Wounded-Healer Workshop

Wounded healers are driven by the desire to relieve the suffering of others after experiencing or witnessing suffering in their own lives (Jung 1961)

The Wounded-Healer, a term coined by Carl Jung but one which also has roots in the classical Greek mythology of Chiron. Half man, half horse the centaur Chiron was accidentally wounded by a poisoned arrow. The unbearably painful wound was incurable. Chiron, bearing pain turns towards the healing of others as a means of healing himself.

Throughout the workshop and discussion, we’ll consider what we know of our own wound and consider how compassionate we are to it.

The workshop will give space to consider the impact on the therapeutic work when our own wound remains totally or even partially in our shadow. Reflecting on our shadow parts, such as our anxiety, resistance, perfectionism, ambivalence, crusading, fear, and idealism. How might we notice our hidden shadow in the work, how might it reveal itself in some of the human and therapeutic conflicts? Turning to the healer we will think about the underlying drives of the healer.

· How do we bring our wounded part and healer part together?

· What expectations do we have based upon our experiences, our training philosophy?

· What happens to our wound when we meet our first set of clients, when the therapists wound meets the clients wound? – does the wound run riot out of our awareness with our defences kicking in.

If our wound and our healer within are part of our psychological mosaic, we hope this discussion might allow them to come together to heal thyself and offer the possibility of healing for our clients.

Fascilitators:

Simon Peck

I am an accredited counsellor and supervise SCC counsellors. I initially trained in an integrative model in Bath. Overtime my practice became more firmly rooted in psychodynamic ways. Seeing the impact of trauma on many clients and recognising how stuck both client and me were led me to embrace EMDR.

Noelle Adler

I am the Clinical Director at SCC. I am fortunate that this role has allowed me to employ skills that have been gathered over the years. I have worked as a therapist, supervisor and trainer over the last three decades. I am psychodynamic at my roots but like us all have grown into my own unique shape as a therapist. I am natively, a long-term practitioner but, I have done years of brief work for EAP schemes and within the NHS.

Host or Publisher Somerset Counselling Centre