Psycho-Semantics Institute

Over the last ten years, Mike Garrett's Masterclasses have become the first choice for many therapists looking for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses to enhance and expand their therapeutic skill-base. The courses usually run over a weekend and are open to any suitably qualified practitioners. See the course diary for dates and venues. Masterclasses are charged at £200 per weekend inclusive. If the Masterclass you are interested in isn't on the Diary page then why not book Mike to run it for you and your colleagues. Contact PSI to discuss rates and dates.

“Just a quick mail to say that really enjoyed the weekend and must admit that in all my years of attending CPD seminars, workshops, and master classes, I have never heard anyone speak for so long, so fast, so eloquently and never get boring enough to make your attention wander as I have this weekend with Mike!!”

“I really felt that I learnt so much from you. I felt quite flat on Monday after such an inspiring time!”

“I was on the training weekend for the Natural Childbirth workshop. It was fantastic.”

“I found Mike to be an excellent lecturer, who clearly knew his stuff, and who pitched it at (for me at least) precisely the right level. I was very impressed, and will be telling the others at my Peer Support Group”

“Mike, many thanks for the weekend it was, as usual, a very relaxed informative affair”

“I really did enjoy my day with Mike, He is a very talented tutor and therapist.”

“Listening to Mike was very entertaining as well as increasing my knowledge. The weekend passed too quickly.”

“Fantastic weekend thought of loads to do with Mike’s stuff on the way home.”

Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are the outward expression of deeper psychological and emotional problems. Although food seems the focus of these complaints, it is the inner problems which need dealing with in order to resolve them.

This weekend masterclass will cover:

Types of Eating Disorder; Origins of Eating Disorders; Food Deprivation Symptoms; Self-perception; Familial Factors; Sexual Factors; Obsessional Characteristics of Eating Disorders; Communication & Control Issues; Conventional Treatment; Hypnotherapeutic Interventions; Psychotherapeutic Interventions; and Resources for the Therapist .

The masterclass will use an documented case of successful recovery to illustrate the above.

The Masterclass will include full student notes; demonstrations, and will be certificated for CPD validation.

Natural Childbirth using Hypnosis

Despite the increasing medicalisation of the process of childbirth, society is again beginning to recognise the importance of women taking an active role in their labour and delivery. For the mother-to-be, the absence of stress and the psychological capacity to manage pain are invaluable and are exactly the areas that hypnosis can be so effective in.

This 2 day Master class has been developed in response to the increasing demand for the interesting speciality of natural child birthing using hypnosis. It provides training for qualified hypnotherapists who want to learn the techniques necessary for such work.

The Master class covers a six session programme that includes both prospective parents. The programme is designed to minimise stress, facilitate a near painless birth and make the whole experience one of joyful achievement. It will cover all aspects of the pregnancy/birth process including;

· how to depotentiate common pre-birth stressors; resolve partners reciprocal expectations; utilise pain control techniques and reframe the moment of birth from a fear-filled event to a blissful bonding experience; what can go wrong and how to deal with adverse outcomes such as Post-Natal Depression and Post-Natal Trauma.

The knowledge you will obtain will assist clients and their partners during this important time in their life. The facilitator (Mike Garrett) has 18 years experience in this field and has trained many care professionals (including midwives) in these stress reduction techniques.

The Masterclass will include full student notes; supervised exercises and will be certificated for CPD validation.

Working With Children

Many therapists tend to shy away from treating children for the simple reason that they don’t feel comfortable or we just don’t know what approach to take, as children do not readily respond to the standard adult inductions or regimens. This training offers the specialised techniques required for this work.

This weekend Masterclass will allow you to adapt your existing skill-base and extend it to cover the treatment of children. It will draw on the work of many experts in the field including Milton Erickson; Jean Piaget; Michael Yapko and Donald O'Grady as well as the accumulated expertise of Mike Garrett, who will be leading the Masterclass. Mike has been successfully treating children for over a quarter of a century.

