Short Courses for 2023

POWER AND VULNERABILITY IN THE SUPERVISION PROCESS: A Workshop for Supervisors and Supervisees

May 14, 2023 10:00 am to 1:00 pm Pacific Time

Both participants in the supervision relationship are personally and professionally vulnerable. Thus the power is bidirectional, just as it is in therapy. Each participant has power, although the particular forms of power may be different and the distribution of power may be asymmetrical. But no one is immune from narcissistic vulnerability, including the supervisor. Supervisors want to have the experience of being liked, respected, viewed as helpful, for instance. How do these desires get managed in difficult supervision processes? Supervisors and supervisees can benefit from exploring together how power and vulnerability operate in supervision relationships.

Also, themes of power and of vulnerability operate in different ways depending on the situation in which the supervisory relationship occurs. Are there racial or ethnic differences between the supervisor, supervisee, and/or the patient? Is the supervisee being evaluated in a formal manner by the supervisor? Is the supervisor being evaluated by the work setting in which the supervision takes place? Does the supervisee evaluate the supervisor in a formal or informal manner? How do the parties in the supervision relationship navigate the question of what kind of supervision best serves the supervisee and the patient?

We will explore together the vagaries of power and vulnerability, in hopes we can become more sensitized to the interplay of power and vulnerability in our supervisory relationships, and perhaps we can also become more graceful when these themes become disruptive forces in our work.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the workshop participants will be able to:

1. Identify the relevant structural, cultural and personal power dynamics that are inherent in most supervision relationships.
2. Use a didactically-oriented supervisory stance to work productively with relevant power dynamics in the therapeutic process.
3. Use a therapeutically-oriented supervisory stance to work productively with relevant power dynamics in the therapeutic process.
4. Observe and define “presence” and “emotional courage” in the supervision process.

Class Fee: $65.87

Refund Policy:

Refunds may be issued up to 5 days before the class.

Continuing Education for Psychologists, MFTs and LCSWs: 3 hours

Pacific Gestalt Institute (PGI) Provider #PCE 369

PGI is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. PGI maintains responsibility for this program and its content. The California Board of Behavioral Sciences recognizes APA approved CE providers for MFT’s and LCSW’s.

3-Part Online Class Series for Psychotherapists
Being With What Is—Living Gestalt’s Paradoxical Theory of Change

Learn to increase your skills, deepen your ability to embody, and make use of Relational Gestalt theory and Buddhist psychology as we weave them together allowing each to shed light on the other. You’ll have new skills to find your way back to the ground of the present moment when you feel overwhelmed or unsure of what to do in your personal life or in a client session.

Program Highlights

The main pillars of Relational Gestalt theory can be seen as north stars—they orient us toward what is—and we can return to them again and again when we notice we have strayed into trying to control things. Buddhist teaching and stories can reorient us in the same way. With these lenses we can learn to find and to trust the wisdom in our own struggles. Phrases like “what is in the way, is the way” begin to make sense and light the path.

Each monthly session will begin with a short period of guided practice in Shamatha meditation. This eyes-open meditation practice is particularly well suited to our work as relational therapists. We will then explore Relational Gestalt theory and Buddhist psychology ideas through lecture, discussion, direct work with our own challenges, breakout exercises, Q & A, and home practice.

This Is An Experiential Class Series

Here’s What’s Included In Each Monthly 3-Hour Class Session:

Class Series Fee: $450
Early Bird rate of $375 until January 15, 2023
Click Below To Register Today –Pay Before January 15th and Save $75!

Class Series Schedule:

3 Sunday mornings from 9:00 am-12:00 pm Pacific Standard Time

• February 12, 2023: 9:00 am-12:00 pm PST
• March 12, 2023: 9:00 am-12:00 pm PST
• April 16, 2023: 9:00 am-12:00 pm PST

Program Requirements:

This is an intermediate level class appropriate for students who have at least one year of training at Pacific Gestalt Institute, or who have familiarity with relational gestalt theory concepts such as the paradoxical theory of change, dialogue, field theory, and the phenomenological method. If you have knowledge of Buddhist psychology but not of Gestalt and are interested in this class, or if you have any questions—please email Michelle Seely and we can discuss whether this class will be a good fit for you.

Refund Policy:

Once accepted into the program, any cancellation notice must be received 30 days in advance of the program starting date and an administrative fee of $75 will apply. There are no refunds after that date or for missed days during the course.

About the Instructor:

Continuing Education for Psychologists, MFTs and LCSWs: 9 hours

Pacific Gestalt Institute (PGI) Provider #PCE 369

PGI is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. PGI maintains responsibility for this program and its content. The California Board of Behavioral Sciences recognizes APA approved CE providers for MFT’s and LCSW’s.

Class Series Fee: $450
Early Bird rate of $375 until January 15, 2023
Click Below To Register Today –Pay Before January 15th and Save $75!