Transpersonal Arts for Health and Wellbeing

Our training presents counselling approaches that emphasise the integration of body, mind, spirit, and environment within the context of one’s society. This unique course offers students a holistic, client centred approach to counselling and therapy. It provides a humanistic approach to mental and spiritual health and well-being.

Through the re-imagination of a living cosmos we challenge the one-sided notions of an inanimate universe. We entertain the companionship of the plant and animal world, of the earth, air, fire and water as we work with artistic media that are imbued with the qualities of the elements, e.g. watercolour, pastels, natural pigments, charcoal, clay, stone, etc.

The shared orientation of the programme at Tobias is the developmental philosophy founded by Rudolf Steiner, known as Anthroposophy, a modern spiritual path that respects the freedom of each individual. Students are invited to explore this approach in order to come to their own judgements about its validity and relevance. This is taught within a critical context including Psychodynamic and Humanistic theory and practice.

This one year course can be taken independently and is accredited at Level 5 with City & Guilds – the ACGI Award. It offers a complete learning experience in its own right, however, it also leads on to the Level 7 Masters Equivalent Training in Transpersonal Arts in Therapy.

COURSE DETAILS

This is an experiential course, exploring how we bring depth, intimacy and presence to relationships with others, with our world, and within ourselves.

Through a deep engagement with the visual arts our students are enabled to enter ‘an educated co-operation with image intelligences’ (Angelo 2003), whilst through the art of counselling they are enabled to bring this co-operation as facilitation of the transformation of others. We work with a variety of artistic mediums and counselling, nurturing a love of nature, connecting with its power, wisdom and beauty.

We are holistic in approach and believe that the arts and the human encounter enable us to see and value the whole person, rather than the illness or symptom. We believe the arts and counselling contributes to supporting and empowering people in a personal and empathetic way.

The student will learn to observe the effect of the art medium with sensitivity and empathy within their own artwork, preparing them for the working environment.

Students are immersed in a deep experiential exploration of artistic media and will explore a variety of themes including colour, nurturing arts, counselling, nature rhythms and cycles, working with stories, personal biography, etc.

STUDY OPTIONS

3 Year Full-time Training (Beginning September each year):

Year 1: Sept – Jul – attendance Monday and Tuesday 09:30-17:00 plus a 4/5 day intensive each term.

Year 2: Sept – Jul – attendance Monday and Tuesday, 09:30-17:00 plus one Placement Day each week.

Year 3: Sept – Jul  – Supervised clinical placement, dissertation writing and case studies. Mentoring, tutorials and supervision are conducted.  Assessment and Graduation period.

4 Year Part Time/Modular Training: (click for details)

This format of the training consists of a blend of residential and online modules every year for four years.  It comprises of one residential module for two weeks during April each year and six two-day online modules spread throughout the remainder of each year.

This training is ideally suited to students residing outside of the UK but is also suited to UK students who have work and/or family commitments where this method of training would work best.

At these modules’ thoughts are transformed into imagination as inward experiences which renew the soul’s life of feeling and perception.

Please note that all entry and training requirements are the same for both the Full Time and Modular formats of this training..

WHERE CAN I WORK?

This qualification prepares students to run art groups in health and social contexts, with the aim of promoting wellness. Students have gone on to work in a wide variety of social settings with:
• hospices,
• women’s groups,
• children,
• special needs,
• mental health,
• the elderly
It is also the first year of our Level 7 (Masters Equivalent) Transpersonal Arts in Therapy training.

COMPETENCIES

The student will learn to observe the effects of the art medium with sensitivity and empathy within their own artwork preparing them for the working environment. Students are able to:

• Be reflective and grounded
• Has an awareness of professional and ethical issues.
• Understand the basic concepts of different psychological approaches with understanding for the moving nature of transformative processes.
• Able to respond with awareness, through accurate reflections, paraphrasing and summaries with a careful, sensitive and thoughtful attitude.
• Ability to notice their own anxiety.
• Ability to notice the emotional and physical impact that a variety of artistic processes have on self.
• Can contribute to their learning process and is self-reflexive.
• Ability to impartially experience, accurately observe and describe the artistic work of self and others.
• Applying artistic techniques in order to express a personal theme in images and place it in a developmental perspective;
• Fine-tuning artistic actions to client or client group.

TEACHING METHODS

Knowledge is developed through:

• Lectures
• Workshops
• Seminars
• Tutorials
• Personal Study
• Experiential Therapeutic Exercises
• Simulated practice
• Observations

Intellectual Skills are developed through:

• Written Assignments
• Experiential group and exercises
• Group Discussion
• Journal Writing

Practical Skills are developed by:

• Counselling role play
• Experiential exercises
• Proficiency in artistic skills
• Recognise the significance of image elements in artistic works
• Reflecting on the Artistic Process
• Ability to use observational research methods.

FEES

FULL TIME 2022 – 2025

Transpersonal Arts for Health & Wellbeing:          £6300

PART TIME (MODULAR) TRAINING

Details about the Modular option can be found here

Campus Accommodation

Prices: £70-£90 per week or £15.00 per night

Private single room sharing bathrooms and kitchen with other students. Residents share kitchen and bathroom cleaning and other small jobs. Rent is payable through holiday periods. Please reserve your room early if you want to live on campus. Rooms must be rented for at least a term and we require a month’s deposit upon reservation and one month’s notice period. The deposit will be refunded at the end of the rental period if the room is left clean and in good order. Please bring your own towels. Bed linen is provided.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT.

Funding ideas.

ART MATERIALS

Estimated at £240 during the first year, and, once the basic materials have been bought, less in the second year. Mainly watercolours, brushes, boards, paper, pastels and drawing materials are required.

ADDITIONAL STUDENT REQUIREMENTS:

Students are required to have a minimum of 40 hours of personal therapy (art therapy and counselling/psychotherapy) taken regularly throughout the duration of the course. 40 hours are required to be completed by the end of the training and can cost between £35-55 per hour.

Students are required to undertake 100 days (each day comprises of 3 client contact hours) of supervised clinical practice. One hour of supervision for every 6 hours of client contact time. This cost is mostly covered by the institution where the placement is undertaken.

Note:
Accommodation, food, materials and travel are not included in the fees. Fees are subject to annual review and possible increase.

APPLY / ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

• Completion of our application form and necessary documentation.
• A brief biography that outlines your historical relationship with art and your interest in helping others (Approximately 500 words.)
• Two references are requested – one academic and one professional. See form in application pack.
• You are encouraged to attend an interview preferably in person but we are able to do it via Skype or telephone.
• Have evidence of a good command of written and spoken English.
• Where English is not your first language you should have achieved an overall score of 6.5 in IELTS or at level B2 on the new European Levels Grid.
• Candidates will require a first degree. Where no first degree has been obtained life experience may be taken into consideration.
• Candidates will be expected to provide a CV showing any experience of relevant working experience in an appropriate field such as education, health care or social services.
• Maturity and life experience are needed for this training and therefore the minimum entry age is 24 years old.
• In compliance with the terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, 1974, and mental health legislation for clinical placement and other similar areas of employment, applicants are required to provide a medical report and submit to an enhanced criminal record check when commencing placement.

At interview Candidates are assessed on:

• Emotional Robustness
• Capacity to remain open to differences and compassion for self and others.
• Candidates will be expected to produce a folio of their recent artwork as evidence of engagement with the arts and the presence of a developing visual language.