The existential workshop
This one-day experiential workshop will explore how to work with clients to depth using existential concepts and ideas, taking your client to one of the most connected and profound ways of working.
Often in therapy, the client focuses on overcoming a problem or getting a solution to their situation. Helping them to find this can be relatively quick through the skills and methods of hypnotherapy, NLP and coaching.
Sometimes clients bring issues that clearly have deeper roots, where we use more intricate methods like inner child, Gestalt, imagery, hypnoanalysis and regression, for greater understanding, and release and relief of symptoms.
Whichever way you choose to work with your client, there comes a time in the therapy where there is a need to deepen and broaden the work to allow our clients to deepen and broaden themselves.
Some clients, however, bring with them deeper issues that have a more existential nature to them. Perhaps their son or daughter has gone off to University and they have lost their role or purpose in life, or someone has died and they are struggling to make sense or meaning of this.
Feeling lost, that something is missing in life, being disillusioned or in crises are all examples of clients we see and where depth work is needed. They are struggling with aspects of themselves that are parts of the everyday struggle that we face in being human, that is the reality and nature of living, with all its complexities.
Did you know about existential anxiety or existential guilt? These can be crippling and mistakenly thought of as just ‘anxiety’ or feeling guilty or bad about oneself. This is missing the point and the most important exploration for the client.
This work requires deeper exploration through a lens that appreciates that human beings do not need to be fixed, or worked out, but that they yearn for some understanding into the nature of being human, being them, with all that entails.
In this one-day workshop we will look at the ‘existentials’; the facets of human existence that help people open up into themselves. We’ll explore this through both a theoretical and experiential approach, enabling you to personally connect with your own humanness and existence, as only through experience can you truly help another delve into theirs.
We’ll look at accessible and applicable ideas and concepts, centred around the work of both Emmy van Deurzen and Irvin Yalom, both prolific in the existential literature.
Some of what we will cover will include:
- The four dimensions of human existence: discover the qualities of life you are drawn to, and those that repel you, so you can begin to exist in a more aware and centred way.
- Being human and connected in the world – explore what it means to be human and connected, so you can open up to the possibilities of you.
- Living in your human body – experience a true oneness with your mind/body existence to ‘fit’ within the world in a more authentic way. Lessen the disconnections within yourself.
- Unfairness and unjustness is a part of human experience. Learn how to connect with life’s ‘givens’, so you can make a huge difference to how life is lived.
- Experience how coming to the realisation that there is no escaping life’s pain or death can bring a new found zest for simply being alive.
Our aim is that you are able to explore competently with your clients, existential elements that help them take ultimate responsibility for the way they live their life.
This course has been taught and developed through group and individual work that we have delivered across the world. It is time to bring it to the UK!
As highly experienced trainers, therapists, and doctors of existential psychotherapy, Tom Barber and Sandra Westland will both lead you through this exciting and eye-opening experience.
Join us for a wonderful day of deep insight and connection, and discover your deep inner worlds.
CPD certified: six hours.