF €200 WHICH IS REQUIRED WITH  THE APPLICATION.  All tuition is included but excludes payment for personal therapy. Cheques to be made payable to Amethyst Resource for Human Development Ltd.

The remainder MUST be paid on the first night of the course - €4.800                   

There is no refund for any weekend not attended.

If there are any queries contact Carmel Byrne on 061 374926.

ADDITIONAL COSTS TO STUDENTS

  1. Personal therapy – those studying for a professional qualification will be required to have at least 30 hours of one-to-one therapy during each year of the course; making a total of 120 hours over 4 years.
  1. Books (check reading list).
  1. Students are also encouraged to take independent weekend (or longer) courses during their 4 years of their own choice which can contribute to their overall knowledge, skills and personal experience.
  1. Any further tuition needed as a result of absence or other cause after the completion of course time will be at the student’s own expense.

Application form is here.

CORE TRAINERS

Alison Hunter, Shirley Ward and Carmel Byrne, all of whom are founder members of the IAHIP (Irish Association of Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy).

Alison is a skilled and experienced group leader and psychotherapist for a number of years on the Governing Body of the Irish Association of Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy. She came to Ireland in 1981 and now trains counsellors and psychotherapists and is also a supervisor of clinical work. She founded Amethyst in 1982 and is a Director of Training.

An educationalist who is a busy practising psychotherapist, trainer, supervisor and healer who is an international adviser to the Association for Pre and Perinatal Psychology and Health (HQ in USA).  She has facilitated workshops at the United Nations in Vienna, other places in Europe and the USA. Having spent 23 years teaching she now heads the Education and Research Department of Amethyst. Shirley has been on the Governing Body of the IAHIP and is currently on the Editorial Board of Inside Out, and has also been the secretary of the Complaints Committee since 2003. At present, she has responsibility for the Trainers of Child Protection for the Killaloe Diocese under Bishop Willie Walsh.

As a psychotherapist and healer she is experienced with babies, children, teenagers and adults, particularly with those who had difficult births and have behavioural problems. She teaches skills to psychotherapy students and, amongst other techniques, uses play therapy with children and birth re-facilitation with children and adults. She manages the finance of Amethyst. Carmel has been on the Governing Body of the IAHIP. Currently Carmel works with ADHD groups, and provides individual play sessions for children and family therapy for family members. In addition Carmel works with HSE in Foster Care, and is responsible for child protection policy in the parish of Killaloe.

Alison Hunter – 061 375331 – Email: amethyst@iol.ie
Carmel Byrne – 061 374926 – Email: carmelbyrne@eircom.net
Shirley Ward – 061 374533 – Email: shirleyward@eircom.net
Web – www.holistic.ie/amethyst

While every care has been taken to provide accurate information Amethyst reserve the right to make necessary amendments with due consideration to students.

 

The Past  | The Present  | The Future  |  Training  |  Reading Room | Patrons  | Alison Hunter |Shirley Ward | Carmel Byrne