Courses

COURSE CONTENT

The following units of study flow step-by-step in an integrated way, starting with the Foundation Skills, and then adding and interweaving the various Transformational Tools (for working with inner parts, healing the past, releasing limiting beliefs, and strengthening relationship).

TRAINING STYLE

The training is in-depth, yet the material is broken down into digestible steps, which are demonstrated, discussed, and then practised in class, with the assistance of feedback, coaching and training manuals. There is also an opportunity to volunteer, if desired, to experience personal work with Barbara Forest in class as part of a demonstration of the process steps.

The atmosphere is warm, non-judgmental, and encouraging. Self-care and the facilitative use of self as a therapist, and diversity and multiculturalism are important dimensions.

Learning is thorough, occurring on many levels, including the conscious and the subconscious, the professional and the personal, the body, mind, heart and spirit.

Courses focus on hands-on skills attainment, working from a base of key theoretical principles. The method, Life-Centred Transformational Counselling^TM, integrates a wide range of effective and powerful ingredients to create a program of depth and flexibility. Tools to keep you safe and resourceful, while on a profoundly transformational journey, are carefully in place. The personal therapy processes are organized within a systematic 7-step framework that assists you in guiding yourself (or a client) through progressive transformational stages. (Click on The Process for details.)

Your own in-depth healing journey (plus learning how to maintain the transformational direction in daily life) is an integral part of this program. A mutual support and facilitation network is also created: a supportive community. In fact, for many, these personal elements become their first priority.

CORE INGREDIENTS

Life-Centred Transformational Pathways

The Lifespace program integrates the following units of study to create a uniquely comprehensive and practical skills-oriented program.

Note that the transformational work is also done at the somatic level (in contact with body sensations), in addition to the emotional, mental and spiritual, so that the healing release reaches deep into the body. Meaningful action in the world (and new more resourceful ways of living) is also an ongoing aspect.

Unit 1 teaches the Foundation Skills: establishing an inner resource base, empathic listening, and Gendlin’s Focusing (a proven effective & safe method for following an inner process and finding one’s own right answers from within). Respect and constructive authenticity are also important ingredients. You also gain an overall sense of the transformational process. As you deepen your ability with the basic Unit 1 skills, you add in-depth transformational focusing and transformational empathy, which, together with the Foundation Skills, becomes the Transformational Unfolding^TM process.

Unit 2 teaches the transformation and integration of the different aspects of self (e.g., transforming the “inner critic”, inner dialoguing). Profound inner transformational work is done, while maintaining a deeply resourceful inner state. Unit 2 also involves ongoing practice and refinement of your empathizing skills, while learning step-by-step the transformational questions and procedures for the deeply powerful “inner parts” work (Transformational Integration of Inner Parts^TM). Also included are Transformational Dreamwork^TM, and Transformational Expressive Arts^TM.

Unit 3 brings in additional structures to contain reactive emotional states, so that instead of merely reopening old wounds, resourcefulness is maintained and deep inner healing is safely achieved (Transformational Healing of the Past^TM and Transformational Healing of the Inner Child^TM).

In Unit 4, the listening skills are applied to relationship, while adding in skills for win-win conflict resolution and healing childhood wounds triggered by relationship issues (Transformational Relationship^TM). Unit 4 also includes the powerful Transformational Belief Work^TM.

A supervised student practice counselling session.

CORE COURSE DETAILS

901: Foundation Skills & Transformational Unfolding^TM: Core Processes (Unit 1)

Unit 1 lays the foundation:

First you build the skills for staying grounded in an inner core of peace and strength—for holding steady in any storm that comes.
While maintaining this inner resource connection you next learn how to make contact with the places of pain and personal issues, in a way that ensures a healing process, rather than getting lost in the hurt or stuck in the head.
Once contact has been made, you learn how to deeply unfold your sensing and understanding of what was wrong, and then of what is needed, as you learn how to guide the process in a positive transformational direction—finding resolutions and strengthening from within. This Transformational Unfolding process infuses the healing currents of our Core Self—of our Spirit—through every level: somatic (body), mental, and emotional.
We explore how to align the Heart and Mind realms with spiritual principle, so that they can function powerfully and in harmony.
Deep listening skills both for yourself and for others are developed, along with principles and methods for keeping the journey on a helpful track, both internally and in your daily life.
These Foundation Skills provide core processes to be used with all the other transformational tools.