The first day will concentrate on the difficulties involved in working with children and the general adaptations needed to do successful therapy. It will include: Child Logic and Psychology; Communication; Rapport Building; Hypnotic Responsiveness; Special Factors in Treating the Under-Sixes; Specialised Inductions and Deepening; and Parental Issues. The second day will focus in more detail on specific child problems including: Thumb-sucking; Bed-wetting; Insomnia; School Phobia; Bullying; Dental Phobia; Eating Disorders; Learning Disorders and Child Sexual Abuse.

Working with children can be very rewarding for the therapist as well as enhancing the portfolio offered. This Masterclass will help you to achieve this by becoming comfortable and confident when working with children.

Participants receive complete scripts, training and support materials. The Masterclass will be certificated for CPD validation.

Phobias & Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Phobias and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are both variants of fear-based disorders and have similar origins though very different expressions. This masterclass will examine how they originate, what keeps them 'in play' and how they can be speedily and successfully removed. The course tutor has had over sixteen years experience in dealing with these problems and has evolved some very effective treatment strategies.

This weekend masterclass will cover:

Types of Phobic Disorders; Origins of Phobic Disorders; Phobic Symptomology; Perpetuating Factors;
Conventional Treatments; Hypnotherapeutic Interventions; NLP Interventions; Resources for the Therapist.

The masterclass will use case studies of successful recovery, demonstrations and supervised practice sessions. The Masterclass will be certificated for CPD validation.

Dreams And Symbolic Logic

Freud described dreams as the 'Royal Road to the Unconscious'. This masterclass will demonstrate how to go beyond the interpretation of dreams and actualise them as a hypnotherapeutic tool. We will explore the world of unconscious logic that underlies dreaming and show the therapist how to convert the most entrenched problems into a resolvable form via Symbolic Modelling, a technique pioneered by David Groves. The course will include:

The History of Dream Research; The Physical/Chemical basis of Dreaming; Theories on the Purpose/Meaning of Dreaming; Non-Freudian Dream Analysis; Using Dreams In Therapy; Symbolic Logic; Clean Language Skills; Metaphor Processing.

The masterclass will use case studies of dreamworking, demonstrations and supervised practice sessions..

The Masterclass will include full student notes; supervised exercises and will be certificated for CPD validation.

Sexual Dysfunction

Sexual activity operates on Physical, Emotional, Cognitive, Behavioural and Social levels. This masterclass will teach the therapist how to identify which components are dysfunctional and how to select and apply appropriate treatment strategies. The course will include:

Gender Identity; The Sexual Sequence; Physical Problems; Cognitive and Emotional Issues; Expectations; Cultural Beliefs and Myths; Improving Communication and Sexual Skills; Associated/Dissociated Status; Defusing Traumas; Removing Inhibitions; Dealing With Parental Injunctions; Sensate Focussing; Ethical Considerations.

The Masterclass will include full student notes; and will be certificated for CPD validation.

Working With Couples

Extend your client range by learning how to adapt your therapeutic skills to dealing with relationship problems. Couples are made-up of individuals and once the expectation and communication issues have been resolved, therapy naturally moves on to treatment of the individuals. This weekend masterclass will cover how to handle the initial dual consultations and how to move the process of therapy on. Participants will learn how to analyse the conflicts and use solution-focused techniques to clarify objectives and misunderstandings. The weekend will include: common relationship problems; sexual problems; projective identification; the psycho-biology of gender; depotentiating myths ;contextual reframing; sequence disruption and assessing readiness to change as well as the most useful NLP and hypnotherapeutic interventions

The Masterclass will include full student notes; supervised exercises and will be certificated for CPD validation.

Over the last decade Persona or Parts Therapy, has become a popular option for therapists seeking to expand their therapeutic repertoire. This Mike Garrett Masterclass is based on eighteen years of practical experience of Persona therapy. Mike’s approach differs from many others in the emphasis he puts on allowing the client to develop their own part list’. This Masterclass will teach the ‘Casting’ technique Mike uses to separate out parts; how to apply structures for analyzing parts; how to interpret each parts’ significance for the clients problems ; how to use the ‘Persona Matrix’ to identify conflicts, alliances, strengths and weaknesses; and how to design the ‘Parts Party’ as a therapeutic tool for carrying therapy forward. The Masterclass will include full student notes; supervised exercises and will be certificated for CPD validation.

