D – 1.3 Skills or competence

Our colleagues run therapy groups for psychological support, after a minimum of 4 years training period, which includes both individual therapy of them and learning about the method and its facilitation. Most of our group leaders also do have a degree in psychology or mental hygiene. Also they never work alone, but in pairs to ensure proper attention and coverage of different needs.

Practitioners need a broad set of skills and competence, along with practical knowledge. Working on the emotional, bodily level with one’s psyche requires strong preparation to avoid damages both on the physical and mental level.

You will need basic abilities and skills such as dealing with group dynamics, empathy or active listening. Basic from the perspective that they are needed for most of the group leaders with any method. Additionally, there are other requirements specific to this method. Namely to work with art, with body and taking good care of the others and the facilitators own mental health.

Using this methodology one can be trained also in a very diverse field of competences. Firstly, the consciousness to bodily experiences and its relation to emotions can be acquired. Through group, individual and partner explorations participants can develop skills for themselves and their clients using techniques from various artistic and movement disciplines. Participants can reconsider and revamp their understanding of art and movement activities they may already be practicing, from the perspective of what that can mean, or bring for clients on a deeper, less conscious level. Theprocess of integrating various art forms and bodily work contributes also to the understanding of sensory processing and its effects on emotion and relationships. In addition to these primary learning opportunities further options are available, based on the specific direction of the program. Here we name only few, which might be of interest to those working with verbally limited, vulnerable groups:

  • Tactile skills and somatic awareness
  • Refining skills of touching different body parts and layers (skin, muscle, bone) in a supportive, non-sexualised way
  • Becoming aware of body structures
  • Restoring and developing movement patterns
  • Relaxation of the different body parts
  • Group dynamics
  • Resilience, resourcing, building capacity for self-regulation
  • Healthy self-regulation
  • Education on possible physical and emotional reactions and what to expect in the change process
  • Artistic and somatic metaphors – working with metaphorical representations of issues from the past that are surfacing and expressing via somatic or artistic creations
  • Approach and working with somatic emotional issues, as shame, anger or frustration
  • Ethical scope of practice issues