Introduction

In order to plan securely for the future of Adlerian courses in West Wales, I have had to think through how they are staffed and how quality is assured. The result was that in 2004 I ran the first Adlerian Training Certificate which trained 8 qualified counsellors in the skills and expertise to become trainers of Adlerian Psychology. Another course was run in 2006, 2008 and 2010. My experience as a teacher and University teacher-trainer has been invaluable in planning this programme of study. I now wish to make this training available to a wider group of Adlerians in West Wales and elsewhere so that we can ensure future training will continue and prosper.

I am therefore planning to offer the Adlerian Training Certificate to any qualified or Adlerian Counsellor or student counsellor, who aspires to train, or who has past experience of teaching or training. The training will take place at the Adlerian Counselling Centre in Narberth, West Wales. Students travelling from other parts of the country and Ireland would need to research a B&B or suitable caravan/hotel accommodation.

Sponsored by the Home/Regional group

I am asking each region in the Adlerian Society UK to encourage, recommend, sponsor and/ or support those whom they would like to put forward for this course. The regional groups will need to do this because assessment will include a teaching placement on either an Introduction, or Certificate course and whereas I will be responsible for the taught component and its assessment, because of the nature of the programme, each region will be responsible for the placement and observation of the skills of the student. I shall be producing observation sheets to guide this process and the tutor feedback time. It is therefore obligatory that before a student applies to this course they must have secured a placement with their regional group to do their practical work. Depending on the past experience of the student the placements are given. So for example in the past ran this course in Wales – we already had two students on the programme who had done extensive training but not in Adlerian Counselling, so their placement was to teach two mornings on our Certificate Course during their second year of the programme where their ability to understand and teach Adlerian work was observed and assessed. Another student who had had experience in training Life Skills joined with a fellow Adlerian on the course and started a new Introduction to Counselling Skills course which they ran in Mid Wales. The students who were novices to training, cut their teeth by teaching half sessions on the Introduction Courses , followed by full sessions. One of this number had the time to support me as a tutor and track a whole Introduction course from beginning to end. I gave her a ‘slot’ every evening and she learned that way. There is therefore flexibility on the course, as long as the skills and abilities earmarked as essential are seen to be competent, the way in which they are practised in the home group is flexible.

 If there is anyone in the Adlerian Society of Wales who feels they have the potential to be a trainer and who would like to attend the course please get your deposit and an application form to me and I will confirm your place on the course. We have recruited enough people to run the course, but we do not want to exclude any real potential through lack of knowledge or because we have not been in touch for some time.

Criteria for Selection

Prospective students are asked to consider the following when they are thinking about referring themselves to the training programme:

• Readiness for Training
• Academic/Professional Excellence
• Public and Personal Confidence

Readiness for Training

Selection of students who can achieve:

• Regular attendance
• Punctuality
• Coping well with workload: organisational ability
• Diligence – phoning, e-mailing communicating important issues
• Life’s circumstances – health, family, work, commitments allow for training
• A confidence ( sometimes a quiet confidence) that you have the potential to train.

In addition, there is a level of professional readiness. This exists in students who not only know, and show competence, but who have ‘digested’ the Adlerian theory and skills work we have done. This involves both a sense of integration – at a level that is ‘grounded’ enough and also distinguishable from other approaches. As one member put it – ‘not just a coat of paint, but the full wood treatment’. Not until you have reached this level can you begin to teach it to others, for to teach well involves a personal and professional conviction about the worth of what you are teaching.

Academic/Professional Excellence

• Strong and developed theoretical grasp of the subject
• Capable of high standard of practical work ; i.e. counselling skills, therefore a concept of what is excellence of practice
• A commitment and a capacity to work with experiential, interactive methodologies and not just didactic teaching
• Research ability; i.e. to find out, to scrutinise reading, ascertain information.
• Ability to present written work with grammatical accuracy including spelling.
• High level of self-awareness and self-evaluation.
• Commitment to BACP Ethical Framework
• Social Interest; to contribute for the good of the group

In addition you have to have strength of character in the sense that you are capable of a measure of impartiality – e.g. you may like someone, but their work is insufficient, and you have to tell them. In such a case you would not allow your judgement to be swayed. The converse also applies: a person whom you are not so fond of would also receive your impartial judgement.

