Psychotherapy and Counselling Course Philosophy
Every person unique
The Bridge Pastoral Foundation (BPF) has at its very core the work of human relations and pastoral care: the belief that every person is unique and made up of body, mind, emotion and spirit.
Frank Lake founded the organisation in 1962 originally named the Clinical
Theology Association. While establishing the seminar training and primal work,
he also had the foresight to train and accredit professional counsellors and group
facilitators. He was open and enthusiastic about different models and theories,
yet at the heart of his own research and insight was the influence of our very
early beginnings, life in the womb, birth and our very early relationships. He recognised the depth of the human struggle, the inner suffering and turmoil from
the very core of being, which at some stage in our lives afflicts us all and distorts
relationships with our self and others. The Foundation has gone through many
changes and has a rich legacy - stretching to the present day -of training and
enabling people to have greater acceptance of themselves and others, therefore
empowering them to live life with more purpose and fulfilment.
We are now in a position to pick up the reins and have developed a counselling and psychotherapy training for this current professional era. We still hold and embrace the fact that every human life is a gift, a precious wonder of creation and a responsibility - that life itself can at times be very difficult to bear.
A journey of exploration
The psychotherapy journey is an exploration, and the call upon the therapist is
to have the courage to venture into his or her own profound personal journey. I
often symbolise this as a kind of mining; the therapist will spend many hours
delving into their own deep dark tunnels, while they learn the skills of the trade.
There are no short cuts; they will learn what is safe in very difficult
circumstances, to slowly trust themselves and their mentors, where and what
are the boundaries, and eventually there will be moments of revelation, the
contact of the earth, an emerging sense of 'being', rebirth and in touch with a
new breath of life.
Though theoretical learning is essential to underpin the work, the sense of being
able to 'be' in the presence of another and to 'stay attuned' is the essence of the
therapeutic relationship.
This may sound simple yet the Bible demonstrates how very difficult it is. For example, in the garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus is in despair he asks his disciples to stay awake and watch over him.
'Horror and dismay came over him, and he said to them, "My heart is ready to break with grief; stop here, and stay awake."' - Mark 14 v 34 (New English Bible)
In the King James version, this is rendered: 'And he saith unto them, "my soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch."'
There may be many reasons why the disciples were not able to stay awake, they may have been tired after a long day, yet it is emotionally very difficult to stay with the despair of another. Most people want to make things OK, or do something useful. When a therapist can sit with their own brokenness, only then, can they offer and hold a safe, creative space, where a client can reveal and explore the depth of their soul.
Working towards transformation
In general people are disconnected from their deeper emotions, their body, their deepest desires and the origins of the motives that drive them. Working towards acceptance, awareness and integration, a person has the opportunity for transformation into wholeness of body, mind, emotion and spirit; which in turn transforms relationships, families and communities.
Students will work towards their own integration and transformation, to become therapists that emerge from within. So they will see and meet each client as a separate individual with a unique personal and profound story.
Training elements
Therefore the training will encompass experiential learning, skills practice,
group-work and plenary sessions. We will explore a number of theories, including
body-work, creative arts and primal integration. These will enable the student to
develop skills and a professional competence in psychotherapy. However, at its
heart this psychotherapy will hold the well being of the client, through
acceptance, respect and ethical regard. Thus offering an openness to stay with
the agony and dilemma of a human being and maintaining a responsability
towards awareness and relationship.
Continual learning
And in the words of T.S. Elliott 'We shall never cease from exploration, and of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started, and know the place for the first time.' A psychotherapist can never stop learning, every time we 'meet' a person we need courage, for we reveal a new seam to be explored in our own journey…
Ann Boyd - Course Director
Sept. 2008