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COUNSELLING SKILLS WORKSHOP SERIES

COUNSELLING SKILLS WORKSHOP SERIES

This series of four workshops will explore the different aspects of counselling, providing a balance of knowledge and opportunities to practice and develop your skills. The four workshops are:

• Person-centred Skills in Counselling

• Transactional Analysis in Counselling

• Narrative and Storytelling in Counselling

• Psychodynamic Skills in Counselling

You will be taught by qualified and experienced counselling practitioners within the School of Applied Social Studies at Robert Gordon University. We have worked hard to build and maintain excellent working relationships with our partner agencies in the voluntary, private and statutory sectors. This ensures that our workshops are relevant to contemporary issues and meet the requirements of employers.

Who should attend?

The workshops are relevant for all employees where communication with and support for others is part of their role. This includes counsellors and practitioners in health, social care, police, rescue services, education and the energy sector.

Transactional analysis is a way of exploring the dynamics of people’s interactions with one another and of identifying particular dynamics which may be causing difficulties.

Difficulties are seen as relational, involving both participants, and so change requires self-understanding as well as understanding of others. The workshop will allow participants to explore their contribution to the dynamics of difficult situations and to examine the impact of the interactions of those they work with on them.

One of the most powerful elements of positive survival and development in individuals who have had challenging experiences in their lives is the ability to make sense of their lives and have a coherent story to tell. No individual has just one story of their life but we all have multiple stories, telling different ones at different times and from different perspectives.

This workshop will explore personal narratives. It will give participants the opportunity to think about how they have reframed their stories over time. There will be the opportunity to look at how individuals they work with can be supported to develop their stories in ways that will help them to change their behaviour, attitude and self-perception.

Psychodynamic approaches see all individuals’ thoughts, feelings, relationships and actions as being influenced by unconscious processes. In working with individuals, their difficulties in changing behaviour would be seen as partly due to the inevitable conflicts between a person’s conscious and unconscious thinking and feeling. Unconscious dynamics are also seen influencing their reactions to others, and others reactions to them.

The workshop will give participants the opportunity to explore ways of becoming aware of, understanding and working with the unconscious. Participants should note that a level of self-exploration is required in this workshop.

This workshop will explore the meanings of the three core concepts of person centred counselling: empathy, unconditional positive regard and congruence. These core conditions are seen as the basis of all growthful change and yet individuals and workers often struggle to make positive choices in their lives.

This workshop will give participants the opportunity to explore the difficulties people have in making positive changes in their lives. It will give them the opportunity to work with others to develop their understanding and their ability to engage with those they work with in a person centred way.

PERSON-CENTRED SKILLS IN COUNSELLING • Wednesday 21 March

TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS IN COUNSELLING • Wednesday 25 April

NARRATIVE AND STORYTELLING IN COUNSELLING • Wednesday 23 May

PSYCHODYNAMIC SKILLS IN COUNSELLING • Wednesday 20 June

COST AND BOOKING

The Counselling Workshops will be run at the Faculty of Health and Social Care in Garthdee. They will run between 13.30 and 16.00 at an individual cost of £80 per workshop. For participants who sign up to attend all four sessions there is a reduced rate of £280.

Individual on-line booking: www.rgu.ac.uk/counsellingworkshops

For employer group bookings please contact: business@rgu.ac.uk

For further course details please contact: Fiona Feilbergf.feilberg@rgu.uk

* Sunday Times University Guide 2011, ** Sunday Times University Guide 2012, *** Sunday Times University Guide 2006-2011

Scottish University of the Year 2011*

Best Modern University in the UK**

One of the Top UK Universities for Graduate Employment***