The Personal Development Institute of Slovakia

A Diploma in Client-Centered Counselling and Psychotherapy within a Person-Centred Approach framework.

Contact: Ludovít Dobšovič

The program is divided into intensives (7 days) and weekend meetings (all together
this totals 680 hours). There are 9 intensives and 10 weekend meetings during the 4
years of the program. The fee for participants is 150.-DM (German Marks) for
each intensive meeting and 50.-DM for each weekend.

1. Introduction
The learning-training program is based on C.R.Rogers psychological theory and notions of modern psychology. The aim and goal of this program is to provide its participants with the ability to use the Person-Centered Approach (PCA) - mainly in their professional occupation, but also in everyday life.An introduction to the theoretical bases is also included.
   
2. Organisation of the learning-training program
The program consists of nine intensive  encounters (7 days long) and 10 weekend encounters (that is 680 hours of training). This program takes 4 years in all.
The maximum number of participants is 35. The participants are required to
have finished either secondary or university level of education. It is
important to mention that there should not be any family relations (parent
- child etc.), professional relations (employer - employee etc.). This
arrangement is to avoid possible abuse of intimate information.
       

3. Contents of the program
The aims of learning-training program are achieved by these means:
  

A) personal development activities:

1. Encounter groups
2. Options (lectures, discussions and chats about possible usage of PCA in everyday and professional lives)

B) skills training:
- the ability to actively listening and creating psychologically safe environment are fundamental conditions of the therapy. C.R.Rogers has postulated that there are conditions which are sufficient and necessary for psychologically safe communication (therapeutic change). Those are: empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard

trained in the skills training.

Forms of skills training:
        1. Empathetic laboratories
        2. Laboratories of therapeutic responses
        3. Group process facilitating
        4. Therapeutic chain

C) supervision

D) theory
   

4. Intended participants?
The learning-training program is appropriate especially for those, whose
occupation involve work with people: psychologist, doctor, teacher,
priest, lawyer, judge, manager, businessman etc.
It is also appropriate for anyone who wants to improve his personal relations (relations with parents, children, friends etc.).   
   
 5. Finance
The group is facilitated by three - four facilitators. The participants of the learning-training program share the expenditures concerning:
    - salary for facilitators
    - travel expenditures
    - food and lodging
    - salary for interpreters (if it is necessary)
    - other (phone, fax, letter, car....)
   
6. Facilitators
The facilitators of this learning-training program are skilled psychologists (more than 2000 hours of encounter groups facilitating) educated in International intensive learning-training program led by Charles Devonshire (C.R.Rogers' colleague) and his colleagues from USA, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Holland, France. They work as psychoterapists.

PhDr.Ludovít Dobsovic - program coordinator.

PS. (By Allan Turner). I had the pleasure to be a guest facilitator for the first week of course starting in November 1998. I found this to be an enriching Person Centred experience and have no hesitation in recommending this course to others.