Processes learned:

Life-Centred Transformational Unfolding^TM: 7-Step Integrative System for in-depth Counselling.
Foundation Skills: Gendlin’s Focusing, Empathic Listening, Respect, Constructive Authenticity, and Inner Resource Connection. Somatic Experiencing.
Experiential Therapy and Being Present.
Transformational Unfolding^TM: Transformational Focusing and Transformational Empathy.
Advanced Focusing: the use of Focusing is deepened, as you learn how to contact, in the body, stopped processes needing to be heard and carried forward.
Transformational Questions: methods for finding your own right questions and to find your life path and purpose.
Transferring the Changes to Daily Life. Meaning and Purpose.
Meditation practices.

923: Healing Inner Conflict and Rejected Inner Parts: (Units 2 and 3d)

Part A: Transformational Integration of Inner Parts^TM (Unit 2): Healing the Rifts Within

Facilitating an ever-deepening ever-expanding wholeness.

We often have inner parts in conflict. For example, you might have a “Driven Accomplisher” part struggling with a “Beach Bum” part, each sabotaging the other’s efforts. Parts in conflict often end up operating in extreme and unconstructive ways.
The transformational inner parts work discovers the positive qualities and purposes that all the parts in conflict have to offer, transforms the parts, and integrates them, so that they can work together with flow and harmony. In the above example you would come to a balance of the Doing and Being aspects of self—able to claim your fullness of energy and vision for accomplishing things, along with having the qualities of peace and connected Centredness permeate your life.
Most of us have an inner Critic or judgmental part that hinders us in hurtful ways. Through the transformational process, this part can become a positive inner support that helps us move forward in our lives.
You also learn how to create any inner part you would like to have, such as an inner Caretaker and inner Helpers.

We also cover:

How to transform blocks in the way of your full expression (e.g. procrastination, fear of failure).
Transformational Dreamwork^TM, to learn from your subconscious messages.
Transforming and Integrating Inner Polarities to make your life flow more smoothly, deeply, and powerfully.
Subconscious Reframing: Guidelines for Communication & Partnership with the Subconscious, including how to work on the subconscious level in changing undesired habit patterns.
How these steps fit within the 7-Step Integrative System of Life-Centred Transformational Counselling ^TM.
Integrating key processes from Andreas’ Core Transformation: a streamlined parts work method that is especially easy for clients to apply for working with self, and for keeping the transformational direction active in daily life.

Part B: Transformational Healing of the Inner Child^TM (Unit 3d): Lost and Rejected Parts: Reclaiming Wholeness

Reaching out to the more rejected parts, bringing them in out of the cold: You are shown how to deepen the process of integrating inner parts and how to keep the client safe. You are shown how to maintain resourcefulness, keeping connected with a centre of inner strength, while healing the wounded aspects of self.

You learn how to transform parts that seem scary, using a comfortable visual method.
There are many aspects of our selves to be healed & integrated, and their potential maximized, such as the treasures of the inner child, teenager, and adult dimensions of self.
Transformational Healing of the Inner Child^TM: distressed and exiled parts need additional procedures to ensure that you do not become lost in upset states, and that transformational processes and integration occur.
Strengthening the Inner Resource Connection.
Maintaining safety and a constructive Life-Centred process.
Using music and images to contact inner states.
Using this with healing the past and Transformational Beliefwork^TM.

Counselling session with Barbara (on right).

914: Transformational Relationship^TM: Extending the Wholeness (Unit 4)

Relationship skills are the focus (with couples and any other relationship), building on students’ personal counselling skills.

Combines the Lifespace Foundation Skills (empathic listening, Gendlin’s inner focusing method, and strengthening an inner resource base—Unit 1) with skills for transforming relationships.
In working with relationship, it is important to learn processes that strengthen rather than destroy, that care for each other and the relationship while working through the issues.
Conflict resolution skills are used that promote intimacy and personal healing, as well as provide new more mutually satisfying ways of being together.
Deep listening plus unfolding from a place of connection within oneself.
Transformational Relationship^TM: Win-Win Synergistic Conflict Resolution, Compassionate Communication, Respect, Presence and Intimacy.
How to Maintain an Inner Resource Base and Connectedness in Relationship.
Understanding Differing styles of Relating.
Using Transformational Empathy to Transform a Relationship.
A Consensus Model for Resolving Conflict (can be used with any size group).
Improvisational Theatre Games for Enhancing Awareness of and Shifting the Patterns in Your Interactions in Positive Ways.
Introduction to Transformational Belief Work^TM: working with limiting beliefs triggered by relationship issues.
Introduction to Transformational Healing of the Past^TM: Survey Method (Healing of childhood wounds triggered by relationship).

