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| BUDDHIST PSYCHOTHERAPY PROGRAMME | |
| ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS | |
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Attendance requirements for courses on the Applied Buddhist Psychology Programmes are met by attending designated courses listed in the Courses Page on this web site. Each term, eleven days of designated courses are offered, which are arranged in the form of one nine day block plus one extra weekend. This form has been developed to suit the needs of both overseas students (who prefer to attend longer course units), and local students who are in full time employment or who have other commitments which make weekend attendance the only option. Each nine day block is sectionalised, so that students can attend part or all of it. In this way, students may choose to attend three weekends per term or one nine day block or some other combination of days. There is much choice and flexibility in the programme. Students must attend at least two events per calendar year and normally attend around 18 days per year. Some weekend courses are held in common with the programme in Fully Engaged Buddhism. FORMAT
Course blocks normally consist of two weekends, which are broadly linked to a skills development sequence, a four day unit which is generally more thematic and process based and a day seminar. The single weekend is also generally more thematic and process orientated. Some courses are designated psychodrama and groupwork courses. These are suitable for all students, whether or not they intend working with groups, since these methods provide excellent training in many therapeutic skills, such as empathic communication, congruence, use of symbolic and creative imagery, spatially and action orientated thinking, and structuring skills. CONTENT
Courses are generally experiential. All courses are "open access" and attract participants of differing levels of experience. This provides a lively learning environment where new-comers bring constant stimulation and new perspectives, often asking the questions that clarify points of theory or contributing areas of prior knowledge or skill that benefit the whole group. Because the courses often involve experimentation and theoretical development around the models and themes of Buddhist psychology, more experienced students are constantly stretched and challenged to go beyond their assumptions. THERAPEUTIC STYLE
Many students who join the programme already hold qualifications in counselling and psychotherapy, so standards are high, but this should not discourage the complete beginner (of whom there are also many). The course encourages students to reach an intelligent integration of the Buddhist psychology models with therapeutic method. It teaches distinctive ways of working, but also enables students to develop their own integration of practice. It is a particular strength of the course that its graduates are very diverse in their styles of working, whilst being thoroughly grounded in the models which the course presents. Because the course is concerned with the foundations of theory and practice, its manifestation allows for diversity and students may specialise in working with action methods, arts, body and behavioural approaches whilst staying within the basic models.PRACTICUMS
Students are expected to complete practice work as part of the Advanced Certificate and Diploma levels of the course. This work is externally supervised. At Advanced Certificate level the requirement is for 100 hours of face to face work; at Diploma level it if for 150 hours. Students are responsible for setting up arrangements for their practice work. They will need to find an external supervisor, who will be contracted to provide a report to the course staff on work done. Students may discuss practice work with course staff through the tutorial system but are responsible for fulfilling proper ethical and professional standards both in the operation and supervision of their practice. It is occasionally possible for students to negotiate a practicum in an area other than individual psychotherapy. In the past students have done practice work in the fields of groupwork, community work and organisational psychology. Where such an arrangement is agreed, the student will be awarded a qualification whose title concurs with the specialism taken. |