CREATIVE DAY
(Jan 2020)

Here are a few photos from the day of the training. 

The Buttons I chose from this wonderful tray of buttons represented my family; it was a very powerful session. I got a lot from this session, the simplicity of buttons, such nostalgia and deep memories for some people, including myself. 

Sunday, I went straight out and purchased some buttons for my therapy room.

The writing was from the creative writing with Ruth, where we just sat with self and wrote whatever emerged. I found this slightly challenging at first due to having arthritis in both my wrists however once I got going, I really enjoyed the process of just writing and going with the flow. A wrote a short story and read it out, I found it very moving and unlocking of fear. 

The next photo is from Nicky’s creative session, in regard to Metaphors and Trauma.
Brilliantly presented and so easily understood with these basic images and clear explanations. I have dyslexia and can switch off if there is too much wordy explanation, this I found very easy to understand and process. I will also be happy to use such a simple but very effective piece within my counselling practice. 

I loved the sand therapy. It re awoke memories of my Play Therapy placement in York over 25 years ago, however there’s you could physically climb in! I am going to reintroduce a sand tray into my therapy room. It was a super day, with such a variety of things to explore. Each creative experiment offered something different but just as powerful. 

The Pashminas worked very well with looking at layers of feelings and I just loved the colours and simplicity of these, I do have colourful silk scarves which I use in a similar way.

Thank you all for a super day.

Attachment Workshop
(Feb 2020)

I wanted to say how much I enjoyed the attachment day workshop with Jeff. I really like his organic style of teaching. I find I learn a lot more this way as it is inspiring.

I like that he brings stories from his work to connect to our here and now. I certainly have been thinking about my attachment style since the workshop, and although it is earned secure it comes with complications.

I think it is a must for any counsellor to attend these workshops, in any stage of their training or career. They are based on the fundamental building blocks that eludes to us and our clients.

It has stayed with me that Jeff said “Therapy change is like carrying an awkwardly shaped parcel. I can put it down. I can examine it. Maybe I can see a better way to carry it. Or, can I put it down and leave it as no longer need it? Or, why do I hold on to it?”

The Olive Branch 1st Online Workshop
Loss, Bereavement and Grief
(May 2020)

Thank you for a great workshop. I found the work informative and relevant for me to use with grief clients. The presentation was really good, I liked the fact I could read on the chat what people were saying/asking yet it didn’t interrupt the flow of the presentation and the group work worked well in the breakout rooms to be able to interact more.

Thank you to David and the training team for your hard work in making it such a good day.

It was excellent – many thanks to the team. It’s provided lots of insights, vocabulary, tools and models to refer to. Another important takeaway for me was the importance of firm boundaries and endings preparing my clients for separation.

This was a well-run and timely workshop on grief and loss. Lots of techniques and resources were shared and we were able to use small groups to chat about our own personal experiences, recognising that while there are similarities and patterns, grief is so unique. Thank you for putting this on.

Exploring creative use of the Five Elements in Counselling
Online Workshop
(July 2020)

I enjoyed David’s style of training. He managed to fit a lot into a short space of time. The creative part and the stabilisations were great. His enthusiasm for this came across in his training.

The group size worked for me – I particularly enjoyed the break outs and being part of a smaller team.

I will use this tool with my clients as I found it powerful.

I enjoyed the workshop and would like to know more about the 5 elements.