Chemical Dependency and Substance Abuse (including, alcohol, tobacco and drugs)

Chemical dependency and substance abuse have become very widespread problems. Today these problems affect all strata of society and all age groups and the need for effective treatments has never been more urgent. Mike Garrett has had over two decades experience working with dependency issues and has developed some extremely effective strategies. This Masterclass will address legal, illegal and prescription substances and address the similarities and differences. Delegates will learn how to overcome denial, resistance and neutralize the mechanisms that keep these behaviors in place. We will examine the ‘surrender concept’ which underlies such approaches as Alcoholics Anonymous and the opposite philosophy: ‘Symptom Objectification’ which enhances client autonomy. The Masterclass will include full student notes; supervised exercises and will be certificated for CPD validation.

IBS is a multi-faceted problem and needs a multi-faceted approach for successful resolution. In this masterclass, Mike will cover what exactly IBS is; how it is initiated; what sustains it and how it can be eliminated, in most cases within a surprisingly short time. The thing that makes IBS such a resistant problem is the complex interaction between physical, mental and emotional factors. Most conventional approaches just work on one of these at a time. This masterclass will demonstrate that, with the right combination of techniques, improvements can begin almost immediately. The Masterclass will include full student notes and will be certificated for CPD validation.

This weekend workshop is just the thing for a practitioner looking to enhance their people-reading skills. Mike will teach you to use your natural abilities to pick-up the invisible cues that show what a person is really thinking. The weekend will be made up of theory, demonstration and practical exercises all designed with one aim in mind: to enable you both to read people like a book and use these same unseen messages to influence others. Forget NLP eye accessing, this is the real thing as used by psychologists, clairvoyants (and con-men) the world over. The workshop will cover body language, speech patterns; gestures; breathing; clothing; eye-contact and much more. The workshop will include full student notes and will be certificated for CPD validation.

Practitioner Skills Upgrade

In a survey carried out in the nineties, over 80% of qualified hypnotherapists were no longer practising two years after graduating. In most cases this was due to inadequate training and/or insufficient post-graduation backup. We think this is a sad loss to the profession, so in response to frequent requests, we are introducing a Practitioner Skills Upgrade Course. This will be held over two weekends.

If you have ever worried about the levels of trance necessary to produce effective therapy; if you have ever run out of techniques before your client has reached a result; if you feel you could do more than just treat smokers and the overweight; if you have ever wished you could phone an expert for advice, then attending this course could be one of the best professional decisions you have ever made.

The essence of the PSI approach is that therapy should be a ‘seamless’ progression from initial meeting with the client to the moment the client leaves with a solution. This structured approach enables students to move effortlessly from information-gathering through therapeutic intervention, and to problem resolution. The course will include: the Essential Principles of Ericksonian Hypnotherapy; Systematic Information Gathering; Ericksonian Linguistic Inductions; Handling Resistance; Sensory Acuity; and a variety of multi-use interventions unique to PSI.

We aim to ensure that you are never stuck for something to do next. This CPD-certificated two weekend course costs £575 and includes three half-hour telephone supervision sessions over the following year (more can be arranged by negotiation). The course will be facilitated by Mike Garrett and Claire Grace who have, between them, over thirty years experience in the field.

Practitioner Diploma Course

VALIDATION NOTICE

The Practitioner Diploma Course offered by the Psycho-Semantics Institute has been Assessed and Validated at Practitioner Level by The General Hypnotherapy Standards Council (UK). Successful graduates are eligible for professional registration with The General Hypnotherapy Register (the GHSC's Registering Agency), together with the acquisition of the industry-based award - the General Qualification in Hypnotherapy Practice (GQHP). This is in addition to the PSI qualification: Diploma in Hypno-Psychotherapy.

The Practitioner Diploma Course is open to anyone with the commitment to carry-out the course of study.

