Co-Counselling International (UK)

Co-Counselling Fundamentals Course Design

(an example, draft 6)

Julian Briggs

Contents

General

Here's the design I last used. It is highly structured. I feel free to drop the structure to meet the needs of the group, demo counselling on emergent distress, clarifications of theory/method/practice (ok at any time and especially after a break), groupwork etc. Hence I've built in "slop time" in anticipation of "slippage" (so [time1] + (duration) not= [time2]). I prefer this to having a "tightly" timed program which then "runs late".

I acknowledge significant influence from: Anne Dickson, Barbara Williams, Harvey Jackins, John Heron, Richard Horobin, Rose Evison, Rose Walters and numerous peers in the Norwich, London, Sheffield, UK and International CCI communities.

Each day begins and ends with an opening/closing circle.
Mini-session early in day.
Session before lunch (10 mins longer each day) + feedback on cli and cllr.
Standard intro to technique: what, why, how, demo +-ve, mini (5-10x2, normal)
r,s,f means reflect (alone), share with partner, feedback to group
f/a means free attention
w/r means wrong/right
10:00 - 6 daily
(20) means 20 minutes duration

Intro Evening (2 and a half hours)

7:00
welcome, intro myself, times, venue, program, skills, my experience, assent
7:10
what is co-co? benefits, who can do it
7:20
name game
7:25
culture setting
7:30
theory
7:40
mini (2x2, f/a, "my day")
8:00
feedback
8:10
method/practice
8:30
good and bad attention
9:00
practicalities
9:20
closing circle "looking forward to"
9:30
end

First Saturday (7 hours)

Inner counsellor, culture setting, attention switching, tools for discharge (going with feeling)

Culture setting

10:00
opening circle (self massage, new and goods) (10)
10:10
culture set: aim create safe space (precious, working for liberation, support person, interrupt patterns). Ground rules:
10:20
group warm-up exercises (10)
10:30
mini-session (5x2, f/a, "what's on top") (10)
10:40
group share "how I am now" (10)
10:50
theory: Person +ve, Pattern -ve, Discharge (bal attn, fluid, laughter, not dramatize, feel better, not sunk) (15)
10:50
session (5x2, f/a, "review theory") (15)
11:05
game (10)
11:15
method: 4 ways of working (attn switch, discharge, celebration, target practice) (15)
11:30
break (20)

Attention switching

11:50
attention switching: what, why, how, demo, when to use (10) (new and goods, name blue things, simple sums, favourite food). Round giving group an attention switch (10).
12:00
control patterns: what, how bust, demo (20) Control loosening (in whole group, milling and random) (10)
12:30
mini (10x2, "what's on top" + attention switching) r,f,s (30)
1:00
lunch

Tools for discharge (going with)

2:00
Rationale. Going with, swimming pool analogy (on edge, get in, go deeper, come up, get out) (10)
2:10
Literal description, Specific event why, demo w/r, mini (5x2, normal, "minor upset") r,f,s (30)
2:40
Repetition, exaggeration why, demo w/r, mini (5x2, normal, "minor upset") (20)
3:00
Role play why, demo w/r, mini (5x2, normal, "minor upset") (30)
4:00
break (20)

Celebration

4:20
Celebration what,why,how,demo w/r, mini(2+2), r,s,f (50)
5:10
review (5+5), r,s,f (20)
5:30
wheat sheaf (20)
5:50
closing circle
6:00
end

First Sunday (7 hours)

Tools for discharge (going with feeling. going against feeling, pattern connections)

Tools for discharge (going against)

10:00
opening circle (rub backs, new goods, name and quality) (10)
10:10
group warm-up exercises (10)
10:20
mini-session (5x2, f/a, "what's on top") (10)
10:40
group share "how I am now" (10)
10:50
patterns
11:00
choosing and being chosen (mill "I want/don't want to work with you") (10)
11:20
contradiction wrong (cllr over do,over prolong, inappropriate content, talk about) right, mini(,5+5,f/a) (40)
11:30
break (20)

