Transpersonal Arts In Therapy Training
Transpersonal Arts in Therapy is a professional training, academically accredited by the City & Guilds at Level 7, Membership Level, (Masters equivalent).
Through a deep engagement with the visual arts our students are enabled to enter 'an educated co-operation with image intelligences' (M. Angelo, 2003). Through the art of therapy and counselling students are enabled to bring this co-operation as facilitation of the transformation of others within a professional setting.
'In works of art there is much more then mere aesthetic value; they constitute living forces, almost living entities, embodying a power which has suggestive and creative effects.' (R. Assagioli, 1975).
This course is full time, conducted over three years. The first two years consist of tuition on Monday & Tuesday plus one placement day per week. Each year consists of 3 terms totalling 31 weeks including two week intensives per year. The third year entails clinical placements, case study and dissertation writing.
For the personal, academic and artistic requirements see Entry Reqs
Our graduates have embarked on careers in art therapy, community arts education, and educational consulting. They have been remarkably successful working as facilitators of personal growth in schools, colleges, hospitals, clinics, prisons and other institutions.
We are a member of the European Academy for Anthroposophical Art Therapy whose primary aim is to monitor quality assurance and standards of training and research and development.
Graduates are encouraged to apply for membership of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). Graduates will be required to undertake additional client hours to satisfy BACP requirements for individual accreditation.
This award does not lead to registration as an Art Therapist with Health Professions Council in Britain. Those wishing to practice in the UK will need to practice under another title unless already registered. Our graduates are eligible to apply for registration with the Council for Anthroposophical Health and Social Care (CAHSC). CAHSC is the formal registry for Anthroposophical medicine.
Course Outline
The Transpersonal emphasises the paradoxical and mysterious, the creative and the spiritual dimension in the universal scheme of things. Our programme develops the artist’s awareness for the transformative power of archetypal processes. The programme’s focus is in deepening the student’s proficiency in engaging with such processes through art and the human encounter for health and personal growth. Counselling is developed as an art - the art of transformative meeting.
Our core model of Anthroposophical therapy is rooted in the understanding of the human being as formed of body, soul and spirit. It conceptualises health as a return to ‘right relations’ with all life forms and woundedness as the healer’s path of initiation.
The guiding of clients within this vision of health and wellness requires a disciplined practice to understand our work as artist and therapist within a professional setting. Therapy is a process by which these aspects are addressed through aesthetic experience. It is concerned with finding the sacred in ordinary day-to-day life.
The course aims to help students to:
- Acquire knowledge and experience to understand the nature of transformation and healing through an artistic process facilitated by a therapeutic relationship.
- Heighten self-awareness and the ability to manage the therapeutic situation.
- Develop knowledge of theoretical perspectives on which approaches to art and therapy are based.
- Develop the ability to apply these theories in therapeutic practice.
The Transpersonal Arts in Therapy training provides a practical exploration of the following subjects. Each subject is addressed with head, heart and hand:
- A Vision of Transpersonal Practice
- Dynamic Drawing
- History of Art and its therapeutic potential
- In-depth Colour Study through different times and cultures
- Metaphors, Stories and Myths of Earth and Sky
- New tools to awaken the Imagination
- The Transformative Process: Imaginal views of Micro and Macro Cosmos
- Counselling Theory & Practice
- Group Process Dynamics
- Professional issues and the Ethical Framework
- Senses as Windows to the World
- Archetypal Nature Rhythms and Ecological Awareness
- Salutogenisis: Health as balance between polarities of Above and the Below
- Four Elements, Ethers & Four Temperaments (Qualitative assessment)
- Contemporary Medical Perspectives
- Working transformatively with varied client groups. E.g: children, palliative care, elderly, special needs.
- Supervision
- Illnesses of our Time: Holistic and orthodox perspectives in Contemporary Psychiatry
- Comparative Psychotherapy Models
- Soulful Medicine and Main Organ Systems
- Medicinal Plants
- Individual Art Projects
- Imaginative Journal Writing
- Subjective Transpersonal Research
Clinical Work Practice and Supervision
Students must undertake supervised clinical placements that form the basis for assessment of their practice as Transpersonal Arts Counsellors.
Transpersonal Art and Therapy Tutors
Gillian David MEd Arts in Therapy and Education; Dip. Art Therapy; Dip. PG Painting Therapy; PG Creative Supervision; SRATh
Since 1993 Gill has been the director of the Transpersonal Arts in Therapy training, and has been intensely involved in course accreditation and development. Gill is a graduate of Tobias and of the Emerald Foundation, Holland. She works as an art therapist in a primary school, leads workshops in Europe and USA and has worked as an art therapist in Waldorf schools, medical and private practice.
Maria Albiez SRATh, Dip. Art Therapy, CAHSC, Sculptor
Following study and work with children in remedial education Maria studied Art Therapy at Tobias School of Art, graduating in 1992. She then undertook post- graduate study in Sculpture Therapy at the Hoathly Hill Sculpture Studio and since 1997 has been co-director of the Studio working both as artist and tutor. She also maintains an art therapy practice and has worked in clinics and hospitals. Maria is the carrier of the Tobias’ Transformative Arts course.
Jonathan Chequers MA Art, Body and Representation
From being a sculptor and art tutor Jonathan followed this with a period of academic study of Art History, specialising in contemporary art practice. Jonathan teaches writing, research, study and presentation skills along with lectures on Art History. He is also the General Manager for Tobias.
Guest Tutors
Hazel Adams Dip. Art Therapy; SRATh
Hazel Adams is a graduate of Tobias and has worked at Blackthorn Medical Centre, Maidstone as an Art Therapist for two decades. Hazel has been conducting her own research on various themes, including the Goetheanum building ceiling motifs.
Dick Bruin
Dick has been a class teacher for 30 years and now principal of Westfriese Vrije School, Holland. Also teaches art in the upper classes of the Waldorf School in Bergen, Holland. He gives painting seminars throughout Europe. He is co-author of the book 'Painting in Waldorf Education'.
Angela Evans B.Ed Hons, MA Psychoanalytic Observational Studies in Children and Young People
Angela is a Child Psychotherapist. She is currently developing her Doctoral research thesis in outreach work with Sencos.
Elisha Maran-Barnell SRATh, BA Arts
Elisha is an art therapist and tutor who contributes regularly at Tobias with Dynamic Drawing, Medicinal Plant and Creativity in Old Age seminars.
Linda Martin, MA Gestalt Psychotherapy, BA Hons, BACP, UKCP
Linda was the course leader for the Advanced Diploma in Humanistic Counselling at West Kent College 1993-2008. She has developed a private practice working therapeutically with individuals and groups as a trainer and supervisor.
Jean-Marc Peladeau MA Spiritual Counselling ATPQ
Jean-Marc works with individual art therapy and psychotherapy and he directs self-growth groups through art. Underlying his working practice is the ability to 'work with what is there'.
John Playfoot SRATh
For 18 years John worked as the art therapist at Park Attwood Clinic as well as teaching in various training programmes. He now works on a freelance basis in addition to developing his own artistic work in the medium of kiln glass.
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