Jon Blend: Working with Young People, CPD Event

This gestalt workshop builds theoretical understanding and clinical practice skills in working with children and young people.  It utilises a variety of arts-based ways of working, including lyric writing, haiku poetry- making and theatre games. Day two explores ’Lifemusic’, composer Rod Paton’s  Jungian inspired form of  music and voice work involving improvisation. The course concludes with a  restorative, healing ’sound bath’. No prior skill or experience of music -making or writing is required, just a willingness to participate and reflect together. 

Engaging children and young people in an arts-based, embodied dialogue, helps them develop awareness and discover relational ways of communicating needs and wants. This in turn helps expand their ‘Life space’, builds mastery and fosters resilience. Recent research suggests the span of adolescence extends further than realised, into mid-twenties and beyond. Moreover, the process of achieving maturation is rarely linear: young people often oscillate between different self-states.

Whilst this course focuses on therapeutic working with children and adolescents, we may also consider some experiences of young adults. Drawing on development theory from gestalt therapist Mark McConville we consider the phenomenology of growing up and the part played by parents, peers and community in shaping the course of events. Some ideas from gestalt therapists Duey Freeman, Ruth Lampert, Violet Oaklander and Norman Shubb also contribute to our understanding of what happens.

This workshop will particularly interest Counsellors, Psychotherapists, Education, Health and Social Care Professionals. 

Jon is also offering a year-round training in London, beginning January 2024. The course will interest practitioners working in the caring professions, including counsellors, SENCO’s  and others in colleges, schools, universities, worship settings and private practice.

DATE: 27th & 28th October 2023
VENUE: Gestalt Centre Wales, The Courtyard, Chepstow NP16 5HH
TIMINGS: Arrive from 9.30am Saturday & Sunday for a 10am start - 4.30pm 
COST: £230.00. Deposit: £100 non-refundable for workshop. 

Please contact me if a payment plan is preferred and details can be clarified. 

How to Book

Please confirm attendance to Anne at gestaltcentrewales@gmail.com or administrators Lisa / Lucy at gestaltcw@gmail.com

If you cancel more than 7 days before the course you will receive a 50% refund. No cancellations or transfers otherwise.

Refreshments available, please bring lunch to share