Course
Descriptions
|
Introduction to Psychology
|
 |
This prerequisite course provides an overview of important concepts and issues in psychology. It focuses on the biological foundations of behavior, human development states of consciousness, learning, intelligence, motivation and emotion, personality and sychological disorders. It highlights how an understanding of the above-mentioned issues and different theoretical orientations in psychology help in assessing behavior and performance, and choosing appropriate individual therapies and group/ social interventions to
reduce distress and facilitate adaptive coping, health and wellbeing. |
| |
|
Integral
Counselling Psychology - An Hermeneutical Reflection |
This course is an introduction to the very
experience of Sadhana Formation. The major
goal of the course is an exploration into
the ways of experiencing, understanding
and learning implied in a cross-cultural
and interdisciplinary approach, involving
Christian faith and Indian tradition, scientific
psychology and Eastern wisdom.
It
will, therefore, examine the pre-understandings
and presuppositions (pre-sub-positions)
implied in the very process of our understanding
and interpretation of the world in and around
us. Such an hermeneutical awareness is a
necessary foundation for interdisciplinary
and integrated learning and growth, especially
against the background of our habitual fragmentary
mode of perception, interpretation and communication. |
|
Historical
and Philosophical Foundations of Integral Counselling
Psychology
A study of the philosophical and historical antecedents
of counselling and psychotherapy, this will be an
in depth exploration of the contributions of significant
schools of psychotherapy representing the four major
forces in psychology, namely, the Psychoanalytic,
Behavioural, Existential-Humanistic, and Transpersonal.
The course will provide the background for the articulation
of one's own evolving philosophy of counselling.
|
Human
Development and Socialization |
This course offers a study of the major
stages, challenges and tasks an Indian person
goes through in the course of his/her development
and their implications for personal growth
and religious formation. Based on an examination
of the socialisation and developmental process
in the Indian cultural context, students
will be assisted to review their own developmental
journey and to re-vision their experiences
where necessary. |
 |
|
Human
Sexuality and Affectivity
A grounding in the understanding of human sexuality
and affective maturity in their developmental and
interpersonal contexts with special reference to the
celibate way of life is considered an important element
of ICP training. It will also include professional
ethics and relational boundaries particularly applicable
to ministerial and counselling situations. Through
these the course aims at offering them a theoretical
and informational background in relation to sexuality
and intimacy, training them to discuss sexual matters
with those in their care in a comfortable and effective
manner, and teaching them to recognize early signs
in behaviours and personalities that signal a need
for professional attention.
Basic
Skills of Integral Counselling
This course aims at imparting training in the basic
skills involved in the interpersonal process of counselling
and spiritual direction. Videotaped practice sessions
will emphasize the learning of skills and mutual assistance
in the learning process. Students will also be invited
to critically examine the effectiveness of conventional
helping skills to tailor their practice to their understanding
of the Indian psyche and the cultural and subcultural
contexts of India.
Advanced
Skills of Integral Counselling
A critical survey of the major schools and systems
of counselling with special emphasis on their theoretical
foundations, underlying philosophies and salient techniques.
This course will also aim at helping students clarify
their own personal theory of counselling and personality
change with particular reference to the Indian psyche
and socio-cultural realities.
Contemplative
Psychology
This will be an examination of the foundations of
a contemplative psychology capable of taking into
account the entire spectrum of the development of
consciousness, ranging from neonatal experience of
undifferentiated 'union' with reality, to the non-dual
perception by the mystic of the 'pure form' and 'communion
with the All.' This introduction to our psychology
and spirituality stream will be based on social sciences,
philosophical traditions and mystical literature and
will relate to contemplative and meditative practices.
Paradigms of personal development and transformation
reflected in these approaches and practices will be
examined for critical assimilation.
Spiritual
Direction and Discernment
This course will introduce the concepts and skills
of spiritual direction and discernment in the Ignatian
spiritual tradition. It will examine the relationship
between counselling and spiritual direction, and current
issues in spiritual direction. It will also examine
psychological health and spiritual wholeness from
the perspectives of both Western and Eastern traditions.
Intensive
Journal and Process Meditation
The Intensive Journal method is a psycho-spiritual
process that enables step-by-step work through carefully
designed exercises that can help access feelings about
different areas of life. The interplay of journal
exercises and techniques creates a dynamic process
that helps participants build an energy and momentum
with themselves to take the next steps in life. A
non-analytical, non-diagnostic and integrative approach
to life that avoids biases and preconceived reasoning
that hinder creativity and offer nonjudgmental techniques
so that students learn to work with all of their life
experiences, both positive and negative, to develop
a basis for important life decisions.
Psycho-Spiritual
Integration
Psychology and spirituality deal with various aspects
of the inner life and address the same human concerns
and issues. This course explores the interface of
psychology and spirituality in order to discover their
common ground, attempting to understand how psychological
issues can help or hinder the spiritual life, how
a spiritual perspective can assist in psycho-emotional
integration.
Current
Psychotherapies
This course aims at an understanding of a few selected
therapeutic interventions and offers students, through
experiential sessions, skills training as well as
didactic presentations. Students are trained in some
of the traditional as well as the more recent approaches.
These will include Focusing and Experiential Psychotherapy,
Gestalt Therapy, Transactional Analysis, Body-Oriented
Psychotherapy, Object Relations Therapy, Eye Movement
Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Cognitive-Behavioural
approaches.
Focusing
and Experiential Psychotherapy
Focusing is a natural, step-by-step approach for gaining
entry into that special intelligence called body wisdom
or body knowing. Focusing is experienced as a freeing
process as it offers a special way of listening to
oneself and others, a means to new personal relationships,
a resource for spiritual growth, and a path to healing
and reconciliation. The steps of focusing can be used
to make the therapeutic process effective. Looking
beyond the dead ends of interpretation without an
experiential process and the cathartic repetition
of emotional states, focusing-oriented experiential
therapy aims at helping persons come to a somatic
experience of problems and their resolution, and to
employ this method to therapy regardless of the system
or school of therapy that is employed.
Gestalt
Therapy
Gestalt therapy is an existential phenomenological
approach emphasizing the personal process, unfolding
moment to moment in the here and now. Emphasis is
placed on awareness, actuality, and personal responsibility
so that one learns to trust one's own resources and
become less dependent and manipulative in relating
to others. The training will be conducted in a group
setting with one-to-one work with the therapist, group
practices and somatic-emotional exercises.
Cognitive-Behavioural
Interventions
This will be an overview of the theoretical foundations
of cognitive and behavioural approaches to psychotherapy.
Students will be introduced to the underlying theoretical
foundations of human cognition, emotions, and behaviour
change as they learn a number of specific skills of
intervention and change strategies that would be useful
in their professional practice.
|
Group
Psychotherapy: Theory and Practice |
 |
In this course, students will have, under
professional facilitation and supervision,
an understanding of group therapy based
on their own group experience. This will
form the basis for their learning which
will be related to the accumulated body
of knowledge concerning group processes,
personal growth through group participation,
and for the acquisition of facilitation
skills of initiating, maintaining and strengthening
the therapeutic climate and processes in
the group in a variety of settings. |
|
Group
Process and Community Building
An experiential investigation of the different stages
and processes a group goes through as its members
form a cohesive community. Elements of human interaction
and communication through verbal and non-verbal expression,
leadership patterns, power struggle issues and conflict
resolution will be examined. Students will be assisted
to identify diverse leadership and membership behaviours
that constitute effective and non-effective groups/communities.
They will learn how to support individual growth within
the group context, use interpersonal conflict and
cooperation to deepen relationships, read group signals
and promote the health of the group/community.
