Personal readiness criteria for successful admission on to the training, for progression and qualification
Interacting With College Administration, Tutors And Peers. Why It Matters
It matters because being a member of a helping profession requires the highest level of relational skills. We need to be sure that trainees can transact at all times in socially engaged not socially defended ways and especially when under stress. This is because there will inevitably be situations of stress in the workplace and sometimes in transactions with clients. We want trainees to transact with others in such a way that they add to the mental health of any culture or community, and never mar that culture. Furthermore, there will be times of course, when a trainee will need to put a boundary down with and/or gracefully confront a client. We are truly a listening and talking cure profession so it’s vital we do this in a socially engaging not socially defensive ways, thinking carefully about the tone and language we use.
It matters, because central to any psychotherapy or counselling training is the process of change through healing relationship and specifically through the transactions between therapist and client. It would therefore be both hypocritical of us and an anathema if, on the trainings, we simply turned a blind eye to any transactions with peers and/or staff that come from a critical or blaming position, and to say “Oh well I am sure x will be lovely with their clients, so the fact that under stress, on the training they move into blame, put-downs and judgement doesn’t matter.”
It matters in terms of ensuring that a trainee can be stable under stress. Of course, people feel most vulnerable when hurt, stressed or distressed. It’s at these times therefore that we are most likely to ‘act out’; get into a psychological game, start to blame, criticise or come from a controlling position i.e. “All will be well when YOU change.” At times of stress, trainees will need to be able to reflect not react. That said, of course we accept that occasionally someone on the training might lose it. We are saying that if you do lose it in terms of moving into blame, attack, put-down, you are then able to come back with hindsight in terms of how you got triggered, and from there, to actively seek to repair and resolve. .
Personal Readiness Criteria
1. To have a warm, calm, embodied therapeutic presence
2. To show clear evidence of having mastered the art of active listening and being able to make empathic responses, holding in mind the mind of the other.
3. To be able to engage in a process of psychological introspection and self-enquiry, particularly when under stress.
4. To stay reflective under stress, not resorting to blame, put-down, angry withdrawal, righteous indignation, being patronising or any other social defensive behaviour.
5. To fully understand how perception of the present is coloured by inner world reality.
6. To own your part in what has been co-created in any difficult transaction with another person.
7. To resolve conflicts and disagreements through negotiation not blame.
8. When feeling outrage, righteous indignation, wanting to transact with blame or personal attack, to recognise that you have been triggered and to be able to step back and consider which past painful experiences are colouring your perception of the present.
9. With conflicts, to have the capacity for relational repair and willingness to resolve, and to accept the other person’s wish to repair and willingness to resolve.
10. When repair is difficult, to reflect on this through further personal work considering past trauma triggers, projections and transferences.
11. To be able to transact from position 4 of the discount matrix not position 1,2, 3
Discount Matrix (simplified version)
1) There isn’t a problem
2) There is a problem but it’s not to do with me
3) There is a problem it is to do with me, but I can’t do anything about it.
4) There is a problem it is to do with me, and I can do something about it. (Please read full version Chapter 18 TA Today*)
12. To refrain from institutional dependency “IATE must change in the way I want it to”. “IATE needs to change by doing x” rather than looking at how you as a member of this community can make positive changes to support your own learning and how you can contribute personally to the community
13. To accept feedback from tutors or peers without moving into a hostile, defensive position (e.g. blame or righteous indignation)
Reassurance And Support In Terms Of Ensuring An Informed Position.
Please be assured that most of our trainees have no problem with personal readiness. We have written this therefore, for those people who it may concern as it wouldn’t be fair to lack transparency on this matter. So, our intention is to ensure that all trainees are fully informed about what is required of them in the training in order to continue, and also for successful completion. If there is a difficulty, wherever possible and appropriate we hope to support trainees by providing feedback and time to complete the necessary personal work. Furthermore, in order to qualify and/or to progress to the next level of training, all trainees will need to be recommended by the faculty as demonstrating personal readiness as detailed above, professionalism and integrity to practice. The vast majority of trainees have no problem with this.
FAQ'S
So, are you saying we can never get angry on the training?
Of course, you can get angry. It simply means you get angry from an adult ego state rather than from critical parent ego state (see TA Today Chapter 2 and 3*) So you would say something like, “When you …I feel xx… so what I want is… will you?” i.e. the intention to resolve, rather than communication with the underlying message of “You are xx and I will MAKE you change and if you don’t I will get angry” i.e. the intention to punish and make the other person feel bad, shamed, guilty, controlled. If you do get triggered and transact with archaic anger not healthy here and now anger you would be able to stand back and reflect in order to have insight into how your past trauma has coloured your perception of the present moment. From there, you would move into repair and resolution.
Are you saying we can’t criticise or give feedback?
We love feedback about our courses and have asked for feedback from the start of IATE 30 years ago, year of conception: 1989. Over the years, we have changed content, structure and staffing on our courses as a result of trainee feedback. Some courses have now benefitted from 30 years of trainee feedback! In contrast, when feedback is delivered from a critical, superior, blaming, shaming, controlling way, we consider this to be a personal readiness concern for all the reasons stated above.
Are you expecting us to love each other and be best friends?
Absolutely not. You may really not like a peer or member of staff. It’s human nature. It’s then how you handle this with grace and respect.
Thank you for reading this. We are sure you will understand the importance of the above. Unlike other trainings outside of the helping professions, psychotherapy and counselling require in depth self- knowledge, selfreflection and transactional expertise at the highest level.
*Transactional Analysis is taught as part of many training programmes at IATE. The book ‘TA Today’ by lan Steward and Vann Joines is a key text. In reference to this document, please read Part 1, 2, 3 and chapter 18.