Training Outcomes

Graduates of this course will possess all the skills necessary to establish themselves as independent practitioners (working under clinical supervision) and be eligible to join a professional association, obtain insurance and be admitted to a national register. They will know how to:

1) be able to apply the fundamental techniques of information-gathering;

2) be able to define the changes the client requires;

3) be confident in the utilisation of a variety of trance inductions and standard trance phenomena;

4) be able to select from the intervention techniques taught, appropriate treatment for a wide range of client problems;

5) be able to assess the success, or otherwise, of an intervention.

Assessment

Students will be required to undergo at least six sessions of therapy themselves, partly to understand the ‘client’s eye view’ and partly to ensure that any latent problems are dealt with before beginning practise.

The qualifications will only be available to students who have satisfactorily completed the course. The Institute’s Diploma, enabling students to join a professional association; obtain insurance; and practise (under supervision), will be issued upon a satisfactory assessment. Supervision (on a ratio of one hour of supervision to ten hours of therapy) is a mandatory requirement for the first year of practice and is strongly recommended thereafter.

The assessment will be based on:

1) four written case histories;

2) a specimen piece of practical work;

3) a one hour written examination.

The assessment will be to NVQ standard and students will be entitled to re-sit individual modules if necessary. An External Assessor will be present for the practical asessment. Full feedback will be given.

The situation regarding minimum national qualifications in the UK is that none have yet been established. However, PSI have been involved in a consultation exercise with the government-sponsored Independent Care Organisation which has developed a provisional Occupational Standard on the NVQ model. PSI are monitoring the evolving standards on a continuous basis. and any necessary revisions to the course design will be implemented as they become necessary. It is worth pointing out that the course designer Director holds a full Royal Society of Arts NVQ Assessor’s Award in hypnotherapy/psychotherapy training and that the course design reflects the competence-based approach that will be required, should NVQ’s become the accepted national standard. At the moment, the General Qualification in Hypnotherapy Practice, issued by the General Hypnotherapy Standards Council, is the nearest thing to a nationally recognised qualification.

The Institute’s approach to hypnotherapy training is based on a thorough grounding in the science of hypnotic technique. Special attention is given to information-gathering and enhancing perceptive abilities.

Diploma Course consists of 120 hours of instruction; and approximately 140 hours of home study, therapy, exercises and case work.

Instruction will consist of a mixture of lectures, demonstrations and participatory exercises. The course comprises six weekends spaced over six months.

The essence of the PSI approach is that therapy should be a ‘seamless’ progression from initial meeting with the client to the moment the client leaves with a solution. This structured approach enables students to move effortlessly from information-gathering through therapeutic intervention, and to problem resolution.

Student progress will be individually monitored enabling both the student and tutors to ensure that appropriate levels of learning are maintained. Students will be advised if the tutors feel that they need to put in extra effort in any areas.

PSI Practitioner Training combines three complementary approaches to psychotherapy: Solution Focused Counselling; Brief Psychotherapy and Ericksonian Hypnotherapy. They are taught in such a way that they can be used independently or as part of a sequence of treatment.

What is Solution Focused Counselling?

This is a pro-active form of counselling that assists the client in identifying what changes they need in their life with the emphasis on helping them find the resources that are required to achieve these changes. Therapists avoid lengthy analysis of the client’s past by concentrating on how their problems occur in the present and what sort of changes they would like in the future.

What is Brief Psychotherapy?

Brief Psychotherapy comprises a family of therapies with common features. They are all ‘objective-oriented’. Brief Psychotherapy is a fast, effective approach to human behavioural change using the power of the client’s imagination and a well-proven and eclectic methodology which includes elements of NLP; Metaphor Processing and Rational-Emotive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

What Is Ericksonian Hypnotherapy?

Based on the work of Milton Erickson, this is the fastest growing field of hypnotherapy. It’s principle characteristics are that it is resource-based, client-centred and utilises non-directive (permissive) techniques for induction and therapy.

The Underlying Principles of Therapy

Client problems are defined as rigid patterns of thought, behaviour, or emotional-response that require the introduction of new elements to enable more flexible patterns to develop. Therapy is pragmatic and empirical (what works is more important than theoretical elegance). It is a ‘client-centred’ approach. The therapist looks at how the problem manifests in the client's life, and what factors keep it in place. Most importantly, the client is helped to define their success criteria in very specific terms.

