Description:
OPD Points: 10
In our increasingly fast-paced, technology-driven lives, anxiety has become a more prevalent feature of the human experience and is now one of the most diagnosed conditions in the arena of mental health. Everywhere, there seems to be something to trigger a sense of worry, concern or fear and, through the power of the internet and our smart devices, we are made acutely aware of them all.Existential philosophy encourages individuals to confront the fundamental questions of existence, purpose and freedom. It invites us to explore our anxieties and to understand them as intrinsic to the human condition. So, rather than treating anxiety as a condition to be eliminated, this workshop will shine an existential light on anxiety and, hopefully, offer a refreshing and empowering approach to working with it.
Key Learning Objectives / Outcomes:
Across the 4 half-days we will consider:The Existential Givens of life and how they relate to anxietyHow to distinguish between ‘normal’ and ‘neurotic’ anxietyYour own anxieties with a view to developing personal insightHow to listen and then navigate a way through client experiences of anxiety from an existential viewpoint
Presenter / Provider:
Dr Alison Strasser & Dr Adam McLean
Presenter Qualifications:
Alison is a practising psychotherapist, coach and supervisor. She is also an educator with a passion for imparting how existential themes can be integrated into every therapeutic approach. She was instrumental in creating the existential curriculum for many counselling and psychotherapy trainings in Australia and her doctorate focused on the process of supervision, work that led to a framework for supervisor training, now a major component of CEP’s annual program. Alison co-authored Time-Limited Existential Therapy with her father, Freddie Strasser and she has recently published a revised edition.Adam is a clinical psychotherapist, supervisor, educator and trainer with over 30 years experience and a continuing interest in the human capacity for opening up to the possibilities in life. He is recognised as a leading group therapist and supervisor and provides training in both areas. Adam’s doctorate focused on what it takes to elevate group leader technique to the art of group leader presence, work that now informs CEP’s group leadership course as part of their suite of specialist offerings.
