ACTIVITIES OFFERED:
1. Training in Biographical Counselling
2. Training in Biographical Counselling Skills for Social Professions
3. Contributions to other Training courses
4. Workshops and seminars on themes related to Biography Work and Biographical Counselling
5. Theme-oriented Master Classes and Conferences for Professionals
6. Individual Biographical Counselling
1) Training in Biographical Counselling
Biographical CounsellingIn our time, outer supports and securities are falling away while the inner dimensions of reality come into daily consciousness. As a result, increasing numbers of people face existential questions in the course of their lives. The problems and uncertainties that arise ask for new ways of coping and challenge us to enter into a dialogue with our own life, in order to get in touch with our truth and to find strength and creativity for the future.Becoming a Biographical Counsellor means engaging in a path of inner development and understanding the laws of biography and the dynamics of human struggle. This provides a basis to create a safe space in which difficulties are explored and met in ways that allow the underlying forces to reveal themselves and development to take place.
Anthroposophy, a science of the spirit, offers a path of inner activity which leads to self-knowledge. It awakens an understanding of the human being and the nature of the human encounter, the laws of biography and the challenges in individual development today. This informs and inspires the Training in Biographical Counselling.
Capacities the Biographical Counsellor needs to develop:
an ever deepening self-knowledge;skills to guide the counselling process;an attitude of research, openness, attentiveness and interest;
a source of inner strength out of which this work can be done.
THE TRAINING IN BIOGRAPHICAL COUNSELLING consists of different modules that can be taken over a period of several years.
The MODULES are composed of the following content:
(A) FOUNDATIONS IN BIOGRAPHICAL COUNSELLING
a) Understanding Human Biography
Seeing our biography in the context of the challenges and needs of our timesThe nature and constitution of the human being from a spiritual perspectiveUnderstanding the human soulThe unfolding of biographical development in its psychological and spiritual nature The different life phases as a foundation for understanding reincarnation and karma
Project presentations of a biography
b) Biographical Counselling Skills
The nature of dialogue The human encounter as a basis for understanding the client-counsellor relationshipDifferent counselling styles and skills based on planetary qualitiesBasic attitudes needed to become an instrument for helping others
Introduction to questions of the profession
c) The Spiritual Basis to Work with Biographical Counselling
The inner path of the Biographical CounsellorSchooling of consciousness
Self-Care
(B) BIOGRAPHICAL COUNSELLING AS A PATH OF DEVELOPMENT
a) The process of Biographical CounsellingSteps and stagesIntegration of a psychological and spiritual approachQuestions and aspects of the practice of Biographical Counselling
Practising Biographical Counselling as a spiritual awakening for client and counsellor
b) Working the dynamics of the human soul:
Polarities and counter-forcesThinking, feeling, and willThe development of individuality in the context of social relationships
The male and female principles
c) The Relation between Body, Soul and Spirit
Working with a medical doctor on: Illnesses of our Times Recognising soul disturbances which need medical careHow the physical/organic constitution and pathologies influence psychological expression
Learning to differentiate between the work of the Biographical Counsellor, the Medical Doctor, and the Priest
C) BIOGRAPHICAL COUNSELLING AS A VOCATION
Deepening of professional questionsSupervisionBiographical Counselling as a spiritual pathStudent presentations of research projects and case studies
Final assessment
TRAINING FORMAT
The Training is composed of the above elements, which are offered in different modules, which will vary according to the requirements of the situation in which the training takes place.
According to the nature of the module, there will be theoretical and practical contributions, work on one’s own biography and inner development, supervised practice in small groups and in pairs, practice in observation, and daily artistic activities such as: eurythmy, spatial dynamics, clay modelling, painting, creative speech, creative writing, story telling, drama, mask work, movement improvisation or singing.
COURSE REQUIRMENTS
to write and present the biography of a known person, a research project; and a case study;to have personal counselling outside the Training;
to practice Biographical Counselling.
To receive a Diploma participants need to complete all modules of the Training and have a specified number of sessions with different clients, accompanied by supervision.
ASSESSMENT AND CERTIFICATION
During the Training regular assessment will take place. Each participant will be accompanied by an individual tutor throughout their Training.
A Certificate in Biographical Counselling Skills is given on completion of the Foundation modules in Biographical Counselling.
A Diploma in Biographical Counselling can be applied for after completing all the elements and requirements of the Training.
A Certificate of Recognition from the Verein für Biographiearbeit auf Grundlage der Anthroposophie (Association for Biography Work out of Anthroposophy) in co-operation with the Medical section, Goetheanum, Dornach, Switzerland can be applied for on completion of the full Training.
TO BE ACCEPTED TO THE PROGRAMME
participants need:
to be over 28 years of ageto be engaged in a social profession to submit an outline of their own biography
to be willing to work with their own biography in small groups and in a counselling process.
