This course will give in a nut shell the structure of Adlerian counseling or therapy with individuals. What does an Adlerian do that is different from other schools? What goals do we really want to achieve with our work? How do we go about it? There will be demonstrations of a typical session, and for this, participants will be asked to volunteer.

Learning objectives 

Participants will be able to:
1. Learn the four parts of Adlerian Psychotherapy. Part one, establish a relationship of mutual respect.
2. Learn seven ways of eliciting the client’s personal life style.
3. Learn to use the questionnaire concerning the client’s childhood as a means to figure out his lifestyle. 
4. Learn to pinpoint the connection between the personal lifestyle and the problems the client is facing.
5. Learn ways in which we pass to the client the result of the investigation.
6. Name several ways of encouraging clients (raising the level of their self esteem).
7. Understand the basic mistakes he/she is ready to change and the ways of getting there. 


This course is designed to assist participants to identify and explore the losses and gains inherent in major life transitions, (e.g., aging, career change, retirement, graduation, marriage/partnership, empty family nest, separation/divorce). Through the use of early recollections, anniversary dates, and the exploration of life tasks, participants will gain increased insight and strategies to manage major life transitions. Open to Youth.

Learning objectives 

Participants will be able to:
1. Explain that individuals live in constant transitions.
2. Describe their current personal transitions within the five life task areas.
3. Discuss the three stages of the transition process.
4. Demonstrate examples of current personal transitions.
5. Plan steps to manage each transition effectively.
6. Write their first experience in childhood of managing a life transition.
7. Compare their childhood and present-day examples and look for similarities and differences in coping strategies.
8. Compile examples of past successful transitions and apply them to present transitions.

Gruppen werden in Therapien, bei Beratungen in Unternehmen und anderen Gelegenheiten benutzt. Gruppenarbeit kann sehr produktiv, manchmal aber auch destruktiv sein, je nach sich entwickelnder Gruppendynamik. Gruppen kreieren immer ihre besondere Dynamik, oft beeinflusst oder dominiert durch den unbewussten Lebensstil einiger einzelner Gruppenteilnehmer. Dieses Seminar will zeigen, wie die Teilnehmer und der Gruppenleiter den Gruppenprozess kreieren und wie dieser für die Gruppenentwicklung und Wachstum genutzt werden kann.

Learning objectives 

Participants will be able to:
1. Differentiate at least 4 settings of groups.
2. Name at least 4 points which influence the group dynamics.
3. Identify different group position of group members.
4. Analyze and address unconscious transference according to family constellation, e.g. birth order.
5. Identify the dynamics of feelings in groups and how to handle them.
6. Analyze the facilitator’s role as part of the group process.
7. Discuss what aspects of group dynamics and leadership they have experienced.
8. State how he or she will use groups and group dynamics in his or her future work.

There is a power in groups. In groups we play, learn and work; we actualize our potential in a useful or useless manner. In this course we will experience how interventions operate in the family, school and workplace and learn how to empower ourselves and others. Young participants are welcome – they will teach us to see things from their perspective. Open to Youth.

Learning objectives 

Participants will be able to:
1. Be able to name the three main social groups.
2. Identify positive and negative purposes in Dreikurs´ Four Goals.
3. Practise empathy through playing different roles.
4. Create at least three new alternatives for solving issues.
5. Practice giving and receiving positive feedback in dyads and triads.
6. Recognize at least five of their own strengths.
7. Identify at least five strengths in others.
8. Create an action plan for using the material learned in the personal or professional life beyond ICASSI.

Gegenseitiger Respekt und Gleichwertigkeit sind die Grundlage erfolgreicher Kommunikation. Eine Veränderung unserer Einstellungen verändert auch unsere Sprache und unsere Art zu kommunizieren, wodurch gleichberechtigte und gewaltfreie Kommunikation ermöglicht wird. In diesem Kurs werden wir effektive Kommunikationsstrategien anwenden, aber vor allem diese auch im Umgang mit Jugendlichen und Gesprächspartnern üben. Es wäre toll, wenn sich Jugendliche für diesen Kurs einschreiben, würden, damit wir gemeinsam zu einer besseren Kommunikation untereinander finden. Offen für alle, die ihr Kommunikationsverhalten hinterfragen und verändern möchten. Offen für Jugendliche.

Learning objectives 

Participants will be able to:
1. Ermutigendes Feedback trainieren.
2. Aktives Zuhören anwenden.
3. Ich Botschaften benutzen und vergleichen mit ursprünglichen  Äusserungen.
4. Analysieren und festhalten von hilfreichen oder hinderlichen Formulierungen.
5. Eigene Situationen reflektieren.
6. 3 bis 5 positive Aspekte im Verhalten erkennen.
7. Effektive Strategien entwickeln, um eine ermutigende Atmosphäre herzustellen.
8. Entdecken welche unterschiedlichen und gemeinsamen Erwartungen Jugendliche und Erwachsene haben.

