OTGrow Training Workshops
OTGrow offers the following training workshops:
1. Basic Experiential
2. Projective Techniques
3. Psychodrama Support Group and Introduction to Psychodrama
4. Moving Beyond…
5. Creative Spaces
6. Counselling
At OTGrow, the policy of all of our training workshops is two-fold:
- All who are trained will feel confident enough to start implementing the Interactive Group Model/ techniques as soon as the training is completed.
- We believe that self-aware therapists become authentic, effective facilitators, so all our workshops facilitate both professional skills and personal growth.
See more details of each workshop below. If you are interested in any of them, email Heather at otgrow@gmail.com to book your place and avoid disappointment.
Alternatively, if you are serious about hosting an OTGrow workshop in your area, that is NOT on the OTGrow calendar, gather 10 colleagues and we will make a plan to come to you.
BASIC EXPERIENTIAL GROUP WORKSHOP
This three-day workshop introduces you to the Interactive Group Model (IGM) and lays the foundation for the rest of our workshops. It is a very hands-on, practical workshop and gives a therapist the opportunity to become part of a group for three days, experiencing the dynamics of a group, first-hand. We strongly recommend the workshop to any therapist who works in Mental health. However it is NOT restricted to mental health and is beneficial to any therapist presenting any type of groups regardless of the field.
Read what others have to say about this workshop
“I feel more equipped to facilitate groups as I realised that the clients should own the group space, and that the facilitator should merely guide….”
“In addition, the concept of the here and now which was taught in the course has massively impacted the way I facilitate groups as I am more aware of addressing feelings and challenges that are being experienced in the present. I realised that I cannot change the past, however, I can create opportunities whereby I allow the clients to experience an emotion and then reach the goal. For example, clients which identify that they have trust issues >> create a situation where they need to trust one another. “
“It has taught me simple yet effective strategies as a facilitator as well as addressed some of the HPCSA rules which I have not acknowledged/unaware of prior to the course.”
Mishqah Isaacs
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES WORKSHOP
Projective Techniques are powerful to use within groups. This two-day workshop focuses on training therapists in using Projective Techniques. The skills required are broken down, and therapists are trained in each skill, one-by-one, until all the skills and techniques come together, enabling therapists to implement projective techniques with confidence in their clinical settings.
Here is some feedback from Jolena Nicols, who co-facilitated the last Projective Techniques workshop:
Jolena Nicols
“… attending this workshop was liberating. I realized two things:
• One is that there is always a belief (narrative) that directs one’s life (even if you have spent years in groups and therapy) that can be changed or “rewritten” into a more productive/healthier/less limiting narrative.
• Two is that it does help to work on your own narratives: my biggest take away was to see the progress I have made during the last 6 years. How much of my “work” has helped me to integrate some of my new narratives. It was such a blessing to experience how new narratives have changed my vision and my journey.”
PSYCHODRAMA SUPPORT GROUPS AND INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHODRAMA WORKSHOP
The Psychodrama Support Groups aim to revive the long-forgotten, powerful technique of Psychodrama; a technique which was implemented in most government hospitals in the 1980’s. Therapists are trained in the specific psychodrama techniques and shown how to implement it within the IGM. The group also offers an opportunity for all Health Care Providers to network and have a safe space to explore personal areas of growth through the Psychodrama technique. The groups are currently offered in Cape Town and Pretoria, 4 Saturdays a year.
If you can not access this support group on Saturdays, we offer a three-day Introduction to psychodrama workshop, so you too can experience first-hand the impact of psychodrama… and allow it to ignite your passion.
See Natasha Biddulph’s experience of the Introduction to Psychodrama workshop
I was hesitant to attend the Psychodrama training and passed on various opportunities to attend. Reflecting back I realise that it was a strong deeply engrained defence mechanism that kept me from attending…
Little did I know that exactly this training experience and the effectiveness of the modality would unexpectedly and involuntarily evoke the most intense emotions I felt in 6 years.
