CE-34PA1004X - Heart-Centered Psychotherapy
Explore Heart-Centered Psychotherapy through a creative and experiential lens, drawing from the foundational work of Dr. William Ryan and ongoing dialogue with Sibel Osher. Heart-Centered Psychotherapy utilizes mindfulness, present-centered Gestalt therapy principles, and Rogerian tenets. This holistic, somatic approach to trauma therapy invites therapists to lead from the heart center, allowing for the innovative, rather than scripted, application of existing knowledge and skills.
Learners explore what happens when psychotherapy itself becomes a creative act in which the primary consciousness faculties of intuition and inspiration collaborate with the secondary consciousness functions of thinking and planning. The workshop also examines how engagement with the imaginal realm can inform the application of therapeutic theories and techniques.
Through discussion and reflective exploration, learners consider creative, heart-centered approaches to trauma-informed care and the role of intuition, presence, and imagination in therapeutic practice.
Choose Your Course Format
This course is offered in two formats: in person and online live. Both sections take place on the same date and at the same time. Learners should register for ONE section based on their preferred format.
- In Person: Attend the course at the designated on-campus location.
- Online Live: Attend the course virtually via Zoom.
For learners attending the online-live section, the meeting invitation and Zoom link will be provided in the registration receipt email.
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Course Outline
I. Introduction to the Presenter and Presentation
- Land acknowledgement
- Presenter background and influences
- Presentation review and reminder for self-care
II. Theories That Are Part of Heart-Centered Psychotherapies
- Trauma-Informed Care
- Gestalt Therapy
- Client-Centered Psychotherapy
- Mindfulness, including first experiential activity: Mindfulness Check-In
- Creativity (Art Therapy)
III. Tenets of Psychotherapy
- The unknowables of therapy
- Balance between the head and the heart
- Balance between knowledge and wisdom
- Working with instinct, intuition, and inspiration
- True deep caring
- Authentic presence
IV. Conclusion
- Guided imagery
- Pair, share, listen, and respond from the heart-centered approach
- Q&A
Learner Outcomes
Learners who successfully complete this course can expect to achieve the following outcomes:
- Identify at least three principles of trauma-informed therapy.
- Describe the central tenets of Heart-Centered Psychotherapy.
- Examine the influences of mindfulness, Gestalt therapy, and Rogerian therapy principles on Heart-Centered Psychotherapy.
- Differentiate between tacit and explicit knowledge, primary and secondary consciousness functions, and knowledge and wisdom.
- Define intuition and inspiration through a review of the neurobiology of embodied responses presented in Terry Marks-Tarlow’s Clinical Intuition in Psychotherapy (2012).
Who Should Register?
This course is designed for therapists and art therapists interested in creative, somatic, and heart-centered approaches to psychotherapy.
Prerequisites
Learners must hold a master’s degree or higher in a mental health profession or currently be enrolled in a master’s-level mental health-related program.
Additional Information
This course is eligible for 2 hours of continuing education.
University of Cincinnati Clermont College is an Authorized Art Therapy Continuing Education Providers (AATCEP℠).
Select a section to register
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