What the Relate Course is all about...

The relate course is about the power of empathy, the influence of our past on the present, our fundamental need for relationship, interdependence and our strivings to ‘belong’. Relate is about ‘getting the story straight’, the story of our lives, and strengthening the context in which that story is being lived today. Relate invites you to extend your relational repertoire and make fundamental changes in the way you experience God, your world, your neighbour and yourself. If you desire greater clarity about yourself, practical help to forge deeper connections with others and a broader frame of reference for viewing the world then relate will help get you started.      
This dynamic interactive course moves rapidly from theory to practice in every session. The relate course creates time for individual personal reflection, weekly partner work, eight member facilitated process groups, large group semi-structured spaces – and of course great new teaching material. Relate will expand your awareness psychologically, interpersonally, emotionally and spiritually.  

Specific Training is the Answer

The School of Living Wisdom is written and designed by David Riddell to assist us with everyday life. The course integrates common sense, psychology, philosophy and theology, to create a truly life changing experience. This unique course teaches basic competency in Pastoral Therapy to anyone with a desire to improve their own life, offer support to their family/friends, and acquire basic helping/counselling skills, for everyday conversations. Described affectionately as “a check-up from the neck-up” and “uncommonly common sense”, it has been widely attended by more than 2,000 students from all walks of life over the past 15 years.

Topics Covered

The relate course is best understood in three interconnecting phases:
1) “Getting the story straight”: The personal story of my life.
2) Creating a strengthened life context: where relationships are reparative and where new and transforming emotional, psychological and spiritual experiences can take place
3) Repertoire expansion: new concert and specific communication tools for relational growth designed to create a new language of interdependence between you and those that you love.

Sections:
This unfolding introduction sets out the theological and philosophical framework on which the relate course rests. The core issue of bringing together Christian spirituality, developmental psychology and the relational wisdom of psychotherapy is addressed. The further questions and challenges of having a psychodynamic faith are also explored.

  Section One “Finding Myself” 
This brief but important section contains skills to help student’s ‘warm-up to themselves’, get centred and prepare for the evenings class and other work ahead. Included in this section is the ‘Self-Empathy’ journal exercise designed to help students get more connected to their feelings and needs. 

  Section Two “Finding the Other”
The critical work of the relate course is in creating and sustaining empathic connections. To create these connections we need to be keenly aware of “the other”. In this section we will learn how to make emotional contact and be aware of other people’s feelings and needs as they emerge in our day to day conversations. This “Finding the Other” section, will be addressed throughout the duration of the course and contains the philosophy, the skill set, and weekly opportunities to practice making genuine contact with others in a safe environment.    

 Section Three “Finding Myself in the Story”
It is my conviction that when you are a stranger to yourself, you really are a stranger to everyone else, and everyone else is a stranger to you. In this section called “Finding Myself in the Story” you will discover a large variety of tools and concepts to help bring you to a greater sense of clarity about your story and how you find yourself in it. Drawing from a broad range of theorists in developmental psychology, counselling and psychotherapy this chapter is designed to help you create a “coherent narrative” that will give you a deeper sense of well being, authenticity, self-awareness and compassion.

 Genograms
The concept of Genograms was created by Monica McGoldrick and has served thousands of people in the task of being able to understand and literally SEE their own story. Genograms are visual family trees that focus on intergenerational family dynamics more than names, dates and places. Each student’s Genogram will likely unfold piece by piece as the course progresses and each person will have different emotional and practical investments in them. Be creative, allow your curiosity to lead you and be willing to go in differing directions as your family story comes to light.  

  Finding Interdependence:
The essential goal of the relate course is for students to achieve a high level of interdependence. Love for God, for ourselves, our neighbours and our world is my definition of a mature spirituality, a mature psychology and an empathic relationality. The specific goals of this section are: learning how to compassionately connect with one another on the feeling and need level, discovering our own genuine need to contribute to one another’s well-being, and finally adopting a shame free ability to ask for our own needs to be met.

   Finding Myself in the Group
Groups are where we start and finish our lives physically and psychologically. The group and its context are literally “where we find ourselves”. The group mind comes first in our lives, then our individual mind - “me before I”. This experiential part of the course brings much of the theoretical material into the “here-and-now” of our lived experience. The lecture material on group dynamics will bring your family and current groups into greater clarity while your own weekly process group will allow you to see, feel and understand those processes up close and personal.

Who runs these courses?

Relate Training and Therapy Services provide a wide variety of courses and specialises in emotional, relational and theological perspectives. We enjoy working with groups and individuals that seek support in exploring, understanding and resolving life’s challenges. We use an interactive approach to work with a range of presenting issues and have been in the people-helping profession for over 12 years.

Christopher Defibaugh
PG Dip Adult Psychotherapy, CERT LIV/WIS

As a pastor, counsellor and trainer, Christopher offers a unique approach to dealing with life and its challenges. The wisdom that he shares is Biblically-based, gospel-focussed and makes “uncommonly” good sense. Living Wisdom gave us new perspectives, greater understanding of people and ourselves, and healthier ways of dealing with life. Whatever age or stage of life you are in we totally recommend that you come and learn. - Stephen & Leanne Davies

Details

The 18-week 'Relate' course will be held at the Papatoetoe Seventh-day Adventist Community Church 16 Puhinui Road, Papatoetoe, Manukau City

Option 1: Mondays - 7:00pm - 9:45pm
Starts 20 February 2012 (bookings now open!)

How much does it cost?

This course costs $650. Payment plan options will be available. This includes a textbook, tuition and one professional counselling session. A $100 nonrefundable deposit will secure a place in the school which must be paid by the third session. The remaining fees are due by the last day of the course. Drop in to the church office or direct credit to Christophers Bank Account: 06 0225 0279356 00

RELATE COURSE REGISTRATION

Starts Monday February 20 & will continue every Tuesday for 18 weeks