Treatment interventions, though formally structured, are ‘tailored’ to each individual client’s needs. The client’s needs are always paramount .

Extending Choice

Client progress is often blocked by lack of available choice in behavioural or cognitive response. PSI therapy extends choice by clarifying what responses the client requires in the problem situation and enables the client to widen their response repertoire appropriately.

Overcoming Limitations

Clients are often subject to limitations imposed by learned experience or parental injunctions. PSI therapy overcomes these self-sustaining limitations by allowing the client to simulate a limitation-free version of the problem situation.

Resolving Conflict

Conflicts can be internal or external, but the essential treatment remains the same. PSI therapy works by clarifying the conflicting outcomes and then escalating them until there is a degree of overlap. This is then used to ‘reframe’ the opposing positions (this has been used very successfully in marital disputes).

Accessing Resources

Clients are often unaware that they already possess the resources (such as confidence) that they require. These resources may exist in other areas of their lives. PSI therapy works by opening access pathways to these resources in response to the problem situation.

Implementing Change

Resistance to necessary change seems fundamental to many client problems (e.g.. over-extended grieving). PSI therapy works in two stages: by enabling the client to let go of the pre-change self-identification, and replace it with the post-change self-identification.

Managing Success

Measuring success can itself become a source of problems, especially with clients with high self-expectations. PSI therapy assists the client in contextualising expectations and managing success criteria relative to their core needs.

History of Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy - Explanations of Trance - Common Myths

Theoretical basis

Definitions of Trance State - Response Attentiveness - Rapport Building

Learning & Memory - Associative memory - Sensing & Perception

Synaptic clefts/neurotransmitters - Right/Left Hemispheres - Unconscious/Conscious

Unconscious communication - Association/ Dissociation - State-Dependent Memory

Structure of Experience - Conceptual Devices - The Psycho-Semantic Model

Pattern Breaking/Pattern Making - Principles of Solution-Focused Counselling

Episodic vs, Narrative Consciousness

Platform Skills

Sensory Acuity - Minimal Cues - Predicates & Metaphors

Seeding - Congruence - Calibration

Sensory Modalities - Building Rapport - Attunement

Response Attentiveness: signs - Matching and Mirroring - Pacing & Leading

Yes Set - ‘Method School of Rapport Building’ - Ideo-Motor Response(IMR)

Ideo-Sensory Responses (ISR)

Basis Trance Induction Techniques

Direct/Indirect Trance Inductions - Metaphor and Guided Imagery

Progressive Relaxation Technique - Confusional Techniques

Rehearsal Technique - Minimalist Validation Technique

Ideo-Sensory Pacing Technique - Eye Gaze & Reciprocal Eye Gaze Techniques

Arm Levitation - Deepening trance

Information Gathering

Listening with the ‘third ear’- Language patterns in diagnosis

Standard history taking - Informal information gathering

Ecology check - Sorting information - Three forms of ‘stuckness’

‘Molecular’ nature of problems - Micro-dynamics of problems

Emotions as composites - Functional purpose of problem

Identifying Resources - Identifying Outcomes -

Techniques

Video Technique (a Multi-purpose tool) - Deepening techniques

Fractionation techniques - Somnambulistic Trance

Developing Deep Trance Phenomena - Future pacing (PSI version)

Somatic Metaphor (PSI technique) - Hypnotic healing

Metaphor: analysis and construction - Dreamworking

Parts Therapy - Introduction to the Luscher Test

Linguistics

Conscious/Unconscious - Language Patterns - Social Practitioner Diplomas of Hypnotic Language

Clean language skills - Ericksonian Inductions - Truisms - Implied Directives

Non-specific language - Conscious/Unconscious Disassociation - Open-ended Suggestions

Double & Triple Binds - Not knowing/not doing - Covering all possibilities

Suggestive questions - Contingent suggestions - Apposition of opposites

Discharging resistance with expressive negatives - Binds of comparable alternatives