Personal and Public Confidence

Students would be willing to work at the following skills:

• At relative ease in front of a group
• Able to work with and own the authority of the role you occupy
• Positive and encouraging interpersonal skills: important to ‘welcome’, put people at their ease, inclusivity.
• Not easily spooked! If you are easily offended don’t go for it.
• Able to receive constructive criticism

It is important to not only to know the subject but to own the ‘role’, that is to take on the responsibility of being professional – you have to be you, but also you can’t just be who you are. There are subtle boundaries which allow you to be the tutor and students to be students. At some level you are the authority in the group but that does not mean that you do not consult with others.

 In addition you need a level of personal confidence, a CORE in you that’s secure and that cannot easily be intimidated. This is a role in which you cannot afford to allow things to intrude too personally. You still need to be able to function to be professional – the next client you see should not be subject to the residual feelings of the session before, likewise the students you teach will not be enabled by a tutor or facilitator who is easily offended so that their standard of delivery is greatly impaired.

 The Training Programme

Content and duration

 The Adlerian Training Certificate falls into two phases: Training Days and Teaching Practice

Phase One: Training Days

There will be 5 training days in the form of a one-week summer school.

Phase Two: Teaching Practice

The anticipated time frame for this is:

September 2012- June 2013

Student Placement in region+ 2 observations by home tutor and tutorial with written feedbacks to student and a copy to Training Tutors on Course Programme.

September 2012- June 2013 Student Placement in region+ 2 observations by home tutor and tutorial with written feedbacks to student and a copy to Training Tutors on Course Programme.

July/August 2013 Home team either recommend further experience or sign off student as competent to start delivering course material. Students offered further tuition/training during next year.

September 2013 (or later in the case of students on further placements) Students write 1,500 word self-assessment. (criteria to be supplied) reflecting on their placement work and assessing their strengths and challenges for the future. Home tutors write short report (500 words) on the perceived competence of the students and also send copies of their 2 observation forms to the Training Tutors. There will be a £30 admin fee required from the student to process this material.

September/October 2013 Student has met the required standard and a Certificate in Adlerian Training can be awarded.

Assessment

There are three different levels of assessment:

• Peer assessment Students will first of all prepare a teaching unit to deliver to their colleagues on the course. Colleagues and Tutors will give verbal feedback;
• Tutor assessment Two sessions on either an Introductory course or other. In cases where a student has had sufficient training experience before doing the course, we may place them to produce work for our Certificate Course. These sessions will be observed by a Home Tutor and verbal or written feedback given;
• Self–assessment At the end of the course the student shall provide a self assessment of their time on the course-teaching strengths and challenges. There will be individual tutorials for each student in discussion with a Home tutor (the cost of which will have to be agreed with the relevant person)

COST

The training costs of the course will be £280 and there is a £80 non-returnable deposit to be sent in with the Application Form.

We will need deposits and application forms in as soon as possible as there are a limited number of places on the course

ATTENDANCE

Because the course is short and intensive, each session counts in terms of the depth and understanding of theory and students will need to strive to complete each session

If a theory session is missed, a student may elect to either write an assignment of 1,500 words on the relevant topic showing knowledge and understanding of theory and practice, or it may be necessary to also arrange a tutorial or time of one to one training. A charge will be made for extra supervision of £30 per hour to cover marking or tutorial time.

COURSE CONTENT

Teaching skills and abilities

• Facilitating a first session with new students: setting the scene for growth
• Learning styles and teaching styles: self awareness, teaching mixed ability
• How to teach ideas and concepts : methods, group work, tasks, exercises
• Handling group discussion and participation: teaching skills
• The art of assessment, preparation and organisation: evaluation skills
• Group dynamics: challenges to group facilitation: management skills
• Course endings: personality types and closure.

Adlerian content & concepts and ways of teaching it

Overall structure of Individual Psychology: key concepts and theory of Adlerian Counsellin

• Family Constellation and Birth Order
• Family Values, Stories and Myths
• Inferiority, Superiority and Compensation
• Private Logic: understanding human behaviour and motivation
• Adlerian Concept of Neurosis and Mental Health
• Social Interest
• Introduction to Adlerian Lifestyle and Lifestyle Questionnaire
• Adlerian goals of psychotherapy and strategies for change

HOW TO BOOK FOR THE COURSE

If you wish to book a place on the course please contact us for an application form, and non-refundable deposit for £80 – cheque payable to Adlerian Society of Wales. The remainder of the fees are payable at the first course meeting in July 2012