Mindful Representations Training Overview
Aims of The Training
Training will be aimed at students reaching 3 different levels of competence:
- Basic Competence.
- Integrated Competence
- Advanced Competence
At the end of basic training students should have basic competence in the fundamentals with some fluency in the application of mindful representation work.
At the end of Integrated practice training the students should have enough fluency in the core skills that they should be able to manage difficult cases. They will also form some meaningful integration with other therapeutic approaches they may have learnt
With advanced skills the students abilities and integration will further deepen and they will be able to apply the principles of mindful representations in a wider range of settings.
Method of Training
Unlike many therapy trainings, the focus of this training is ultimately practical. We are interested in helping the students to achieve competencies that will eventually enable them to work mindfully with representations both adeptly and safely. In order to do this they will of course need to attain theoretical understanding a d master practical skills.
We will use practice observations and structured assessments to gain assess the attainment of higher levels of skill
We acknowledge that competence and understanding can always be further developed and improved and only those practitioners who are in an ongoing process of self development are likely to remain competent.
This training is based around completion of modules. These modules have built in assessment functions that allow the student to take control of their own learning. These modules will be mastered through the use of four different learning approaches:
- Memory tasks
These tasks blind to pieces of information that will need to be at students beck and call. This information needs to be so accessible that it is readily available even when a student is being affected by family energy that carries a lot of dissociation or confusion. The information consigned to memory tasks forms building blocks for deeper theoretical understanding and for skilful practice.
- Theoretical knowledge
This learning approach is designed to help the student develop a deeper understanding the capacity to think logically, systemically and intuitively about the issues related to constellation work.
- Development of personal insight
This is about learning to use yourself, your own life experience, your own family system and your own reactions more effectively as an instrument of this work.
- Practical skills
Skills that are important for the practice of constellation facilitation are identified. Experiential exercises will be given to help with the development of these skills. Self evaluation templates will be given so that the students can assess both their own strengths and weaknesses. These same temp plates will be used to assess mastery of skill.
The Training Modules
Mindfulness Modules
Module 1: Establishing a Mindfulness Practice – Steadying the Mind
People who have done other mindfulness courses are eligible for recognition of prior learning and may be exempt from completing this module
Module 2: Developing the Inner Witness – Even steadier & exploring your mind
- flexibility of attention
- culminating in choiceless awareness
- This is the basis of the phenomenological approach
Module 3: Cultivating the fruits of resilience
- Authentic Humility
- Creativity with spontaneously arising insights
- Integrating being and doing modes
- Directing mindfulness practices
Representation Modules
Module 1: Principles that support healthy flow in systems.
Module 2: The Therapeutic Stance
Module 3: The Mindful Interview
Module 4: Mindfully working with emotions
Module 5: Working with Solution Focus
Module 6: Facilitating the mindful representation (This will probably be subdivided)
Module 7: Review of mindful representation skills
The structure of this module is different because it is a review and integration module. To be working on this module a student needs to be facilitating constellations in a workshop setting.
Level 1 – Learning how to connect with the representation
Level 2 – Learning skillful interventions
Level 3 – Moving toward Resolution & Wrapping up
Level 4 – Advanced Skills
Module 8: Trauma
Module 9: Deeper systemic approach (beyond just principles that support healthy flow in systems)
- eg. Relating to inner images that arise from being with the representation.