School of Living Wisdom

Living Wisdom Life and Counselling Skills

Tuition in Counselling Skills, Psychology, Theology and Relationships

This course teaches basic competency in Pastoral Therapy to anyone with a desire to improve their own life, heal the lives of their family/friends, and acquire basic helping/counselling skills, for the wider community. This course was founded by David and Rosemary Riddell, and will be taught primarily by Christopher Defibaugh. Christopher has had ten years experience of full time ministry, as a youth pastor, discipleship and teaching pastor, and now as the director of Relate training and counselling services Ltd.

OVERVIEW:

This course introduces students to the basic methodology, mental/emotional health in the context of Christianity, counselling / pastoral care skills, psychological awareness, marriage/relational/sexual issues, toxic religious insights, and theological input.

PROGRAMME (2009)

Date: Tuesday 10th March - Tuesday 30th June

Time: 7:00pm - 9:45pm

Location: St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Cnr of Ridge Rd and Vincent St, Howick, Auckland.

Assignments are given which students complete at home. Students are expected to set their own pace in regard to their selected reading.

FEES:

The full fee of $750 covers tuition, texts, and one professional counselling session. This is a flat rate applying to all students. A $100 non refundable deposit will secure a place.

Course Curriculum

Personal Growth:

· Introduction to Glossary—putting up the shelves.

· Understanding how our Memory Works—so we remember more of what we learn!

· Surviving the ‘Overloaded’ Phenomena—tools to cope

· Fundamentals of Emotional/mental Health—where & when is my thinking sick?

· Checking Assumptions—the King Lies that Pull the Strings.

· Introduction to Misbelief/Insight Therapy - how is it unique?

· Formative Factors & Life Defining Moments—who are we really?

· Introduction to Psycho-therapy—revisit, revise, relinquish the past.

· Introduction to Pastoral Therapy—A four focused balance

· Family Mottos— the Earliest Conditioning, the Unspoken Rules

· Unbearable Feelings—Getting used to Emotional Allergies.

· Emotional Echoes—when the Heart Remembers what the Head has Forgotten

· Welds—When the Brain mis-associates

· Psychological Survival Kits—the Arsenal of Keeping Safe

· Victimhood—The Powerless Ploy

· Spot the Rescuer—Love’s Closest Counterfeit.

· Understanding the Crazymaker—a ‘Spin’ on Everything

Counselling Topics:

· Tools for Counsellors - includes understanding Empowering Questions, Truth Coaches

· Traps for Counsellors—Forewarned is Fore-armed!

· Counselling Session Dynamics

· Supervision—is it necessary, when and why, and by whom?

· The Counselling Craft—Models of Counselling

· The Mental Loop—Vicious Cycle of Emotional Torment

Pastoral Care:

· Forgiveness—Leaving the Past Behind in a Healthy Way

· Anger—Enemy or Friend?

· Unipolar Depression—Causal Analysis and Diagnostic Tools

· Grief—the Painful Process of Letting Go.

· Fear—Panic, Anxiety, Phobias

· Escaping Addiction’s Pit—Climbing out of the Canyons

· Goalsetting—Turning Dreams into Reality

Relationships:

· Anatomy of a Relationship Breakdown

· Negotiation Skills—Achieving the Win-Win Situation—Recognising Power Games.

· Marriage, Separation, Divorce—What Makes It and What Breaks It?

· Soul Ties— Transference/Counter Transference—the Slippery Slope to Immorality

· Sexual Awakenings—Sexual deviancy—when Erotic Desire goes Wrong

· Training Children—Defensive Detachment—Development of Rebellion

Theology:

· Recognising Toxic Religion—Legalism, Control, Fatalism etc.

· Advocate Evangelism—Finding the Point of Contact first.

· Christ’s Vicarious Performance—the Missing Heart of the Gospel

· Our Vulnerable God—the Forgotten Humanity of the Risen Lord