Term One

• Where it all began. 10 lectures on Sigmund Freud – The Founder of Psychodynamic therapies.
• A look at early childhood with issues of sexuality, rivalry and conflicts.
• The Famous Oedipus Complex
• ‘Helping’ and how paradoxically, it can be unhelpful.
• Our unconscious, our values, our prejudices which may influence how we respond to others.  All these issues will be explored.
• Clients defences and how they show themselves in the counselling relationship
• Are we who the client thinks we are? The concept of transference, and how important a tool it becomes in being of use to the counsellor.

Term Two

• The ground breaking contributions of Melanie Klein.
• The role of unconscious phantasy.
• The death instinct and its implications.
• New discoveries in the realm of defences.
• Depression.
• Paranoia.
• The ‘Controversial discussions’ and how they shaped modern day counselling.
• Envy, its role in the infant.
• The Oedipus complex. A new understanding.

Term Three

• The role of Mother and baby in detail.
• DW Winnicott. And his unique and influential work.
• The role of theory and practice in Winnicott’s work.
• The role of the environment in the development of the human personality with particular consideration of the development of ‘capacities’ e.g. capacity to be alone, to play, for concern etc
• ‘True and false self’ how we develop as human beings.
• From pathology to health.

Seminars

Seminars take place in the first part of the evening for an hour and a half. Students will be expected at times to take part in experiential exercises and to take turns to present a précis of a set piece of reading for a particular discussion.

Experiential group

During the second part of the evening students meet together with the experiential group conductor for an hour and a half. The purpose of the group is to explore what is of concern to individual members and the group as a whole in the here and now. It is part of the group’s task to identify these concerns and discover how to work with them with the help of the group conductor. This work provides a source of learning about oneself and about group dynamics.

The work of the group and the material revealed by individuals is confidential to the group. The experiential group leader may give an opinion about a student to the Course Tutor/Head of Training if it is felt that it would be helpful to do so but will not reveal personal material. As with seminars, regular attendance is very important and a requirement of the course. Students are asked to send a message to the group via the experiential group conductor if they are unavoidably absent.

NOTE:

The Certificate is not a license to practise privately.  ECS clients are not seen by students during this course. Counselling skills should be practised under supervision within an agency or organisation.