Rock Bank

WEEKEND WORKSHOPS

INTRODUCTORY TRANSPERSONAL WORKSHOPS
with Hazel Marshall

The first three workshops, which need to be taken in series order, offer the members opportunities to explore and experience their own sense of Self through creative work with symbols, imaging, inner dialogue and Gestalt; to record and draw, and to share with other group members if they wish.

WORKSHOP I - APPROACHING THE SELF

Exploring the nature of consciousness, our self-image and the nature, consciousness and function of the Transpersonal Self within. Through exercises and guided imagery we encounter our sub-personalities which, with their often surprising characteristics, unconsciously but powerfully dwell and act in us all. A Gestalt exercise sheds light on how our emotions, body, mind and intuition are related and how their potential conflicts can be resolved. We look at the breakthrough experience.

WORKSHOP II - THE MASCULINE AND FEMININE WITHIN US

The Universe rests on the equilibrium of the opposed but complementary energies of Yin and Yang, the feminine and masculine principles. The same energies operate within us. Each sex contains a fragment of “the other”, and in this workshop we meet, recognise and befriend our Inner Man/Inner Woman, Jung’s Animus and Anima. Cooperating with them releases fresh energies and can improve our human relationships.

WORKSHOP III - CYCLES AND STAGES

In the Transpersonal worldview, life is a journey that doesn’t begin at birth and doesn’t end with the death of the body. Its purpose is inner development and the fulfilling of our true potential. In this workshop we explore life’s cycles and phases – and their specific tasks – from birth to death. We look at possible changes of direction, and discover the power and the risks of unconsciously projecting parts of ourselves on to others.

WORKSHOP IV - INITIATION

Initiation means to awaken, to remember where we came from

Often, it seems that an initiatory process is at work in our lives, linking our personal experience to that of humanity as a whole. The Self is constantly and fascinatingly at work, appearing in dream images, symptoms and spontaneous experiences, as well as the knocks and delights and disruptive crises of life itself. As it leads us on the path to individuation, there are major stops or transitions – initiations, if you like. Each is a passage from one state of being to another, an awakening which may seem like a death and a rebirth, the culmination of all that has gone before. This weekend we will look at this path.

An initiate is ultimately one who initiates

The idea of Initiation comes from the esoteric and mystery schools. As the link between the Self and the small ego becomes stronger, a two-way traffic is set up, the field of consciousness expands and people can be in touch, at will and with awareness, with the Transpersonal Self. They may become so centred in it that many stages of their development are passed through.

(A further Transpersonal workshop originally created as Workshop Four in the series, this weekend is primarily intended for those who have already done at least Workshop One.)

A TRANSPERSONAL DIMENSION : A TWO-YEAR COURSE

Rock Bank offers a further two-year course in therapy and counselling. It follows the three introductory workshops, and focuses on the perspectives, theory and techniques of Transpersonal psychology. It is intended not only for those in the ‘helping professions’, but for anyone else involved in being with people as they solve their difficulties and grow towards maturity and wholeness. A large part of its value lies in the experience of doing it. It is likely to run again from September 2011. If you are interested, please let me know very soon

Hazel Marshall, founder and director of the Transpersonal Centre at Rock Bank in Leicestershire, trained with Barbara Somers and Ian Gordon-Brown in London. She leads most of the weekends, assisted from time to time by other transpersonal therapists

PERSONAL WORK - There is the chance for individuals to work personally with me after any of the courses, exploring more deeply any issues that may have come up for them. This does not clash with any current therapy or counselling they may be in.