Bridging Inner Wisdom and Cultural Practices: A Transformative Professional Development Journey
This unique professional development program offers psychologists and therapists an immersive experience in South Africa, blending cultural exploration, indigenous healing practices, and Jungian psychology. The tour is designed to enhance participants’ understanding of both external African cultural contexts and the internal world of therapists engaged in optimising their effectiveness as effective practitioners.
Background
In many African cultural contexts, becoming a healer is not a choice but a calling, often dictated by ancestors. This journey begins with a crisis known as “thwasa” among the Xhosa, leading to a long apprenticeship with an Indigenous healer. During this time, the apprentice engages in rituals, shares and interprets dreams, and participates in nightly and early morning dance routines where insights are exchanged. They also learn diagnostic skills (vumisa), where the body reveals knowledge leading to healing, akin to embodied transference.
Similarly, in the psychodynamic world, therapists often have personal histories that guide their professional paths, encapsulated in the notion of “vocation” (vocāre, meaning “to call”) and the Jungian archetype of the wounded healer.
This Professional Development Program aims to provide insights from both indigenous healing practices and Jungian Depth psychology. Participants will gain skills to integrate these practices into their work, enhancing their understanding of the therapeutic relationship, the unconscious, and embodied countertransference, ultimately informing their clinical practice.
Key Components
The program offers the following:
- Cultural Immersion and Indigenous Healing:
- Explore South African landscapes and cultural heritage
- Engage with indigenous healers and traditional healing practices
- Understand local idioms of distress and healing approaches
- Study the “calling” of healers in African cultures (e.g., thwasa among the Xhosa)
- Learn about diagnostic skills (vumisa) and embodied knowledge in traditional healing
- Jungian Psychology Focus:
- Seminars on Carl Jung’s theories and their applications
- Exploration of archetypes, myths, and dreams
- Collaboration with experts from the Jung Society, Cape Town, Southern Africa
- Personal and Professional Growth:
- Experiential learning through Holotropic Breathwork, active imagination, writing, and dream work
- Reflection on the concept of individuation in personal and professional contexts
- Opportunities for participants to present papers and lead discussions
- Therapeutic Practice Enhancement:
- Gain insights into the therapeutic relationship and unconscious processes
- Develop skills in embodied countertransference
- Apply learnings to contemporary psychotherapy practice
- Professional Development Credits:
- Align with continuing professional development (CPD) requirements
- Receive a Study Tour Proceedings document
Professional Development
This experiential tour offers direct engagement with indigenous healers and Jungian psychotherapists, focusing on:
African Healing Systems: Explore local healing practices and cultural heritage.
Jungian Psychology: Examine Jung’s theories with experts from Jung Southern Africa.
Personal Exploration: Engage in transformative processes including Holotropic Breathwork, active imagination, and dream work.
Participant Contributions: Present papers and lead discussions on tour themes, contributing to CPD credits and a Study Tour Proceedings document.
This journey fosters personal growth, enhances professional skills, and provides insights into the interplay between traditional and modern healing practices in South Africa’s diverse landscape.
Learning Goals
In the Australian context, psychotherapy often emphasises rational and cognitive approaches, sometimes overlooking unconscious processes and the embodied experiences of both patients and therapists. This program aims to address these limitations by exploring healing practices from other cultures and integrating these insights into contemporary therapeutic practice.
1. Introduction to Phenomenology and Embodiment in Psychotherapy
Goal: Develop a foundational understanding of phenomenology and the concept of the lived body in psychotherapy.
Objectives:
- Understand the basic principles of phenomenology.
- Explore the significance of phenomenological methods in understanding patient experiences.
- Discuss the relevance of phenomenology to clinical practice.
2. African Healing Practices Reflected in Phenomenology
Goal: Examine Indigenous African healing from a phenomenological perspective.
Objectives:
- Investigate Indigenous African healing traditions through phenomenology.
- Identify key phenomenological concepts used by African healers.
- Compare and contrast these practices with Western phenomenological approaches in psychotherapy.
3. Understanding Alternative Cosmologies
Goal: Gain insight into alternative cosmologies, including ancestral knowledge, and their impact on mental health and healing.
Objectives:
- Study the cosmological frameworks of Indigenous African cultures.
- Understand how these cosmologies influence the perception and treatment of mental health issues.
- Explore the role of spiritual beliefs and practices in the healing process.
4. Healing from a Jungian Perspective
Goal: Analyse Carl Jung’s contributions to embodiment and the human psyche, and their relevance to Indigenous and contemporary healing practices.
Objectives:
- Review key Jungian concepts such as the collective unconscious, archetypes, and individuation.
- Investigate the intersections between Jungian psychology and Indigenous healing practices.
- Discuss how Jungian theory can be integrated with contemporary psychotherapy.
5. Application to Australian Clinical Practice
Goal: Apply knowledge from Indigenous healing practices and Jungian perspectives to enhance therapeutic practices in Australia.
Objectives:
- Reflect on how insights from Indigenous African healing can inform clinical practice in Australia.
- Develop strategies for incorporating alternative cosmologies and phenomenological approaches into therapy.
- Create a framework for integrating Jungian concepts within contemporary psychotherapeutic techniques.
By achieving these learning goals, participants will gain a deep and multifaceted understanding of Indigenous healing practices, phenomenology, and Jungian psychology, equipping them to incorporate these insights into their therapeutic practices.