Alle Kulturen kennen das Schreiben u.a. mit dem Ziel, dem Ich zu begegnen, es zu begreifen. Schreiben macht die Spuren des Lebensstils sichtbar und als Geschriebenes überprüfbar. So klärt das Schreiben das innere Chaos und entlastet; es kann sogar wie ein Medikament wirken. Wandel im Leben ist der zentrale Schreibanlass. “Häutungen” nennt es das Märchen. Umfinalisierung nennt es die Individualpsychologie. Offen für Jugendliche.

Learning objectives 

1. Gesunde biomechanische Abläufe beherrschen lernen.
2. Gesundheitliche Defizite präventiv in jedem Alter aktiv bearbeiten.
3. Sportmedizinisches  Wissen in der Wirklichkeit überprüfen.
4. Gemessene Daten (z.B. Blutdruck) in Zusammenhängen bewerten.
5. Das eigene Training wie auch das Training mit anderen ermutigend steuern.
6. Aktive Pausen, Regenerationen in das Trainingsprogramm einfügen.

Alcoholics and other substance addicts are unpopular patients. They are considered difficult, being easily offended, accusing others and lying. By looking at the development of their addiction, we will try to understand how the substance is used to face the tasks of life and achieve a felt plus and why the unpopular features are logical, understandable and even make sense. Open to Youth.

Learning objectives 

Participants will be able to:
1. Describe the development of an addiction.
2. Name the tasks of life by Alfred Adler and Rudolf Dreikurs.
3. Bring examples for the intention of substance use in the attempt to fulfill the tasks of life.
4. Explain the learning of positive drug effects.
5. Describe compensation of inferiority feelings in an addict.
6. Explain what “Alcoholic alibis” are and work on a psychodynamic level.
7. Define the terms use, misuse, abuse and addiction.
8. Explain the goal-directedness of behavior in the context of addiction.

As humans we are both‘a part of’and‘a-part from’the social world. We have our own psychological inner world (based on lifestyle and private logic), with psychological boundaries that separate us from the outside world and the inner world of others. This experiential course examines how self-boundary awareness and maintenance of our inner world can enhance self-esteem, autonomy, compassion and respect in our relationship with others.

Learning objectives 

Participants will be able to:
1. Describe 3 functions of psychological boundaries in social life.
2. Describe the 3 locations of attention: the intrapersonal space, the intrapersonal space of another person and the extra personal space between (i.e. the interpersonal space).
3. Describe and analyze their own movement between the 3 locations of attention.
4. Explain the relationship between lifestyle and private logic and the concept of psychological inner world and psychological boundaries.
5. Describe and demonstrate the differences between compassion and empathy using the 3 locations of attention.
6. Use the metaphor of ‘the inner garden’ for the inner psychological world and ‘garden fence’ for the psychological boundaries.
7. Use and practice the 3-dimensional boundary projective method using colored wool felt figures, the wooden sticks and basic wooden figures in dyads.
8. Explain how they will use the metaphor of ‘the inner garden’ and corresponding psychological movements in their own private and working life.

So They Will Listen and Listen So Gamers Will Talk: Using the Language and Metaphors of Video Games in Play Therapy and Counseling Understand what your clients mean when they talk about the video games they play? Have a clue how to use the language and metaphors from video games in your play therapy and counseling sessions? No? Come to this workshop, and you will!

Learning objectives 

Participants will be able to:
1. Apply vocabulary used by gamer play therapy clients to communicate with clients, using the language that gamers speak.
2. Ask questions and make observations about specific genres of video games and about specific games in each genre as a way to build relationships with and gain insight into clients who identify as gamers.
3. Use metaphors present in specific video games as a vehicle for teaching coping strategies and helping clients gain insight and begin to consider making shifts in their feelings, thinking, and behaving.
4. Design therapeutic metaphors consistent with the content in specific video games to teach coping strategies and help clients gain insight and begin to make shifts in their feelings, thinking, and behaving.
5. Consult with parents (and teachers) of child and adolescent clients about clients’ interest in and usage of video games and make suggestions for appropriate decisions about the type of video games they are allowed to play and the time they are allowed to play them. 
6. Consult with parents (and teachers) of child and adolescent clients about information about current research (pro and con) about video games].
7. Design interventions using the metaphors, language, and plot points in specific video games to help clients learn and practice coping strategies, self-regulation, positive self-talk, and enhance Crucial Cs.
8. Have tools for considering whether to use selected video games in their therapy sessions to help clients work on self-esteem, anxiety management, and cooperative behavior.

