mind contemplative neuroscience training for psychotherapists and mental health professionals
DATES: Monday evenings, 20 April, 18 May, 15 June, 20 July, 17 August, 14 September, 12 October, 16 November, 14 December 2019 and 18 January, 15 February and 8 March 2020
Times: 7pm to 9.30pm Mondays
Hours: 30 hours
VENUE: The Mindfulness Clinic, 10 Merrion Square, Dublin 2
COST: €395 includes certificate, therapeutic cards, notes.
FACILITATOR: Gerry Cunningham, MIAHIP, MIACP
As more and more therapists and mental health professionals are learning about interpersonal neurobiology and contemplative practices, there is an increasing desire to translate theoretical and philosophical principles into practical applications for use with clients.
“An outstanding course, essential training for every mental health professional. The depth and quality of interventions has reignited my therapeutic practice and presence with enhanced awareness for appropriate interventions for application with different clients. Creative, inspiring, practical with robust correlations to the origins of psychotherapy, wisdom traditions and the latest studies from neuroscience”. Psychotherapist, June 2018.
“Thank you for your gentle and compassionate holding of the group. Your humour, knowledge and integrity shone through and you were able to pace and guide the group in such as sensitive way. I have learnt so much and it has been the best professional and personal self-care I have engaged in for a long time. I really look forward to sharing more of this meaningful journey with you in the future”. Psychotherapist, April 2019.
Mind is a new programme which will help reinvigorate your practice as a mental health professional with the latest findings from neurobiology, contemplative science and evidence-based psychotherapy. A broad range of psychological and interpersonal issues will be addressed including Bipolar Affective Disorder, attachment, emotion, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, personality disorder and interventions that offers a uniquely holistic, compassionate and integrative approach to mental health and wellbeing. Mind draws on a range of psychotherapeutic theories, including psychodynamic, cognitive behavioural, narrative, humanistic, existential, creative and mindfulness-based approaches. Mind will focus on the work of Richard Davidson, Allan Schore, Louis Cozolino, Janina Fisher, Stephen Porges, Sara Lazar, Daniel Siegel, Daniel Stern, Pat Ogden, Babette Rothschild and Shauna Shapiro.
Topics include: The neurobiology of feeling safe, bottom-up processing, affect regulation, trauma-sensitive mindfulness, script and narrative formation, defensive and coping mechanisms, attunement and attachment, transpersonal and contemplative practice, neural integration, the social brain, neural plasticity, neural integration (horizonl/vertical and left/right brain integration) and the archaeology of mind.
Interventions include the therapeutic relationship, interpersonal, creative mindfulness-based applications and nurturing self-care. We will explore cognitive humanistic approaches and the attitudinal qualities of mindful-based therapy, including aspects of cognitive therapy, embodied cognition, metacognitive awareness, neuroscience and Buddhist psychology.
This training will guide participants in developing their own regular mindfulness practice whilst integrating it with their therapeutic and clinical work. The process of a mindfulness-based approach to psychotherapy is facilitated through mindfulness practice, lectures and skills within the context of personal, interpersonal and group enquiry. The training group learns to cultivate and deepen awareness as a primary psychotherapeutic and transformative tool. This programme will explore the theory, research and essential skills, especially mindfulness and self-compassion for deliberately cultivating wisdom and compassion in psychotherapy.
“I want to express my sincere gratitude for the excellent presentation and content provided. I have attended many, many, many workshops over the years and this was one of the best presentations I have ever attended. You were incredibly generous with your time, commitment and handouts”. Counselling Psychologist, November 2015
“I just wanted to say how much I receive from participating in the group, and from experiencing you as facilitator. I find the experience very nourishing, I slow down, and I connect with myself; Words fail to really describe the Experience. I want to thank you again for your integrity in what you do, for your wonderful presence, and for really embodying what mindfulness means”. Psychotherapist, December 2015
Contemplative practices include meditations/reflections/readings from Thich Nhat Hanh, Tara Brach, Pema Chödrön, William James, Matthieu Ricard, Eckhart Tolle, Mark Epstein, Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield, Kristen Neff, Chris Germer, Paul Gilbert, Steve Hayes, and Jon Kabat-Zinn.
Practice : Meditation, class practice (pro-social practices include meditations on gratitude, generosity, compassion, acceptance, loving kindness, equanimity, and advanced techniques in helping clients reframe, reconsolidate and integrate new learning through mindfulness and visualisation.
Process : Inquiry, guided discovery, journaling, interpersonal dynamics and creative process using art, clay and visual media.
Reflection : Reflective supervision on personal practice, case work, discussion
Seminar : Interactive, experiential, group focused and collaborative learning
Research : Reading, reflection and discussion on current research and clinical integration of mindfulness into various practice settings. Monthly research emails with the latest research in mindfulness, neuroscience and contemplative practice.
Thank you for meeting “the contemplative space” with such authenticity and humanity. This is so empowering for all of us as we journey at this level. Your integrity is supreme, your hold is solid, your understanding is welcoming. Psychotherapist, April, 2019
Facilitator/Trainer: Gerry Cunningham has been extensively trained in Mindfulness-Based Approaches and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. He studied for five years at the Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford (Masters in MCBT and PG Diploma in CBT). He has trained in psychotherapy (Dublin City University) and Child and Adolescent Counselling and Psychotherapy (University of Cambridge, PG Diploma, Masters in Ed). He has a Masters in Spirituality, BA in Philosophy and he is currently pursuing research interests at the University of Oxford and training at the International Centre for Clinical Excellence, Chicago.
Booking: mindfulnessclinic.ie | info@mindfulnessclinic.ie