Programme 1 - Basic Skill Programme.

THE UNITS

Unit 1 - Making a Start - Provides the foundations of the rest of the course and is usually run with Unit 2.  It includes an introduction to "Whole Person Health and Wellbeing" and invites the student to assess their current state within this framework.  Next goals "Towards Optimum Wellbeing" are set and factors that might block them looked at.  Students then start working towards their goals.

Unit 2 - Stress, Relaxation and Coping - Provides a Comprehensive section on "Stress"; Complete Relaxation Programme that includes Biofeedback; initial Coping Strategies and tuition in reducing some stress related disorders.

Unit 3 - Wellbeing and the Mind - This course aims to begin the process of mental wellbeing.  It includes "Stress Management by Problem Solving", which builds on the basic relaxation and coping skills of the previous unit, and draws in: Resolving Emotional Problems by Changing Thinking; Systematic Desensitisation; Assertion; Training for Skills Deficits; Decision Making; Problem Solving for Practical Problems (rather than emotional ones); Cognitive Emotive Dissonance; Positive Thinking and Affirmations.

Unit 4 - Wellbeing and the Whole Person - This course is divided into two parts.  The first looks at "Whole Person Health, Sickness and Vitality".  The second encourages the student to study further from a number of options including: Diet; Exercise; Trimming the body; Changing "Type A behaviour"; Time management; Visualisation for Health; Visualisation for Peak Performance. Students may, if they wish, undertake a project that will enable them to change some aspect of their life utilising all the learning obtained so far in Units 1 - 4.

THE WORKSHOPS

Workshop 1 - Recharging Skills - From Fatigue to Vitality - Many students enrol on "Towards Optimum Wellbeing" because they feel tired and deplete, maybe even completely burnt out.  This two-day workshop looks at burnout and regeneration skills and provides an ongoing revitalisation programme for lifelong vitality.  You don't have to be burnt out to benefit - it is also preventative.  Specifically the workshop looks at: The idea of Burnout; Caregiver Burnout; Workaholic Burnout; Stress Exhaustion; Signs and Symptoms; Recharging in the Home; Recharging in the Workplace; Interpersonal Recharging; Combining techniques for an ongoing peak vitality programme.

Workshop 2 - Assertion and Communication Skills - This two-day programme introduces the student to basic communication and assertion skills.  It includes: Basic verbal and non-verbal skills in communication; The differences between Assertion, Non-assertion and Aggression; Basic rights; The Role of Compromise; Basic assertion skills in a variety of simple, make-believe situations. These skills include: Repeated request; Repeated refusal; Repeated assertion; Making exits; Winding up interactions; Dealing with aggression and criticism including the use of selective responding and negative enquiry.  All of this is carried out in a non-threatening way.

Workshop 3  - Assertion Skills 2 - Having learned the basic skills in "Assertion and Communication Skills" the student is now ready to apply them to their own situation. This one-day workshop specifically helps the student to work through an assertion algorithm that will enable them to look at two specific situations they have chosen. They will produce a visualisation script for each situation, role rehearse the assertive situation both in visualisation and with others in a non threatening way, try out the new skills in the real life situation and then report back in "Assertion 3". 

Workshop 4 - This one-day workshop can be carried out as often as the student wishes.  It provides the opportunity for the student to report back on their learning and: Upgrade the results of the algorithm learned in "Assertion 2"; Update and enhance their visualisation and real life scripts; Test new ideas in a safe environment; Work on further assertive problems.  The course empowers the student to improve their relationships and wellbeing.



Programme 2 - The Advanced Concepts Programme


THE UNITS

Unit 5 - Advanced Concepts in Mind/Body Integration - This course: revisits stress, including extreme stress and how to prepare for it; surveys some of the evidence for spontaneous remission and miraculous healing as a part of the theme of mind and health.  It then specifically looks at some of the research on - Mind and Body, Mind and Cancer, Mind and Heart Disease, Mind and Happiness.  It continues by identifying visualisation techniques and other strategies that may help to remedy/reduce/prevent severe forms of illness.  It encourages the student to add some of these into their repertoire, for example, the use of laughter and adventure activities as stress inoculation techniques.

Unit 6 - Social Psychology Factors in Optimum Wellbeing -  This unit increases our knowledge and ability of how to reach "Optimum Wellbeing" by extracting factors from Social Psychology.  Specifically this unit draws from Elliot Aronson's book - "The Social Animal" - and looks at research into: Conformity; Mass Communication, Propaganda and Persuasion; Social Cognition; Self-Justification; Human Aggression; Prejudice; Liking, Loving, and Interpersonal Sensitivity. This course encourages, enables and supports students to extract relevant information and skills and incorporate them into their lives in order to produce further self-empowerment.  Students are advised to purchase the book.

Unit 7 - Relationship Factors in Optimum Wellbeing - Having gained all the basic skills and insights to date, especially those of Units 2 and 3, the student can now work towards improving heterosexual close relationships by studying some or all of the following (most of these are also covered in the 2 day "Relationships workshop"). Initial ideas for good relationships.  Co-dependency.  The joining of "complete" individuals - interdependency.  Differences between Men and Women.  The concepts of "Mars and Venus".  The games people play.  Specialisation of function in relationships.  Spiritual bonding in relationships and its use.  Optimisation of close heterosexual relationships.

THE WORKSHOPS

Workshop 5 - Dealing with Distorted Thinking - This one-day workshop provides an overview of "Distorted thinking".  Specifically it: Suggests 15 forms of distorted thinking; Enables the student to identify the underlying irrational beliefs of each distortion; Enables the student to identify distorted thinking in a number of examples. It then: Assists the student to pick out distortions in their own thinking; Empowers the student to change these distortions to positive wordings and change their thinking, emotions and behaviour in real life situations as a consequence.  The course empowers the student to begin/continue improving their emotional wellbeing and relationships.

Workshop 6 - Dealing with Blocks - Have you ever wondered why you fail to achieve your goals?  This one-day workshop looks at all the things that may be stopping you and provides suggestions on how to resolve them and move gracefully forward.  It is especially useful to those on the main programme who wish to take Unit 1 further.  It includes, for example: Adhering to "tribal values"; Procrastination; Time factors; Minimal effort syndrome; Personal investment syndrome; Unrealistic goals; Fear of failure; Secondary gains; Inner child; An overview of Dissonance-the mechanism through which many of the above work.

Workshop 7 - Understanding Dissonance - A key to Producing Change - It is invariably "Dissonance" - the brain fighting with itself - that prevents us thinking objectively and honestly about the world around us and blocks us from producing change in our emotions, thinking and lives.  This is perhaps the key factor involved in our dis-empowering ourselves.  This one-day workshop specifically investigates "Cognitive Dissonance" and how it manifests itself in self-justification, prejudice and human aggression.  It then looks at  "Cognitive Emotive Dissonance" and how recognising this empowers us to change the feelings and emotions that are unhelpful to us.

Workshop 8 - The Psychobiology of Behaviour - Provides an Overview to help "Optimum Wellbeing" Students understand the biological mechanisms underlying the connection between brain and behaviour.

Workshop 9 - Towards Optimum Wellbeing and Close Relationships - This two-day workshop covers much of the material in Unit 7 and encourages the student to improve heterosexual close relationships from a slightly fresh viewpoint and non-political ideology.  Specifically the workshop looks at: Initial ideas for a good relationship; Co-dependency; The joining of "complete" individuals - interdependency; Differences between Men and Women; The concepts of "Mars and Venus"; Specialisation of function in relationships; Spiritual bonding in relationships and its use; Optimisation of close heterosexual relationships.