Conscious/unconscious double-binds - Confusional suggestions - Interspersal technique

Hypnotic phrasing - Formal & Informal anchoring - Handling failure to respond

Hypnotic Phenomena/Interventions

Age regression - Pseudo-Orientation in Time - Time Distortion

Automatic Writing - Positive/Negative Hallucinations - Post-Hypnotic Commands

Abreactions: Uses & Abuses - Dissociation/Re-association - Amnesia/Hypermnesia

Glove Anaesthesia & Pain Management - Stein’s Clenched Fist Technique (de-stressing)

Behavioural Strategies (inc. habit control)

NLP Interventions

Sub-modality work - Swish 1 (PSI version) - Swish 2 (PSI version)

V-K Disassociation (PSI version) - Changing Personal History (PSI Version)

Anchoring - Time Lines (PSI version)

Mind/Body Interaction

The Limbic System - The Endocrine System - The Autonomic Nervous System

The Immune System - Basic Pharmacology - Psychopathology

Neurosis vs. Psychosis: Diagnostic Classifications - Personality Disorders

Anxiety Disorders - Affective Disorders - Somatoform Disorders

Dissociative Disorders - Psycho-Sexual Disorders - Eating Disorders

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - Dependency Disorders

Setting Up in Practice

Professional Ethics - Referring on - Premises - Advertising - Insurance

Professional Associations - Record Keeping

Co-operation/Communication with the medical world

Clinical supervision/peervision

Practitioner Diploma Course graduates will be encouraged to continue study on the Masterclasses.

The course content will vary from time to time to reflect the latest developments in the field and the changing requirements of students. PSI reserve the right to do this without prior notification.

Teaching Staff

Mike Garrett is the principal tutor. His teaching style combines clarity with humour and the course reflects his highly structured approach to the subject.

Fee Structure

Practitioner Diploma Course:

£2400

In order help to spread the costs, each module is paid-for at the commencement of that module. This means that each teaching weekend requires a payment of £400. A £50 fee is charged for each examination. Should any additional training be requested by the student (for instance, if a teaching weekend is missed), then this will be charged in addition to above fee, at a pro rata rate. No refunds for taught weekends will be made, should the student (for whatever reason) fail to complete the course, but remaining fees will be not be charged.

Booking Deposit:

A non-refundable deposit of £50 is payable upon registration for all courses and masterclasses.

Supervision Fees:

A fee of £25 for each half hour will be charged for supervision or telephone supervision with PSI tutors. Group supervision sessions can be arranged if required. Rates for these are negotiable.

Hotels and boarding-houses can be found in the appropriate Yellow Pages or phone Southampton Hotel Reservation Service on 023 80 832330. Should you experience any difficulty, please let us know as soon as possible and we will endeavour to assist you.

Venues

Tuition takes place at a variety of venues, all fairly centrally located. You will be supplied with details of your venue before course commencement. Coffee and tea are supplied during the course and a range of local shops, restaurants, cafes and pubs are available for lunch.

Southampton

Southampton is a seaport town situated at the confluence of two rivers, the Itchen and the Test. There has been a settlement at this site since Saxon times and abundant evidence of Southampton’s history exists in the form of it’s Town Wall and various buildings. The town is well-supplied with entertainment venues, shops and restaurants. Within a 20 minute drive is the beautiful New Forest with it’s breathtaking scenery and popular pubs, and there are also several nearby coastal resorts.

Getting There

By train:

There is a frequent service from Waterloo (around one hour travel time) to Southampton Central Station.

By car:

Southampton is at the extreme southern end of the M3 motorway and approximately 60 miles from the M25 (70 from London itself). It also connects to the M27 which runs along the south coast.

By plane:

Southampton Airport is approximately ten minutes from the town centre. Southampton is easily reached by train (from Southampton Parkway Station which adjoins the airport) or by taxi.

By boat:

There are regular car-ferry sailings from France to Southampton and from Spain to Portsmouth (twenty miles to the east).

Should you require any further information or assistance then please contact us and we will do our best to help you.