I had been in a toxic marriage to a narcissist for 17 years, that included severe emotional and some physical abuse. I lost myself completely in the process. During the marriage and after leaving, I attended several Psychologists with the aim of working through my issues. I easily shared my experience and was bragging about my ‘’healing’’ to realise that this was all coming out of a headspace! I was NOT OK on a deeper level and my fear of feeling, suppressed my emotions to the extent where I have been taking medication for my anxiety for years.
The intention to learn and grow academically at The Introduction to Psychodrama turned into my journey of deep emotional relief and healing.
I witnessed healing through experiencing the techniques not only in myself but also in the other group members. I am more than ever convinced as a therapist that we need to return to our authentic Occupational Therapy Treatment Modalities/roots in treating clients with the modalities that makes a difference and validate our profession.
I have experienced spontaneous buy in from my clients since using authentic OT modalities in groups, with powerful testimonies on discharge.
Natasha Biddulph
MOVING BEYOND
There have been numerous developments and cutting-edge discoveries in mental health and spirituality. This three-day psycho-spiritual workshop focuses on helping clients tap into their own inner wisdom to inform their treatment. “We all have an innate wisdom inside us which we can access to guide decisions in our life. We have just forgotten to listen to it…”
If spirituality is important to you, we highly recommend this workshop. There are only 10 places per workshop, and this workshop is only presented once a year. It will change your life, as Angela Morisse shares her experience here:
Angela Morisse
“I started off this activity of freely creating by just painting strokes of blue with no specific pattern or plan in mind. … As I allowed myself to access my inner wisdom and let go of any control, my picture started to take a shape of its own. Before I knew it, it had resembled a feather. … We then did a journal dialogue which was such a meaningful moment for me. This activity embodied what the Moving Beyond course is about – learning to give up control of what I want to happen and just allow my inner wisdom to move and guide me. It was better than I could ever imagine.”
CREATIVE SPACES
This is a half-day workshop that is run 2-3 times a year on a Saturday morning. In this workshop, different forms of creative expression i.e., art, music, dance, drama, and writing, are used in combination as a therapeutic tool to enable you to re-connect with your own creativity. Creative expression provides a bridge from the subconscious, bringing about self-awareness, change and personal growth.
This workshop enables all professionals a safe space to explore and off load, in order to prevent burn-out. Participants are limited to 10 professionals per workshop.
Listen to the feedback of previous participants
Kayla Oliver
It felt like a spiritual awakening. My relationship with my Higher Power has always been my anchor, but somehow that got lost during the noise of life. The activities … really created a pathway to re-connect with my anchor. I felt a sense of serenity during and after the activities. When I looked at all my art at the end of the workshop I was excited to reconnect with my authentic self and I felt a sense of gratitude for the grace upon my life.
COUNSELLING COURSE
After numerous requests, OTGrow spread it’s wings in 2022, offering an online counselling course for therapists and lay people. This course focuses the developing the following counselling skills: listening, silences, paraphrasing, reflection, summarising, questioning, and contracting. After the course, all participants are enabled to confidently counsel their clients. A maximum of 20 people can be accommodated on this course.
Antonette Coetzee, an OT as well as Monica Coatti, a lay person, share their experiences of the counselling course.
Monica Coatti
The counselling course gave me a useful tool to communicate in a friendly accepting manner, to let teachers or parents feel heard and understood, to find their own solutions and establish a working partnership between all the parties involved. It helped me personally to manage conflict better, to take a step back, to listen, to mirror and reflect and build better relationships. The skills are very useful in all areas of my life!
Antonette Coetzee
The explanations were fantastic! Moving from the context of the humanistic approach of Carl Rogers to give perspective, to the practical aspects of counseling, always remaining concrete and effective.
Contact Us
Louise Fouche:
OTGrow director
Email. louise.otgrow@gmail.com
Cell. +27(0)79 344 2022
Banking Details
OTGrow FNB
Cheque account no: 62 465 761 601
Branch code: 200307
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