Unit Description
Learn essential counselling skills in the context of authentic relationships and work experientially in practice sessions to develop fluent application.
This unit is an introduction to the Process Oriented approach of Arnold Mindell, including the contribution of quantum physics, field theory, levels of awareness, consciousness continuum and the dreambody.
Skills training in this unit focuses on the observation of phenomena present during the human encounter. The emphasis of student learning is on developing a ‘second attention’ to ‘find the door’: the process that holds the key to clients’ concerns and presenting problems. Students will learn essential counselling skills in the context of authentic relationships and work experientially in practice sessions to develop fluent application. Students will learn to identify and assess clients’ needs and to formulate hypotheses for counselling direction. Students will also learn to identify and unfold primary and secondary processes and the edge in client material.
Peer and critical self-reflection are used to enhance student learning throughout this unit. Learning to accept and reflect on feedback is an essential skill. Active dialogue and the critical examination of approaches to counselling are also encouraged. The student’s own experience is used to enrich learning and deepen self-knowledge through experiential exercises imbedded in timetabled and untimetabled study.
Unit Code
104S
Unit Type
Core Unit
Credit Points
3.0
Consultation Times
30 minutes before and after workshop intensive and by appointment during the semester
Topics Covered
- The theory of consciousness: Rudolf Steiner and Ken Wilber
- Fundamental principles of the human condition
- Relationship between consciousness to soul, emotions and the human condition
- The human being: Self and Higher Self, Ego and ego
- Expressive applications in counselling 1: drawing, poetry, clay modelling
- Expressive applications in counselling 2: Eurythmy
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this unit, students will be able to:
- Identify and articulate the core tenets of the process oriented approach
- Identify and assess the client’s needs and formulate hypotheses for the direction of counselling
- Competently demonstrate skills in using primary and secondary processes, double signals and edges in practice sessions
- Analyse signs of the unfolding process in counselling, including primary and secondary processes and double signals
- Demonstrate and reflect on a range of process oriented skills, using the dreambody, body symptoms, dreams, synchronistic events, sub-personalities and dream figures
- Competently demonstrate skills in creating a safe and supportive environment for self-expression and sharing of feelings, attitudes, beliefs and experiences of difference
- Integrate theory and reflection on feedback to improve counselling practice
Graduate Attributes
Delivery Mode
Workshop Intensive 1: 9:00 am to 5:30 pm
On-campus teaching and learning: 12 hours in total.
Online delivery
1.5 hour Zoom discussion
Study Buddy activities
Eight hours over the semester
Student Workload
The total unit workload is equivalent to 7.3 hours per week over the semester, 117.5 hours in total.
- 12 hours on-campus workshop intensives
- 1.5 hours Zoom discussion
- 8 hours study buddy work
- 96 personal study hours
Available in Courses
This unit is available in the following courses:
Specialist Training in Holistic Counselling & Psychotherapy Specialist Training in Holistic Counselling - 1 Year OLD_STPCreated: June 28, 2021, 4:58 p.m. • Updated: June 28, 2021, 5:27 p.m.