We believe that our students become the very best practitioners they can be when they are encouraged to weave together their existing learning and life experience with the exciting new knowledge and skills, they will gain on their transformational learning journey with us.
Our core Transactional Analysis Psychotherapy training programme is delivered to students in an experiential and dynamic way, which we believe enables those who study with us to ‘Grow Beyond Imagination’. Our training team is made up of highly experienced, skilled tutors who support students to feel secure, stretched, stimulated, valued and to have fun on their journey.
Training groups are kept small in number, with a maximum of 18 students per group, ensuring intimacy and high levels of support for each student.
Physis Scotland was first established in 2017 by the dynamic partnership of Fiona Firman, PTSTA and Fiona Cook, PTSTA, who set out to create an exciting new home for Transactional Analysis (TA) training in Scotland. The organisation has grown and developed substantially over the years, and now has a large team of academic tutors, administrative staff, academic, placement and pastoral support, marketing, IT, and finance colleagues who all work together to help us keep Physis Scotland heading in the right direction.
In addition to our core TA Psychotherapy and Counselling training, we offer an expanding range of short courses aimed at qualified practitioners looking to further develop their skills.
We ensure our courses meet the requirements of professional bodies such as UKCP and COSCA.
Vision, Values and Philosophy
Our vision at Physis Scotland is to train counselling and psychotherapy practitioners of the future who are highly skilled, compassionate, and robust to support the increasingly complex needs of clients.
Our mission is to:
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Support each and every student to ‘grow beyond imagination’, by offering the highest standards and quality of training, development and wider support to all those who choose to train with us.
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Empower our students, trainers and team to grow, blossom and thrive.
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Establish deep roots, nurture, support and ‘stretch’ our students throughout their training in an open, inclusive and safe environment.
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Intentionally create an environment of inclusivity and foster a culture which embraces intersectionality.
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Promote excellence in delivering the highest standards in counselling, psychotherapy, and supervision training.
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Co-create the right conditions to enable our students to grow, blossom and thrive beyond what they believe they are capable of.
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Develop practitioners who are warm, compassionate, solid and robust in their clinical practice.
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Promote and adhere to the values and ethics of Transactional Analysis with integrity.
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Actively build relationships and collaborate with our Transactional Analysis community in a shared goal to continue the growth of the modality.
Our Philosophy
At Physis Scotland we believe that everybody has the potential to ‘grow beyond imagination’ if the right conditions are in place. We strive to create the kind of conditions that will support, value and nourish each individual who studies with us. We will provide you with highly skilled training staff and a range of wider support including Academic Student Support, Learning Student Support for students with any additional learning needs, and a dedicated Student Placement Advisor.
Physis Scotland’s commitment is to train robust, ethical, autonomous, and empowered counsellors and psychotherapists to the highest standard of professional excellence using Transactional Analysis as a theoretical model, embracing Adult learning principles.
Physis Scotland believe that the students are at the centre of the training and the educational process, bringing with them their life experience, their culture and ultimately their unique view of the world. We value the diversity, difference, and the richness of each student’s history and background and what it brings to the whole group. We aim to develop highly competent, reflective practitioners who have a commitment to professional excellence and ongoing learning, including both professional and personal development post qualification.
We are guided by the Senses Framework created by Professor Mike Nolan, 2006. At Physis Scotland, we attend to these senses in our endeavour to provide a warm, caring ‘home’ in an environment where:
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All students and staff feel safe and secure physically and psychologically.
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There is an equal measure of stretch and support.
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All students and staff feel stimulated to work and learn together.
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All students and staff are valued equally modelling an I’m OK – You’re OK relationship.
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Where learning is fun.
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Where students and staff feel motivated and inspired to attend.
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Where individuality is embraced.
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Where students and staff can blossom and flourish personally and professionally.
Our Values
At Physis Scotland we seek to aspire to the following values:
Growth
We seek to inspire the growth and development of each and every student we teach, challenging and ‘stretching’ our trainees within a supportive environment. In turn, Physis Scotland grows with our students, and with everything they bring to our training programmes.
Quality
We strive to provide the highest possible quality of training to those who study with us. Our team works hard to keep our students updated with new and emerging course material and with contemporary themes and discussions in the world of Transactional Analysis Psychotherapy and Counselling.
Support
We aim to strike a balance between providing the nurture and support needed to help create safety and facilitate growth, along with providing the right level of ‘stretch’ and challenge to encourage each individual student’s success.
Respect
An OK-OK position of equality and respect is at the heart of everything we do at Physis Scotland – whether you are a student with us or a member of our staff, we will value your opinion and aim at all times to treat you with dignity, kindness and respect.
Collaboration and Community
We take pride in working collaboratively; our training programmes are ever-evolving based on discussion with our students, and on integrating the diverse range of knowledge and expertise within our staff team and wider TA Community.