934: Transformational Healing of the Past^TM (Unit 3h) and Transformational Belief Work^TM (Unit 4b): Healing the Past and Creating the Future: Working Safely with the Past (Unit 3 & 4)

Integrating various methods for safely and resourcefully healing the past: Somatic methods for releasing painful patterns from the body, Eugene Gendlin’s Focusing method for clarifying personal issues, Classic Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), releasing limiting beliefs, and Transformational Unfolding^TM.

Takes the transformational processes deep into the healing of the past and limiting beliefs, and further deepens the understanding of Core Life (spiritual) principles.
Elements are drawn from New Code NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), Classic Code NLP, Focusing, Somatic Processing (Somatic Experiencing and AutoSomatic Training), Belief Work, and Spiritual Understanding, and are integrated in a unique way with the 7 steps of Transformational Unfolding^TM.
Clearing the Effects of Past Wounds: a variety of methods are learned for safely approaching those wounded places, and reclaiming your wholeness of self now, so that you are no longer stuck reacting from the hurts of the past. Note that we do not go into analyzing the past. Rather, we work with clearing what is currently interfering with resourceful function in the present.
Visual Methods (from a distance):
- Transformational Healing of the Past^TM: Theatre Method (easiest to apply)
- Transformational Healing of the Past^TM: Survey Method (to understand the origins of, and to transform limiting beliefs and unresourceful behaviour patterns).
In-the-Body Methods:
- In-the-Body Transformational Healing of the Past^TM: Age Regression and Somatic Processing [derived from & integrating Peter Levine’s Somatic Experiencing (learned from Zan Hewett who trained with Peter Levine) and Eugene Gendlin’s bodily felt sense from Focusing (learned from Ralph Bierman, a colleague of Gendlin’s)].
- AutoSomaticTraining (learned from Phil Walsh). This process is specifically for working with trauma experienced earlier than 4 years old, before cognitive development was in place. Painful patterns from these early years can get stuck in the body and need to be cleared for fully effective transformational work.
- In-the-Body safe use of Transformational Unfolding^TM and Transformational Integration of Inner Parts^TM (including John Grinder’s Breath of Life)
- Deepening your understanding of the overarching purposes and ongoing lessons that you are working with in your life.
Different Ways of Developing and Building Inner Resources, including Left & Right Brain Methods.
Transformational Belief Work^TM goes deep, including both Cognitive Therapy and the subconscious levels. Instead of just changing your thoughts at a surface level, you discover your true magnificent self at a deep Core level.
Spiritual (Life-Enhancing) Principles as a guide to the process are brought into awareness throughout the Program. This course adds a key model for working with spiritual alignment, and applies it to working with Life-limiting beliefs.
Self-Care (always important)
Kinesthetic (K) & Visual (V) Swish (Automating the change work—from Classic & New Code NLP).
New Code NLP (helping with dyslexia and left & right brain integration; fast self-help with personal issues; e.g., while walking).

Integrated into the whole Program will also be:

Methods for Deepening the in-the-Body Processing: taking inner parts work and focusing to a whole new level of in-the-body processing, integrating the 7 steps of Transformational Unfolding^TM with deepening methods from:
- Somatic Processing (“digesting” and clearing old constrictive patterns held in the body).
- Transformational Expressive Arts^TM (how to use as enhancers of each step).
- Body-Centered Therapy: the safety, resourceful physiology, depth, and transformational processes of Transformational Unfolding^TM are combined with tools from Body-Centered Therapy:
How to be aware of and utilize subconscious flags (non-verbal signals), taking the work deeply into the body, hearing these subconscious messages, and discovering what is needed for fuller living.
Methods for intensifying the contact with and unfolding of the felt sense, for centred breathing, and for passionate vibrant living.
An understanding of Spiritual (Life-Alignment) Principles and of Ken Wilber’s Integral Theory [Understanding developmental structural stages and the ever-expanding Awareness that goes with each stage (“Growing Up”), and understanding and learning practices for advancing through levels of inner states (“Waking Up”)].

The Lifespace Program integrates a spectrum of safely grounded and effective in-depth counselling processes, so that students learn skills that apply to a wide range of issues. Students from widely ranging backgrounds and experience come to Lifespace.

While the tools taught at Lifespace are applicable to the practice of both counselling and psychotherapy, students are expected to take responsibility for applying these tools in their practices within the scope of their competence, for keeping current in their learning, and for attending to current legal requirements, ethics, and standards of practice.

Click on Current Program for a summary of the Program, Schedule, and Tuition Fees.