TRAINING DIRECTORS
Anita Charton, Dipl.Psych. , M.A. Psychology , Diploma Biographical Counselling, Psychotherapist, Biographical Counsellor and Trainer has worked in social research, drug rehabilitation and private practice and was a faculty member of the Centre for Social Development, England. She has many years experience in running the Training in Biographical Counselling as well as other training courses and workshops on biographical counselling, biography work and relationships in different countries. Next to training people she works with cancer patients at the Lukas Klinik in Switzerland
Margli Matthews, Post Graduate Diploma Counselling, Diploma Biographical Counselling, Biographical Counsellor and Trainer, has many years experience in private practice, adult education and in running the Training in Biographical Counselling. She was a faculty member of Emerson College and the Centre for Social Development, and she leads training courses, seminars and workshops in different countries. She is a contributor to Lifeways and the co-author of Ariadne’s Awakening, a book concerned with a new consciousness of the feminine and masculine principles in our lives.
Anita Charton and Margli Matthews are Co-founders of the Biography and Social Development Trust and carry the responsibility for the Training in Biographical Counselling. Both or one of them will lead courses and modules together with assistants. Alongside them there are other contributors and facilitators, such as counsellors, psychotherapists, medical doctors, consultants, and artists who contribute to the training out of their professional experience.
2) Training in Biographical Counselling Skills for Social Professions
Biographical Counselling Skills
People working in social professions today increasingly find that their skills and capacities to meet and work with people have not been sufficiently developed or trained to meet the kinds of questions and relationship dynamics that confront them on a daily basis. This applies to teachers, art therapists, administrators, adult educators, doctors, consultants, lawyers, etc.
This Training is designed to meet these needs by deepening self knowledge and training basic skills and attitudes to enable professionals to help others with conflict, development questions and underlying life issues.
The Training in Biographical Counselling Skills is a part of the Training in Biographical Counselling and consists of the modules contained in Foundations in Biographical Counselling.
CONTENT
(A) FOUNDATIONS IN BIOGRAPHICAL COUNSELLING
a) Understanding Human BiographySeeing our biography in the context of the challenges and needs of our times The nature and constitution of the human being from a spiritual perspectiveUnderstanding the human soulThe unfolding of biographical development in its psychological and spiritual natureThe different life phases as a foundation for understanding reincarnation and karma
Project presentations( biography)
b) Basic Biographical Counselling SkillsThe nature of dialogue The human encounter as a basis for understanding the client-counsellor relationshipDifferent counselling styles and skills based on planetary qualitiesBasic attitudes needed to become an instrument for helping others
Introduction to questions of the profession
c) The Spiritual Basis to Work with Biographical CounsellingThe Inner Path of the Biographical CounsellorSchooling of Consciousness
Self-Care
TRAINING FORMAT
The training is composed of the above elements, which can be taken in different modules. According to the nature of the module there will be theoretical and practical contributions, work on one’s own biography and inner development, supervised practice in small groups and in pairs, practice in observation and daily artistic activities such as: eurythmy, spatial dynamics, clay modelling, painting, creative speech, creative writing, story telling, mask work, movement improvisation or singing.
COURSE REQUIRMENT
During the training participants are required to submit a written study of the biography of a public personality and give an oral presentation of their paper to the group.
ASSESSMENT AND CERTIFICATION
Each participant will be accompanied by an individual tutor throughout their training.
A Certificate in Biographical Counselling Skills is given on completion of the Foundation modules and the training requirement.
FOR ACCEPTANCE TO THE PROGRAMME participants need:
to be over 28 years of age;to be engaged in a social profession; to submit an outline of their own biography;
to be willing to work with their own biography in small groups and in a counselling process.
TRAINING DIRECTORS
Anita Charton, Dipl. Psych., M.A. Psychology, Diplom Biographical Counselling
Psychotherapist, Biographical Counsellor and Trainer has worked in social research, drug rehabilitation and private practice and was a faculty member of the Centre for Social Development, England. She has many years experience in running the Training in Biographical Counselling as well as other training courses and workshops on biographical counselling, biography work and relationships in different countries. Next to training people she works with cancer patients at the Lukas Klinik in Switzerland.
Margli Matthews, Post Graduate Diploma Counselling, Diploma Biographical Counselling, Biographical Counsellor and Trainer, has many years experience in private practice, adult education and in running the Training in Biographical Counselling. She was a faculty member of Emerson College and the Centre for Social Development, and she leads training courses and workshops in different countries. She is a contributor to Lifeways and the co-author of Ariadne’s Awakening, a book concerned with a new consciousness of the feminine and masculine principles in our lives.
Anita Charton and Margli Matthews are co-founders of the Biography and Social Development Trust and carry the responsibility for the Training in Biographical Counselling. Both or one of them will lead courses and modules together with assistants. Alongside them there are other contributors and facilitators, such as counsellors, psychotherapists, medical doctors, consultants, and artists who contribute to the Training out of their professional experience.
3) Contributions to other Trainings
BIOGRAPHY WORK AND BIOGRAPHICAL COUNSELLING SKILLS
More and more leaders of professional training courses, such as painting therapy, eurythmy, creative speech, creative writing, teacher training, story telling and adult education, recognise that their participants need a deeper understanding of the laws of human biography – how they are expressed in their own lives as well as in the lives of the people that they will work with in their profession.
Trainers and Course Leaders working from the Biography and Social Development Trust have gained much experience over a number of years in making such contributions in a lively and practical way with the aim of increasing an awareness of life’s underlying issues, the dynamics of human relationships and skills for the human encounter. They are available to make contributions in a variety of ways which can be tailored to the needs and requirements of the particular training.