Grounding, Presence and the unconditioned
Friday 16 September-Saturday 17 September 2011
Therapy depends upon the therapist’s ability to be present and engage with the client as fully as possible. Listening to another is an intense process in which we must learn to focus and hear what is being communicated at many levels. Fundamental to this is the therapist’s ability to stay grounded even when emotions are strong. For this reason the practice of grounding is an essential skill for any therapist and provides a preliminary raft upon which the skills of empathic connection and other-centred listening can be built. The therapist grounds him or herself by connecting to what is solid and reliable, a practice which starts with the body connection to the earth. This physical connection then operates as a metaphor or bridge which leads us into connection to that which is trustworthy in life and in the therapeutic process; to the foundation of faith which is essential to any therapy.

Entering the bubble: exploring the conditioned mind
Saturday 19 November-Sunday 20 November 2011
The client brings to therapy the self-world, a collection of perceptions and associations which form the personal frame of reference. This personal frame is like a bubble which insulates the person from uncertainty and anxiety. It is maintained through self-fulfilling expectations and habitual behaviours. The process by which this happens is called ‘conditioning’ in Buddhist psychology. The mind is conditioned by the things to which one attends and these things maintain the bubble. In this two day workshop we will explore the process by which the bubble is maintained and look at ways in which the counsellor may start to explore it. We will develop core skills of empathic listening and hearing the story. In particular we will look at the identification of rupa.

Therapeutic Relationship in Other-Centred Methods
Friday 10 February - Saturday 11 February 2012
The therapeutic relationship is the arena in which therapeutic work takes place. Creating a working alliance is important both in providing the safety within which honest interaction can happen and in providing a screen on which habitual behaviours can be enacted. In other-centred approach, the therapeutic relationship can be viewed in a number of ways: a working alliance between two 'ordinary beings'; a co-operative enquiry into the nature and objects of the client's life, the enactment of karmic patterns which can be explored, and an opportunity for honest encounter. These different functions offer creative possibilities but can also sometimes give rise to paradoxes and complexities which are themselves important material for therapeutic enquiry. This two day workshop will focus on the nature of the therapeutic relationship and explore the complexities which these different modes of operating create.

Environment, lifestyle and mind
Saturday 5 May-Sunday 6 May 2012
The mind is conditioned by the object of attention. The situation into which a person places themself therefore has a strong conditioning effect upon the mind state. This creates a dilemma for the therapist. Conventionally, therapists do not advise their clients on matters of lifestyle, yet the choices a person makes will impact upon their emotional and spiritual wellbeing. This two day workshop will explore questions of lifestyle and look at different ways in which the client can be encouraged to investigate the effects of small or large changes in their surroundings. It will look at the impact which the natural world can have, and at ways that environmental approaches can usefully be brought into therapy, and it will examine how such methods impact upon the therapeutic relationship. It will look at the use of methods such as journaling or structured reflections in exploring lifestyle issues

Creative methods for other-centred approach
Saturday 15 September – Sunday 16 September 2012 
Other-centred methodology lends itself particularly to the use of creative methods. Art, role play or narrative work; movement, mythological exploration or drama; writing, music or body awareness all provide ways to explore the world of the self, but also to transcend it and investigate new directions. In creating a piece of art or a sculpt, a third element is brought into the therapy room which then becomes an ‘other’ which therapist and client can relate to and investigate. Fresh viewpoints become possible and the client is challenged to explore spontaneity and look at other perspectives. In particular, creative methods form a basis upon which role reversal can be used. This method in particular is significant in other-centred work because it gives the client direct experience of the ‘other’ viewpoint.

Challenge and breakthrough: a route to reality:
Friday 16 November – Saturday 17 November 2012  
Other-centred therapy is an exploration of the truth. It is an investigation of the reality dimension of life, grounded in the knowledge that in ordinary experience, reality is always experienced only as an approximation. In other-centred work, challenge and direct questions are used to test the truth of the client’s story.  Such methods, however, need to be used with caution, within the context of the therapeutic alliance. This workshop will explore the use of challenge, its place in the broader context of therapeutic work, and ways to facilitate challenge whilst also providing a supportive frame.

Grief and loss and the seeds of change
Saturday 23 February – Sunday 24 February 2013 
Buddhist psychology recognises the central role which grief, pain and sadness play in shaping the mind. Our fear of loss is the driving force behind the creation of the protective bubble of the self-world. It leads us to limit our lives and withdraw from experiences. At the same time, because we rely upon a continuing illusion of permanence and upon various significant relationships to support our identity, the loss of a significant other breaks into the comfortable fixity of the bubble. It makes us both vulnerable and open to new possibilities. Whilst the common response is for a person experiencing such a major loss to experience initial chaos, followed by the swift establishment of a new identity built on new foundations, an experience of this kind creates an opening where the new can become less rigid than the old and creativity can be unleashed if the support given during the process is adequate. This two day workshop investigates the possibility which is present at times of loss for supporting spiritual development and change. It will look at ways in which the therapist can offer support.

Addictive patterns and the other-centred paradigm
Friday 26 April  – Saturday 27 April 2013 
Buddhist psychology is primarily a psychology of addiction. The formation of the self-bubble relies upon a sensory attachment to objects. Initially this may literally be an addiction to things such as food, alcohol, smoking, sex or television. These sensory escapes hold the attention and distract us from the sources of pain, anxiety or fear in our lives. Soon, however, our addiction becomes compounded as our identity starts to rely upon the particular cues which we have attached to, the objects of our sense distraction processes. We become hooked into finding repeating patterns of behaviour and experience to support the self-bubble. Understanding this addictive process provides us with a model and tools for working with clients with a range of difficulties, but it particularly gives us a route to understanding addictive processes. This workshop will build on this understanding and also look at how an ‘other-power’, as recommended in the 12 step programmes, can help a person move out of addiction.

Envisioning Futures: Other-Centred Approaches to Planning.
Saturday 22 June – Sunday 23 June 2013
The future is always a matter of speculation, yet in planning for things which have yet to happen, we anticipate possibilities and create conditions for particular outcomes to become more likely. Visioning the future often means taking into account the needs and dreams of others, and their willingness to 'buy into' schemes and plans. It also means understanding their capabilities and potential and accommodating their ways of being. Other-centred approach, with its emphasis on understanding conditioned patterns of perception and other perspectives, offers a range of methods which can be useful to this process. Investigating the different viewpoints held by the various players in a situation, whether in the work, home or social arena, can help us to deepen our understanding of the forces operating in the scenario and to arrive at more creative, inclusive outcomes.