ETA’s Certificate in Expressive Therapies with Children and Adolescents

Somatic & Emotion Focused, Creative Arts-based Counselling for Emotional Integration

Singapore – In Person – Starts December 2022

Five 3-day In-Person Training Workshops: 15 days over 7 months.

Expressive Therapy is an activity-based, invitational, self-discovery approach, encouraging insights and change from within the client. The methods and attitudes are client-centered; recognition and value are given to the significance of the client’s personal interpretations and meanings.

This highly experiential in-person course offers training in creative arts-based, emotionally expressive methods and inner-life skills that promote emotional integration, self-awareness and resilience in children and adolescents.

It includes Emotional Literacy Activities, Emotion-focused and Resilience-building Processes, Symbol Work for Enhanced Communication, Somatic Self-expression, Art and Music in Counselling, Therapeutic Writing, Body Focus, Visualisation, Role-Play, Relaxation and Mindfulness.

The activities have been developed from an expanded understanding of therapeutic approaches, with a rapidly evolving research base.

The course focuses on activities that can be used when working with children from 6 to 19 years. Research and supervision reports indicate that Expressive Therapy provides substantial long-term benefits such as an increase in resilience, self-motivation, increased attention span, less aggressive behaviour and a stronger sense of self.

DATES

The course consists of 15 in-person training days, spread over 5 workshops of 3 days each with a total of 105 hours.   An extensive training manual will be provided at each workshop, as well as a digital Book of Readings. 

Workshop One: 5-7 December 2022
Supporting Emotional Expression through Art, Music and Movement

• Theoretical background for Expressive Therapies
• Empowerment in client-centred practice
• Multiple Intelligences in counselling
• New ways to help clients talk about themselves
• Developing trust and encouraging interest in self-discovery
• Introduction to Therapeutic Writing
• Introduction to emotional processing methods
• Use of drawing for reflection, expressive release and integration
• Contraindications for emotionally activating activities

Workshop Two: 6-8 February 2023
Exploring Family Issues: Processing Strong Emotions

• Exploring family of origin issues using art and Symbol Work (miniatures)
• Emotion-focused processes
• Supporting the resolution of grief
• Safe anger release and integration
• Bioenergetics and somatic self-expression
• Therapeutic writing and worksheets for expression and integration

Workshop Three: 24-26 April 2023
Symbol Work, Group Work & Transforming Trauma

• Symbol Work: communication catalysts and non-threatening ways to open up
• Identifying family dynamics with miniatures
• Role-play with miniatures for a stronger sense of self
• Trauma-informed therapeutic practice and care
• Building Resilience
• Expressive Therapy in Group Work, group dynamics and bonding games
• Illustrated Case Stories

Workshop Four: 12-14 June 2023
Balancing Emotional, Cognitive and Somatic Processes

• Reviewing Foundation Principles of Expressive Therapies
• Emotion-focused processes: Resolving reactivity
• Body Focus: enhancing somatic resolution
• Music to build emotional literacy and as a therapeutic tool
• Time-line life reviews
• Research and background literature.

Workshop Five: 10-12 July 2023
Inner-Life Skills for Self-Awareness and Self-Esteem

• Approaches for teaching relaxation and mindfulness
• New possibilities for self-awareness through visualisation and imagination
• Engaging parents and carers in the therapeutic process
• Somatic self-expression through bioenergetics
• Enhancing emotional stability.

In case of any unforeseeable events or covid-related need to postpone any of the workshops, we ask participants to hold the following dates as a fall-back option: 27-29 November 2023.

Requirements for Participation and award of ETA’s Certificate in Expressive Therapies with Children, and Adolescents

Expressive Therapy is an activity-based, invitational, self-discovery approach, encouraging insights and change from within the client.  The methods and attitudes are client-centred; recognition and value are given to the significance of the client’s personal interpretations and meanings.

The activities have been developed from an expanded understanding of therapeutic approaches, with a rapidly evolving research base.

On completion of this course, students will be able to:

Understand the principles of emotional resolution in counselling

Describe basic theory of emotion-focused processes

Utilise a range of appropriate expressive counselling techniques

Demonstrate a client-focused approach to using Expressive Therapies

Assess the suitability of Expressive Therapy’s strategies for individuals

Understand and demonstrate how to plan an Expressive Therapy counselling session

REGISTRATION OPTIONS AND FEES

To be awarded ETA’s Certificate in Expressive Therapies participants MUST attend all five workshops. Participants who do not meet the requirements for attendance will receive a confirmation of participation certificate but not the full award.

Participants can choose from two options:

1. Register for Workshop One or Two as a stand-alone option and then Register for any of the other Workshops after completion of Workshop either One or Two (subject to availability of places); or
   
2. Register for Workshops One – Five

If you have attended Workshop One or Two you are eligible to join any of the other workshops as individual workshops. However, to be awarded the Certificate you must attend ALL five in any order (as long as you have attended workshop one or two first).

PRICING

Workshop 1 or 2 (as standalone)

Early Bird SG$1265
Full Payment received one calendar month before the workshop starts.

Full Price SG$1325
Full Payment received by the date of the workshop starting.

Workshop 2 (as standalone)
Early Bird SG$1265
Full Payment received by  6th Jan 2023

Full Price SG$1325
Full Payment received by 7th Jan 2023 onwards

Four Workshops (must include either Workshop 1 or 2)
Early Bird SG$4860
Full Payment received by 6th Jan 2023

Full Price SG$5100 (from 7th Jan 2023 onwards)

Full Certificate Course – Workshops 1 through 5

Early Bird SG$5825
Full Payment received by 5th Nov 2022

Full Price SG$6125 (6th Nov onwards)

Payment can be made in installments – please ask for more details when registering.

COMMENTS ON THE COURSE

The course was extremely helpful – it has been for me the most fulfilling training I have done.

– Cobi van der Es, Gympie Women’s Health Service, GYMPIE.

The course has been life-changing – both professionally and personally. A highlight of the course was discovering creative and innovative ways of working. I am more tuned in to my intuitiveness, and holding the space, without having to intervene – words are not always necessary! 

– Sue Boggan – Family Counsellor, VICTORIA.

The course was truly life changing for me, both personally and professionally.  I have a greater understanding of emotions, identity, the Self and how deep healing can occur within ourselves and children.

– Jodie Cicaji, Psychologist MELBOURNE

My confidence has grown. I am happy now to try new activities and to make changes to suit the needs of children. ET is infectious, and I want to know so much more. This feels the right thing to be doing. It marries with Art Therapy well. – Liz Kinnane – Art Therapist / Counsellor, MELBOURNE

A highlight was the various activities which are extremely creative and therapeutic in nature and very apt for children and youths. Highly valuable for professional – and very much in personal – development.

– Nooraini Mohamed Razak, Counsellor, SINGAPORE

The course very much emphasised self-experiencing. It provides sufficient practices that actually prepares participants to apply in real cases with much confidence. I truly enjoyed the course, the things we did and the interpersonal warmth of the trainers.

– Chia Wee Pheng, SINGAPORE