Natural Change Facilitator Training
(3 years, part-time)

Start Date: 4th October 2014
Duration: 3 years, part-time
Cost: Individual: £2750.00 GBP / year
Organisation: £ 3500.00 GBP / year
Course Leaders: Margaret Kerr & David Key.
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Find out more: To find our more about this course please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page. If you have further questions, then please email us
Applications: By application only.
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Overview

This is a professional training for those committed to facilitating groups using approaches pioneered on WWF’s Natural Change Project.

Facilitating the Natural Change process requires a depth of experience and a breadth of practical and psychological skills. This training programme will equip participants with those skills.

As a pre-requisite, participants must have at least five years experience working with individuals or groups therapeutically, or on personal and/or social change projects. They must also have completed the one-week ‘Introduction to facilitating Natural Change’. All prospective participants will be asked to submit a written application for their place on this course and their taking part will be at the discretion of the programme leaders.

Outcomes

By the end of this course participants will:

  • have experienced all elements of the Natural Change process for themselves;
  • be able to lead groups using Natural Change facilitation techniques;
  • have an in-depth knowledge of the theoretical, cultural and historical bases for the Natural Change approach;
  • be able to work confidently with reflexive facilitation tools;
  • understand and be able to frame, sequence and review activities appropriate to the needs of the group;
  • be able to manage safety and risk when working outdoors;
  • be confident and safe leading a group outdoors;
  • be skilled in listening and responding empathically;
  • have an in-depth experiential understanding of transpersonal psychotherapy methods;
  • have a thorough understanding of the therapeutic relationship, ethical issues and psychological risk management;
  • understand the dynamics of social and organisational change and how to work constructively with this;
  • develop and work with narrative as a means to create and support change;
  • be able to design outdoor programmes that catalyse and support sustainable living;
  • have identified a personal pathway for developing their facilitation work and;
  • know how to use supervision in their work.

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Course description

Years one and two include two, seven-day residential workshops; twelve hours of one-to-one mentoring and; nine hours of one-to-one theory tutorials. Year three has no residential components but continues with the mentoring and theory sessions to support professional practice on a specific project.

The course consists of four threads:

Personal Process Outdoor skills
Group work
Reflective practice
Expressive and creative arts
Theory Transpersonal psychology
Ecopsychology
Outdoor leadership
Facilitation
Human ecology
Facilitation Programme design
Technique
Practices and activities
Philosophy
Professional Practice Social Change Strategy
Ethics
The therapeutic relationship
Leadership
Communications
Research and evaluation
Project work
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Additional commitments

Participants will need to have gained a National Governing Body (NGB) outdoor leadership qualification by the time they finish the three year course. A minimum level of competency for facilitating Natural Change is the UK Mountain Training Association (MTA) Walking Group Leader (WGL) award. This will allow them to be insured to work with groups outdoors in the United Kindgom. It consists of a short training course and an assessment. It also requires a logbook of hillwalking experience. This experience can run in parallel to the facilitator training, and would serve as an opportunity to deepen personal outdoor practice and personal process.

In order that unresolved personal issues do not interfere with group work, participants will be required to have at least 20 hours of personal therapy by the time they complete the training. If participants have already had a period of therapy before registering, this requirement may be waived, subject to application.

Time commitment & academic equivalency

There will be 160 hours of contact time (including mentoring and tutorials) and 240 hours of private study and practice (approximately six hours a week, depending on learning style).

TOTAL hours per year = 400

This is equivalent to 1200 hours over three years, or 120 credits for the whole course, making the programme time equivalent to a post-graduate diploma.

Cost

If you are paying as a private individual, the course costs £2750.00 GBP per year.
If your organisation is paying the fees on your behalf, it costs £3500.00 GBP per year.

The cost is annualised although the content in the final year has less contact time. This cost does not include personal therapy, Walking Group Leader training or assessment, catering, travel to and from residentials or personal insurance.

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For much more detail, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page >>.