Working with Body Symptoms

Presented by: Dr Silvia Camastral 

"The body’s symptoms are not necessarily pathological, that is, they are not just sicknesses which must be healed, repressed or cured. They are meaningful and purposeful conditions. They could be the beginning of fantastic phases of life, or they could bring one amazingly close to the centre of existence. They can be a trip into another world, as well as a royal road into the development of the personality". Arnold Mindell.

Working with Body Symptoms is a highly experiential, post-graduate psychotherapy training for therapists and counsellors who:
* find themselves in a ‘mind–body split’ and at a loss when it comes to helping clients when they talk about physical symptoms or illness processes
are working with well with clients’ emotional wellbeing but are hesitant or even at a loss when they talk about their physical symptoms
* would like to enhance their psychotherapeutic skills and knowledge in this important area
* are interested in learning how experiences in the body encode meaning in the client’s life
* are comfortable learning through doing – the course teaches experiential techniques using experiential techniques.

COURSE CONTENT
Over the four weeks, we’ll cover:
* Learning to read the body’s expression beyond ‘body language’
* Experiential techniques to explore symptoms
* Noticing patterns when exploring symptom experiences
* Finding polarities when exploring physical experiences
* Reading positive and negative feedback signals and how to interact with them
* The connection between physical experiences and night-time dreams
* Exercises to explore your own experience
* Ethical considerations when working with the body – touch – distance – boundaries.

About the presenter

Dr Silvia Camastral is a process-oriented psychotherapist with over 25 years clinical experience working with adults, children and families.
She is a senior faculty member of Australia and New Zealand Process Oriented Psychology (ANZPOP)  where she teaches and supervises students, as well as supervising students at ACAP and lecturing part-time at QUT.
Professional Qualifications: 
PhD in Psychotherapy
Masters in Counselling (QUT)
Diploma in Early Childhood Education
Diploma in Process Oriented Psychology
Certificate lV in Workplace Training

Professional Memberships:
Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia
International Association of Process Oriented Psychology

Dr Gerald Maclaurin is a process-oriented psychotherapist with over 25 years clinical experience in private practice who also supervises individuals and teams of health workers in child psychiatry, paediatrics, mental health, chronic pain, eating disorders, and palliative care.
Professional Qualifications: 
Doctor of Medicine
Diploma in Process Oriented Psychology

Professional Memberships:
Psychotherapy Board of Aotearoa NZ
New Zealand Association of Psychotherapists (former President)
International Association of Process Oriented Psychology

Dr Gerald Maclaurin first qualified as a medical doctor and then went on to become a psychotherapist and Process Work Diplomate, in practice now for over 25 years. He supervises individuals and teams of health workers in child psychiatry, paediatrics, mental health, chronic pain, eating disorders, and palliative care.

Gerald has served as the Chair of the New Zealand Association of Psychotherapists (NZAP) Advanced Clinical Practice Committee, as the President of the NZAP, and the Executive Director of Australia New Zealand Process Oriented Psychology.

He is a member of the Psychotherapy Board of Aotearoa NZ, the New Zealand Association of Psychotherapists, and the International Association of Process Oriented Psychology.

This course counts as 2 hours of Category A CPD for PACFA renewal requirements.