Receiving regular and restorative supervision is a crucial aspect of being an effective helping professional. This highly practical class, drawing on Adlerian principles, will be of value to both new and experienced supervisors. We will explore the multiple dynamics of supervision, identify how to build a supervisory relationship that combines equality, authority and encouragement, practice giving supervisory feedback, and use some creative methods.

Learning objectives 

Participants will be able to:

1. Identify and apply the 7 ‘eyes’ (Hawkins and Shohet) and 3 tasks models of supervision.
2. Create a collaboratively developed supervision contract with a supervisee.
3. Recognize the presence of the parallel process in supervision.
4. Describe and use encouragement principles in supervisory feedback practice.
5. Practice the use of immediacy and Socratic questioning in supervision.
6. Apply the skills of combining support and challenge in a supervisory relationship.
7. Identify the impact of power, authority, difference and equality in supervision.
8. Practice creative supervision techniques in dyads.

To enjoy family relationships is not always an easy task, and family issues can be a source of multiple conflicts. On the basis of the classical Adler-Dreikurs model, a systemic family perspective is introduced and integrated. Problem situations presented by the participants will serve as examples for experiential learning by means of role-playing, sculpting, and enactment of the problem situation.

Learning objectives

Participants will be able to:

1. Demonstrate their knowledge about the Adlerian-Dreikurs approach of dealing with difficult situations in the family.
2. Use techniques of intervening in family conflicts.
3. Use the sculpting technique when working with families.
4. Identify the mechanisms of projection, transference and countertransference.
5. Reflect on their own past and present family situation.
6. Integrate the sculpting technique into Adlerian theory.
7. Identify power struggles in family relationships.
8. Relate the basic tenets of system theory to Adlerian theory. 

This program is designed to teach coping strategies in daily stressful situations. Using Adlerian encouragement principles in various creative ways, enables us to deal with daily life pressures.

Learning objectives 

Participants will be able to:
1. Demonstrate the model of BASIC PH.
2. Compare the model of BASIC PH with the principles of encouragement.
3. Practice meditation as a principle of encouragement.
4. Invent creative tools to deal with stress.
5. Use imagination to deal with stress.
6. Use discussion as a tool to ease stress.
7. Use games as a way to cope.
8. Practice the choice of feelings as ways to deal with stress.

Adler identified that safe guarding is often the goal of various behaviors, symptoms, and emotions. This course will examine the conceptualization of mental health disorders and emotions from an Adlerian perspective. Assessment, conceptualization, and treatment implications of various symptoms and disorders will be reviewed.

Learning objectives 

Participants will be able to:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of how the IP model can be used to conceptualize DSM-5 Disorders.
2. Analyze IP theory and how it explains human suffering, emotions, and disorders.
3. Describe the function of DSM-5 symptoms for different disorders from in a social context.
4. Practice applying IP theory with case vignettes of those suffering from various disorders.
5. Assess bio-psycho-social elements of client’s current symptoms, needs, and resistance to change from an Adlerian Perspective.
6. Develop a treatment plan taking account of client’s goals, beliefs, and purpose of symptoms.
7. Identify how best to engage client in treatment, and work with resistance.
8. Predict the likely challenges of the reorientation phase of the therapy.

Gender is a central part of our personal identity and has individual meaning. Discomfort around gender identity may be experienced and expressed in different ways and affect relationships and areas of life. During this course we will explore different aspects of gender and personal identity using an Adlerian framework, including influences, purposeful behavior and emotional responses.

Learning objectives 

Participants will be able to:
1. Define biological sex, gender, gender identity, gender roles, sexuality and sexual orientation.
2. Practice in pairs taking lifestyle information and linking this to gender and gender issues.
3. Understand key aspects of private logic that link to gender.
4. Understand gender identity and expression in relation to Adlerian concepts.
5. Identify the purpose of emotional responses around gender.
6. Identify how encouragement and increased social interest may be used as therapeutic interventions.
7. Describe the importance of personal growth and creativity in therapeutic practice related to gender.
8. Identify areas of safeguarding behaviour and to construct an appropriate personal growth plan.

This introductory course offers a foundational model of Adlerian Coaching through a creative, interactive and hands-on approach. The course introduces principles of Adlerian Psychology along with a model and process associated with an Adlerian approach to professional coaching, and anchors students in the coaching mindset while practicing core competencies of coaching as outlined by the International Coach Federation (ICF). Open to Youth.

Learning objectives 

Participants will be able to:
1. Explain key concepts of Adlerian Psychology and its use in coaching.
2. Describe coaching and its relationship to positive change.
3. Demonstrate key concepts of an ICA coaching conversation framework.
4. Demonstrate effective listening and acknowledgement skills in coaching.
5. Apply effective questioning skills in coaching.
6. Examine the role of choice in coaching and the change process.
7. Explore the role of intuition in coaching.
8. Apply tools for recognizing strengths and clarifying values in coaching.