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BachelorofCounsellingandSustainableLiving

ProgramProposal

DrWernerSattmann-Frese

Draft–September2016Aneedforatrainingprogramwithanecological,psychosomaticandspiritualfocusIn1993,JamesHillmanandMichaelVenturapublishedtheirbookentitled‘We’veHadaHundredYearsofPsychotherapyandtheWorldIsGettingWorse’.Inthebooktheauthorschallengedpsychotherapiststocriticallyexaminetheirtheoriesandpractices.Accordingtotheseandotherauthorsmostcurrentapproachestopsychotherapylackanunderstandingofsustainablelivingandapotentialtocontributetoecologicalchangebecausethey:

• aredrivenbytheoryratherthanbyexperience• oftenoperatefromamono-causaletiology(forexample,allproblemsarecausedby

theoedipalconflict)• widelyfailtoconceptualisetheinfluenceofthenaturalenvironmentuponpeople’s

wellbeing• exceptfortheNeo-Reichianones,theyfailtoassistpeopleinenhancingtheirability

toexperiencebody-mindandperson-planetunity• have a limited understanding of the ways in which our egocentric consciousness

manifestsassymptomsofourecologicalcrises• oftenregardpeoplecaringfortheenvironmentandexperiencingpainaboutnatural

disastersandthekillingofanimalsandpeople,ascreatingdistractionsfromtherealissue,whichtheybelievehastobeaboutpersonalpainexclusively stemmingfromhistoric,personaltraumaticexperiences,and

• usuallydiscouragepeoplefromtakingpoliticalactiononthegroundsthatpeople’sfeelings are highly symbolic and therefore not also grounded in real and presentexperiences.

Asizablenumberofprofessionalsrosetothechallengeandpublishedbooksandarticlesonthethenemergingfieldofecotherapy,ecologicallyawarecounsellingandpsychotherapy,greentherapy,andecopsychology(Buzzell,2009;Clinebell,1996;Devall&Sessions,1985;Sattmann-Frese&Hill,2008;Scull,1999;Sewall,1995;Werner,1999;Winter,1996).Keyfeaturesoftheseapproachestoassistingindividualsandgroupsinworkingwiththeiremotionalandrelationaldifficultiestypicallyincludethefollowing:

• anawarenessoftheinfluencesofthenaturalenvironmentonhumandevelopmentandself-formation

• anawarenessoftheinfluencesofpresentenvironmentalinfluences,socialpressures,andlifestylepracticesonhealthandwell-being

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• afocusonpsychosomatic(body-mind),relational,andspiritualliteracy.Programsthusoftenincludecoursessuchaseasternphilosophy,transpersonalpsychology,ecology,ecofeminismanddeepandsocialecology.TrainingorganisationssuchasthePrescottCollegeandthePacificaGraduateInstitutehavebeenofferingprogramsforsometime.Alistofecology-relatedtrainingprogramsisavailableathttp://www.apadivisions.org/division-34/about/resources/graduate-programs.aspxTheproposedBachelorofCounsellingandSustainableLivingprogramexpandsonastreamoffourelectivecurrentlytaughtbytheauthorofthistextinaMasterofCounsellingandAppliedPsychotherapyprogramattheJansenNewmanInstituteinSydney–Australia.Thisstreamincludesanintroductorycourseonsomatics,acourseonsomaticpsychotherapy,acourseonworkingwithpsychosomaticsignsandsymptoms,andacourseonecologicallyawarecounsellingandpsychotherapy.Thechoiceofthesecoursesreflectstheconvictionthatsustainablelivingforindividualsandtheconsequentlyensuingreductionofthepressureonourecosystemsneedtobeunderpinnedbyahighlevelofecological,emotional,psychosomaticandspiritualliteracyandanadvancedunderstandingoftheeffectsoflifestylechoicesonourphysicalandemotionalhealthandwell-being.Inotherwords,thethinkingunderpinningtheproposedprogramisbasedonthenowwidelysupportedbeliefthatmanyunsustainableperceptionsandbehavioursareemotionalcopingmechanismsandunconsciousattemptstoshoreupadeficientsenseofself.Retailtherapy,atermoftenusedfordistress-relatedcompensatoryconsumption,isstill,possiblyevenmorethanever,akeydriverofthecontinuingecologicaldeterioration.Fromthisvantagepoint,assistingindividualandgroupsofpeopleinembarkingoneco-inclusivehealingjourneysappearstobeahighlyeffectiveandsustainablewayofreducingourecologicalfootprint.EmployabilityItisconsideredthatgraduatesfromthistrainingprogramwillbeabletomakesignificantcontributionstopositiveenvironmentalandsocialchangewhenworkingwithindividualsandinparticularwithgroups.Theexplorationofecological,social,psychosomatic,andemotionalissuesinstructuredwaysandthedevelopmentofgroupfacilitationskillsarethereforekeyaspectsofthecurriculum.Withanincreasingnumberoforganisationsandindividualsseekingtocontributetoecologicalsustainability,graduatesofthisprogramshouldbeabletofindemploymentatNGOs,atcouncillevel,andinprivatepractice.ProgramstructureTheproposedprogramconsistsof24coursesthatbroadlyfocusonthefollowingdisciplines:

• Ecophilosophy• Ecopsychology• Ecospirituality• Socialandenvironmentalproblemsandsolutions• Somaticsandpsychosomaticmedicine

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• Communicationandcounsellingskills• Psychoanalyticpsychotherapy• Neuroscienceandtraumaresearch• Lifestylechoices• Groupfacilitationskills

Fieldworkandclinicsubjectswillensurethatstudentshaverelevantpracticeexperiencesbeforetheyjointheworldofprofessionals.Learningwillbecohortbasedtoensurethatstudentsdeepentheirrelationshipskills,andthecourseswillbeofferedinblendedlearningmode.StudentswillbeabletohaveaccesstolecturersonlineandduringresidentialsatAuroville.Studentsarerequiredtoworkwiththeirownemotionaldifficultiesandsustainabilityissuesinthecoursesandin24individualcounsellingsessions.Anonlinelearningenvironmenttosupportthisprogramiscurrentlybeingdevelopedatwww.lfsl.infoForfurtherinformationonthisprogrampleasecontactDrWernerSattmann-Freseatslse@bigpond.net.auReferencesBuzzell,L&Chalquist,C2009,Ecotherapy,SierraClubBooks,SanFrancisco,CA,USA.Clinebell,H1996,Ecotherapy,FortressPress,Minneapolis,MN,USA.Devall,B&Sessions,G1985,DeepEcology,PeregrineBooks,SaltLakeCity,UT,USA.Hillman,J&Ventura,M1993,We’veHadaHundredYearsofPsychotherapyandtheWorldIs

GettingWorse,Harper,SanFrancisco,CA,USA.Scull, J 1999, Ecopsychology: Where Does It Fit in Psychology? viewed 5 October 2004,

<http://members.shaw.ca/jscull/ECOINTRO.pdf>.Sattmann-Frese,WJ&Hill,SB2007,PsychologyofEcologicalCrisesandEco-SelfTransformation:AGuidetothePsychologyofSustainableLiving,Lulu.com.Sewall,L1995,‘TheSkillofEcologicalPerception’,inTRoszak,MEGomes&ADKanner(eds.)

Ecopsychology,SierraClub,SanFrancisco,CA,USA,pp.201–215.Werner, CM 1999, ‘Psychological Perspectives on Sustainability’, in E Becker, & T Jahn

(eds.)SustainabilityandtheSocialSciences,ZedBooks,London,pp.233–42.Winter,DD1996,EcologicalPsychology:HealingtheSplitbetweenPlanetandSelf,Harper

CollinsPublishers,NewYork.http://www.apadivisions.org/division-34/about/resources/graduate-programs.aspxhttp://www.ecotherapy.org.uk/page.php?pageid=home

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http://www.pacifica.edu/pp-previous-public-programs-final/item/ecotherapy-nature-reconnection-as-a-powerful-transformational-healing-practicehttp://www.prescott.edu/academics/concentrations/ecotherapy