Non-verbal

11:50
Acting into: chuckle belly
gp exercise, acting into: anger, fear, pain, disgust, embarrassment
12:10
session (20x2, normal, anything) (50)
1:00
lunch

Tools for discharge (pattern connections)

2:30
contracts (10)
2:40
silly interventions (10)
2:50
mini (5x2, normal, "distress of group/learning/co-co") (20)
3:10
scanning (50)
4:00
break (20)

Tools for discharge (etc)

4:20
ID CHECK what,why,how,demo w/r (20),set up, mini (30+30,nrml) (60)
5:30
what's left unsaid, nutshell, signposts (40)
5:40
"how I like to be hugged" (25)
5:50
closing circle
6:00
end

Second Saturday (7 hours)

Reset culture, body work, theme (sexuality), target practice.

Reconnecting

10:00
opening circle (rub backs, new goods, name and quality) (10)
10:10
group warm-up exercises (palm meeting) (10)
10:20
mini-session (5x2, f/a, "what's on top") (10)
10:30
group share "how I am now" (10)
10:40
feedback on pairs sessions, questions (40)
11:20
culture (confid, no socialise, ok laugh/cry/rage/etc, client centred/directed, your course)
11:30
break (20)

Body work

[TIMIMGS]
11:50
body work what, why, how. demo thrash arms/legs, cllr encourage
11:50
group body work (ground, walk, charge, discharge, "no" throat-belly)
11:50
session (30x2, normal, body work) (70)
1:00
lunch

Sexuality

2:30
sex +-ve
2:50
session: (10+10 x2, normal, Scanning early sexual memories) + share (40)
3:30
theory (projection) (10)
3:40
ID check (10+10,nrml) (30)
4:00
break (20)

Target practice

[TIMIMG]
4:20
review (5+5), share (20)
4:40
pitfalls (10)
4:50
silly interventions (5+5) (20)
5:10
"have to choose to" (2+2)+(2+2)r,s,f (20)
5:30
target practice (goal set, action plan) (10+10) r,s,f (30)
6:00
celebration yippee
5:50
closing circle
6:00
end

Second Sunday (7 hours)

Community issues, move to autonomy, finish with review and celebration.

Community building

10:00
opening circle (rub backs, new goods, name and quality) (10)
10:10
group warm-up exercises (10)
10:20
mini-session (5x2, f/a, "what's on top") (10)
10:40
group share "how I am now" (10)
10:50
stuck in the mud (5)
11:10
break (early to allow long session before lunch) (20)
11:30
session (40x2, normal, anything) (90)
1:00
lunch

Self and Peer Assessment

2:00
community vulnerable, beginning co-co's, minimum criteria:
client
balance of attention, respect cllr rights
cllr
free attn, confidentiality, handle discharge
community
not abuse
2:50
group round (Each person 8 mins, 2 mins each of:) No gaps (else it drags).
4:00
break(15)

Reflection

4:20
reflect on course (5+5)x2, share (25)
4:40
open space (50)
5:30
celebration posters (20)
5:50
closing circle
6:00
end

Celebration Posters

Integration Day (7 hours)

Move to autonomy and co-operation, co-counselling in the big wide world, meet members of co-counselling community.

morning

10:00
opening circle (rub backs, new goods, name and quality) (10)
10:10
group warm-up exercises (10)
10:20
mini-session (5x2, f/a, "what's on top") (10)
10:30
group share "how I am now" (10)
10:40
plan day (20)
11:00
peer group style (30)
11:30
break (20)

before lunch

11:50
...
12:30
group direction holding (30)
11:30
session (40x2, normal, anything) (90)
1:00
lunch

after lunch

2:30
mini (2x10, any, "what I want from co-co community") (30)
3:00
group share and work emerging from "what I want..." (60)
4:00
break (20)

after tea

4:20
transpersonal (dis/identify, direction hold) (3+3+3)x2 (30)
4:45
group share and "any other work"
5:50
closing circle
6:00
end

Extras

Oppression


[ Practice ]
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Updated: 25 Mar 1998
Julian Briggs j.briggs@sheffield.ac.uk