Therapist Orientation

Agatsu Foundation is offering a 10 week training programme for aspiring and new psychologists.  

It is open to all people irrespective of where you are in their journey of being a practicing therapist and could be beneficial at any point in your career.  The aim is to expose you to the hands-on realities, considerations and decisions that a practicing therapist will have to engage with irrespective of which modality they choose to practice. We will also be taking into consideration the landscape of mental health in India. This training program will not only enhance your knowledge but also gives you a space for self awareness. It will help you grow professionally as well as personally.

CENTRAL THEMES 

• Practical considerations and decisions a therapist needs to make 
• Understanding the essence of therapy as a psychological intervention 
• Discovering yourself as a therapeutic person 
• Mental health care in an indian context

Therapist Orientation Program 

5th October to 8th December (10 weeks) 

Saturday & Sunday  1:30pm to 3pm (except 05.10.24 - 2pm to 3:30pm)   

Training in Behavioural Activation and Problem Solving Therapy  

by Sangath, Goa. 

19th December - 22nd December 

These courses will be ENGLISH.

CERTIFICATION

It is mandatory to complete the prescribed reading before each session. 100% attendance is required to receive a certificate of completion.  The certificates for each training will be separate. One from Agatsu and one from Sangath.

Fee: 

Only Therapist Orientation - Rs. 10,000 

Only Training in Behavioural Activation and Problem Solving Therapy by Sangath - Rs. 6,000 

Both Rs. 12,000.    

EMI options available - PLEASE CONTACT US ON shimon@agatsufoundation.org with your name, phone number and email.

Course content:

1. What is therapy within mental health care? With the increase in awareness about mental health, there has been a spike in interest around psychology and psychological care. New modalities, new theories. There is a new framework to look at health care: the bio-psycho-social framework. What are its implications? Are there common factors that ensure a good therapeutic outcome? What are some other essential questions when it comes to therapy?
2. The therapist as a therapeutic person. All humans have values and belief systems. As a therapist specifically, its important to be aware of your own values in an articulated sense. Are there values that are a requirement as a therapist? Being open-minded? Being multicultural? These questions shape your orientation, style and professional development.
3. Power dynamic. Understanding the privileges and disadvantages of different people, how that effects their care journey and also the inherent power dynamic between the therapist and patient. Patient? Client? Which is it and how does it matter?
4. Therapist preparation. What are the practical situations and scenarios you need to consider and learn to navigate as a therapist that you don’t realize until you start seeing patients? What is a ‘mistake’ and how do you deal with it? Should you be in your own therapy? How to make the most of your supervision? What are the development stages of someone learning psychotherapy?
5. Depression. What actually is it? Let’s take a deep-dive through lived-experience and the bio-psycho-social framework.
6. Experiential workshop: Understanding body awareness and its implications in mental health. What can we learn about your mind through our body? What are the effects of higher levels of body awareness? To begin with, with regards to you and then extending to your patients.
7. Knowing your resources. We live within a system and so do your patients. There are many intersectionalities in all our lives. There will be times when your patients need more than what you can offer. Understanding the Mental Health Care Act 2017, knowing what resources are available and how to make referrals is an important part of your job.
8. Boundaries.  Up until you see your first patient, you have only had interactions with people that follow social norms. All our interactions follow social norms. The norms, setting or boundaries within a therapy room are very different. What are they? Why are they that way? How does one establish and execute these boundaries while still being empathetic and compassionate?
9. Suicidal Ideation. Whether or not you intend to work with suicidality, you can come across suicidal ideation in your patients even mid treatment. Suicidal ideation/self-harm/suicide is more common than we would like to admit. Apart from giving them referrals and alerting relevant people, how can you aid your patients with these thoughts and experiences within a therapeutic setting?
10. Selfcare Do it! No but seriously, what does it really mean and what does practicing it look like, especially for a therapist? Let’s help you start integrating it into your life now.

Behavioural Activation and Problem Solving Therapy:

Sangath has designed a psychological intervention that combines Behavioural Activation and Problem Solving Therapy to address depression and depressive symptoms. This will be a 5 day intensive training where those skills will be taught and practiced.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4816974/