Monday 30 June 2014

More Certification?

I just had my last weekend for my Body-Oriented Psychotherapy class. I am still as much in love with Bioenergetic work as I was after the first weekend.

I started looking into becoming certified in it once I return to Canada. Funny thing is that none of the association's in Canada have contact emails that actually work. All my emails seem to keep bouncing back to me. My professor recommended reaching out to the international association which I did today and hopefully I hear back from them soon as to how to reach someone in Canada.

I think that it may be something I would like to do once I am working in the field and can integrate it into my work once I have established my own style within the DMT framework.

I feel as doors are just starting to be opened and I am beginning to realize how many options there are in this line of work! Exciting things on the horizon!

Wednesday 18 June 2014

Standards and Ethics

If I'm being honest, I walked into this weekend intensive dreading it and thinking this topic was going to be a dry one. Boy was I wrong! The professor is amazing and is really able to keep us engaged as a class. She incorporated a lot of experientials which was nice and broke up the material.

I'd like to say a lot of this course is common sense; confidentiality, misconduct, code of ethics etc. However, I am realizing how many grey areas there are and how it is hard to make blanket statements as every situation and client will be different.

It has also been interesting to reflect on questions such as
- Are there any populations you would not be able to work with?
-What/Are there any personal values that may prevent you from providing the best care for your client?
- What happens when the law and your association's code of ethics say different things? Which do you follow?

This course has allowed me to realize that it's not all common sense and realistically, I (and probably you) at some point will make mistakes. Supervision is so incredibly important for new professionals and is a process that continues to be throughout one's career.

After learning about the laws for the U.S. I am already starting to think of where I could do a refresher course in Canada once I return after graduation and what associations I want to be a member of and code of ethics I want to follow apart from the American Dance Therapy Association.

Wednesday 11 June 2014

Processing with Art

Part of my processing from last week


Please do not use any of these images without permission. Artwork and photos credited to myself.

Let the summer begin...sort of!

Well it's been over a month since my last post. Three of those weeks I was back home in Canada on "vacation" which really means I'm just as busy there as I am when I'm in school. Just a different kind of busy, less stressful!

Summer classes started last week so I am already back to the grind. Last week I had Group Process in DMT which was a week long intensive class. The professor was amazing and although it was a draining week, I learned a lot about myself and how I am in groups as a member, witness and a leader.

This past weekend I had my first of two weekends for the course Body Oriented Psychotherapy. Wow was my mind blown in that course! I was expecting it to be similar to dance therapy and I was very wrong. It's a completely different field, using touch mostly, based in psychoanalysis and I have fallen in love with it. The professor is amazing and in two weeks when we meet for our last weekend together I plan on finding out how I can become certified in this work!

This upcoming weekend I have my first weekend of Standards and Ethics which I think will be a heavy course full of rich discussions. Already have a couple of assignments due the first class on Friday which I am trying to work my way through. I think after the week intensive followed by the weekend intensive my mind is resistant to getting work done.

Instead I have been catching up with friends, knocking things off my "To-Do" list and trying to get back into my Pilates workout routine (and trying to find a new place to live!). Don't get me wrong, I have been doing some work obviously but it's hard to give it my full attention when the sun is shining and technically it should be summer break.

I am noticing that I have been finding it hard to devote as much time as I would like to this blog and am finding some blocks when I do go to write. Any feedback from the readers?