Professional & Personal Development Training in Mental Health

THEMES Covered In The Twelve Modules Of The Programme

Module 1 Core Psychological Themes: Psychology and related psychotherapeutic perspectives including anthroposophy and mainstream: Introducing general cosmology, psychology and morphology of the human being as body, soul and spirit as an expression of self consciousness: Comparative morphology contrasting distinctive gestures of the animal & human skeleton.

Module 2 Childhood Development 0-7 years: Physical embodiment, including neurological and immunological development; Laying the foundations for understanding sensory psychology and attachment theory in relation to lasting effects of trauma; related organ studies – organ observations - brain & spleen.

Module 3 Childhood Development 7-14 years: Cultivating health and well-being in middle childhood, habits - rhythm vs ritual; related organ studies – heart, lung and rhythmic system; 9th year developmental “rubicon”; Introduction to the twelve senses and the seven life processes and their corresponding expression in terms of adult learning.

Module 4 Adolescence 14-21: Challenges of soul development including crises of identity, idols & “ego-ideals” and the search for personal authenticity; related family and relationship dynamics; eating disorders (part I); acknowledging and expressing sexuality and gender; self harm; related organ observations – liver, kidney and adrenals; introducing different soul types.

Module 5 Anxiety & Trauma: Phenomenology of anxiety, its expression, meaning and management; trauma and its relationship to the renal and adrenal system; exploring the interactions of sensory and metabolic processes via the seven life processes; psychospiritual manifestations of separation and loss; awakening the “I” in its higher function as a witness to soul.

Module 6 Depression & Bipolar Phenomena: Exploring their somatic, psychological, spiritual and medical perspectives; grief and mourning; life processes and their correlates in the soul; working with depression and suicidal ideation; encountering psychotic phenomena in relation to inner and outer threshold experiences, sense organs and metabolic processes.

Module 7 Obsessive Disorders and Compulsive Behaviours: Addictions and eating disorders (part 2); differentiating primitive and higher (rational) ego defenses; encountering mid-life crises of meaning and identity; spiritual emergence and spiritual emergency; Understanding how therapeutic care communities may support rehabilitation.

Module 8 Personality Structure 1: Introducing the concept of personality structure and its relation to historic changes in human consciousness; exploring twelvefoldness of the zodiac, related zodiacal polarities and their expression through the three planes of space; experiencing planes of space through movement and drama and their corresponding personality structures including the use of mask; narcissism, avoidant, paranoid & histrionic personality types and their related therapeutic approaches.

Module 9 Personality Structure 2: Content developing general themes as with 1, module 8, now addressing obsessive, antisocial, dissociative & borderline personality types and their related therapeutic approaches; Differentiating these personality disorder from psychotic precesses. Mentalisation as a therapeutic modality.

Module 10 Personality Structure 3: Content developing general themes as with 1, module 8, now addressing schizoid, schizotypal, passive -aggressive and dependant personality types - Codependency and therapeutic approaches; differentiating schizoid, schizotypal and schizophrenic phenomena. Steiner’s twelve philosophical world views in relation to personality structure. The hero/heroine’s journey.

Module 11 Addressing the Question of Evil: Recognising distortions in self and society - discernment exercise based on seven life processes; confronting the challenges of fear, hatred and doubt and their deeper origins; differentiating the Luciferic and Ahrimanic doubles.

Module 12 Confl ict & Community Building: Addressing forces underlying conflict within organisations and communities: mediation; biographic view exercise; exploring evolutionary changes as these relate to individual development and collective responsibility; working with loss and change; beginnings and endings within therapeutic practice and beyond.