Depending where you live, summer does not simply bring sunshine and balmy nights; it does not simply mean holidays and BBQs and day trips with friends. Summer is more than that, many don’t realise, but summer is often a time of reflection, it is a time when people are looking at how far they have come and considering their future.
Summer is often a time when individuals feel energised, ready to reflect and take action. This could be though applying for new courses to study, to find ways of adding new skills to your skillset, setting goals for personal and professional development or even considering a radical career change.
We are no exception, at Physis Scotland we’ve been reflecting both on our personal and professional journeys — some of which we’d like to share with you.
The Life I didn’t Live
Physis Scotland Director, Fiona Cook explains how a decision made in her teens changed the course of her life.
Somebody said this phrase to her recently when they were talking about a time in their life when a big choice had to be made which then changed the whole direction of their life moving forward …and it got Fiona thinking.
“I wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t purposely failed my Biology Higher in my final year at school so that I didn’t have to go to Edinburgh University. I was scared about going to university and believed I was not clever enough to study at Uni level, so I made a choice to ensure that I did not gain entry to university.”
Have you ever considered the life you didn’t live? Interested to hear Fiona’s take on this?
What are the consequences of offering feedback?
We’ve recently reflected on this, as we think the insights are worth sharing if people are open to learning. Feedback is something which is important in almost every social interaction. It’s key to progress, development, relationships, organisations, learning and so on.
Often people are scared to ask for feedback, particularly if they have a belief about themselves that they are not ok in some way. This can sometimes lead to a feeling of ‘imposter syndrome’ where people present competently and professionally but believe that they are not in some way. Equally some people believe the opposite in that they do not need feedback perhaps because of some idealised grandiosity of their self-importance. In both cases feedback, given in a compassionate way with the motive of care and growth can be helpful.
We believe feedback is the key to professional growth, including ours. It allows ourselves, our colleagues and our students to understand our strengths and weaknesses, to learn how our individual processes affect us day to day and to recognise the impact we have on others and vice versa. Then we can review how we are doing things together with the hope that we will ultimately excel in our roles.
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 feedback, 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.
We continually ask for feedback on our courses – here’s what we learned recently…
‘The facilitator’s style of delivery was excellent. Fiona kept the pace of the programme moving but yet we felt we had plenty of time to discuss and explore the learning.’
‘Fi is open, honest and shared many stories that helped me understand TA’
‘The last training weekend felt very loving and holding. Endings were processed safely and from a place of warmth. Our last training weekend had a special healing power I felt’
‘The Fionas are highly knowledgeable and clearly passionate about transactional analysis, which made the sessions engaging and informative. They created a supportive and open environment, encouraging participation and ensuring everyone felt comfortable sharing their thoughts and experiences. Their real-life examples added depth to the material and made it more relatable.’
Interested in studying with us?
Here’s what we have coming up.
Foundation Year – September 2024
The Foundation Certificate in Transactional Analysis is the first year in our Counselling and Psychotherapy training programme, and it can also be taken as a stand-alone training experience:
for personal development
to enhance existing knowledge and training as a psychotherapist or counsellor
to facilitate your work in an organisation that requires interaction with others
To apply for our Foundation Year programme starting in September 2024, please apply no later than 30th August 2024.
Diploma in UndersTAnding Organisations – October 2024
We have launched a Diploma in UndersTAnding Organisations: The course takes a Relationship Centred Approach using Transactional Analysis. The aim of the Diploma is to enable those working in organisations to enhance their effectiveness and impact in their current role and/or future career.
If you are in a leadership position in any organisation, no matter how large or small, and are interested in understanding how you could help success to happen more of the time or have the tools to navigate difficult situations in the workplace, then THIS IS THE COURSE FOR YOU.
This two year online part-time course will...
Enhance your skill set
Help you understand organisational structure and dynamics
Enable you to learn to become an effective leader
Support you to navigate group dynamics more successfully
Help you to support clients in therapy who bring workplace issues to their counselling sessions
Enable you to discover how Transactional Analysis can benefit your organisation
Equip yourself for your next career move
To apply for a place on the online the course please complete application form no later than 29th August 2024.
Diploma in Counselling Supervision – October 2024
Join us on an enriching journey towards becoming a skilled and confident counselling supervisor.
Upon successful completion of the course, you will be awarded the COSCA Validated Diploma in Counselling Supervision, and you will be able to practice as a counselling supervisor within your modality. The course also has Advanced Specialist training recognition with National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society.
To apply for the Diploma in Counselling Supervision course please complete this form before 20th September 2024. Please ensure you have included all of the supporting documentation.
Certificate in Couples Work
Physis Scotland in partnership with international trainer Kelly Scharver, from the world-renowned Couples Institute will deliver the sessions on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoon using the online platform Zoom, enabling you to join us from wherever you are in the world.
This dynamic training will enable you to:
Learn and apply the developmental model of couples’ therapy to help couples discover underlying causes of distress and evolve through life challenges.
Build skills in assessing a couple’s developmental stage, setting autonomous goals, and facilitating positive growth and connection.
Apply neuroscience and differentiation techniques to your clinical and personal life to get healing results.
Provide couples with a different experience of couples therapy so they get unstuck and are motivated to create a new positive dynamic.
To apply for the next Certificate in Couples Work online course please complete the form no later than the 19th September 2024.
There’s more…
This Autumn, back by popular demand, we are also going to be launching our second Deep Dive Webinar Series…
The TA Deep Dive series is five standalone workshops in which we explore a particular TA concept each time. The focus of these workshops will be both practical and theoretical – first seeking to establish each concept in wider psychotherapy work, and then integrating practical ways we can use each concept in our clinical work.
TA Deep Dive: Relationship Centred Permission, Protection and Potency. Book now
TA Deep Dive: Understanding and Treating Shame. Book now
TA Deep Dive: Many Chairs to explore the client’s multiplicity of self. Book now
TA Deep Dive: Script System as a diagnostic tool. Book now
TA Deep Dive: Undeveloped Self Model, a way of understanding trauma in 3rd order structure. Book now
These 5 sessions will take place weekly on a Thursday morning 9am-11am starting on 17th October and finishing on 21st November. Each session costs only £10!
And finally hot off the press…..
Physis Scotland are proud to launch a short bespoke course specifically designed to help team leaders in organisations to support their workforce.
We know that currently organisations are dealing with:-
Increased levels of stress in current workforces
50% of all future employees struggling or languishing
Changes in dynamics in how your workplace functions
Higher staff turnover leading to increased recruitment and training costs
We also know that those staff who are supported at work are twice as likely to be happy and almost three and a half times more likely to be flourishing. If they are flourishing then their performance and attendance at work will be higher.
To find out more please make contact with enquiries@physisscotland.co.uk