The third weekend course in the series with Michael Soth
The notion of 'relational modalities' originated in the early 1990’s with Petruska Clarkson, and was one of the most coherent manifestations of the paradigm shift towards two-person psychology. However, whilst it usefully shifts the ‘talking cure’ towards the ‘relating cure’ (thus organising the therapeutic profession around the principle that “it is the relationship that matters”), what is lacking in this formulation of relationality is the bodymind connection.
That particular lack of embodiment then tends towards lending all the diverse kinds of therapeutic relating - and the search for meaning through them - a decidedly mental-reflective bias across the talking therapies. Without embodied presence, we can reflect on relational dynamics until we are blue in the face, it’s unlikely to engender sustained bodymind process and development, let alone holistic transformation. Embodied trauma and character defences are unlikely to yield towards recovery or wholeness through the dominance of insight. Circular, disconnected thinking, intellectualising, rationalising and plain dissociation are then given too much weight in the therapeutic process, depriving it of spontaneity, authenticity and emergent process, as well as the felt sense of depth and coherence.

Please see the flyer for more details.

There are a multitude of techniques instructing us how to breathe correctly, derived from a multitude of traditions, Eastern and Western. Many of these diverse systems and instructions contradict each other, being either oriented towards calming us down and helping us centre (generally Eastern), or targeting emotional blocks by provoking primal regressive and cathartic experience (generally Western).
These experiential weekends are based on the assumption that ALL types of breath work technique have some validity with some of the people some of the time, and can be helpful and powerful when skilfully integrated into the psychotherapeutic process. But ALL of them can also easily become counter-productive and can be used - by client and/or therapist - in counter-therapeutic ways. So whilst in principle we want to be familiar with ALL kinds of techniques and competent in using them, the most important question is HOW TO SELECT from within the contradictory multitude of approaches a way of working that fits a particular client’s process at a particular point in time. What criteria can help us with that selection process?

That selection process cannot just be based on simplistic one-person psychology treatment considerations of theory and technique: they cannot just be based upon a diagnosis of the client’s breathing pattern, or even just an holistic assessment of the client’s bodymind pattern. A fundamental assumption of these weekends is that such considerations of theory and technique - and the selection of the ‘correct’ technique - are always embedded in relational dynamics and should be guided by an understanding of these dynamics (including transference-countertransference enactments). Rather than using breath work as an instructional technique, in psychotherapy we want to be able to use attention to the breath as an aspect of embodied two-person relating between client and therapist - an aspect which is always already spontaneously present, whether we are aware of it or not.

An important part of the learning will be live sessions which participants will have with each other, in pairs or triads, or in the middle of the group. We will together build the safety and relational container necessary for such work to become possible in an authentic way. We have invited a significant number of assistants to support the group and the learning process at every level. We are expecting a group of about 20 to 25 participants and between 5 and 10 assistants.

Both weekends will take place in East Devon, specifically at The Blackdown Healthy Living & Activity Centre, Riverside, Hemyock, Cullompton, Devon EX15 3SH and the training will run from 10am until 5pm each day.

The cost of each weekend will be £230. Please direct further any course content enquiries that you might have to Judy Shaw at judyshawuk@icloud.com or for booking and accommodation information please contact Clare Brook at clare_brook@yahoo.co.uk.