Upcoming community art counselling training (40 CPDs)

Lefika La Phodiso’s community art counselling course is now accredited for a total of 40 CPDs for psychologists, arts therapists and registered counsellors. You can do all eight modules (40 CPDs) or you can choose to do one or more modules for 5 CPDs each. This unique training developed by art therapist, Dr Hayley Berman, has developed and evolved over 20 years, and is now offered via an online training platform. Community art counselling combines theory and practice with group work and art-making, online and in the Zoom room.

Our next intake for the online community art counselling course is open for applications. The first experiential Zoom reflective group will take place on Saturday 25 June at 12h30. If you are interested in starting in June, please go straight to our website to register and purchase the modules. Email training@lefiklaphodiso.co.za for more information about registering and paying for the course. The FAQ section of our website is also useful. Click on this link to watch a lovely video introducing the community art counselling training.

Alternatively, you can register for individual modules, see full programme of training dates below. We strongly recommend that if you register for individual modules, you first complete Module 1: Introduction to community art counselling. 

The online training is set up in a such a way that you can go through the course material in your own time, watching video lectures (there are between four and ten video presentations to watch for each module), reading course material, undertaking art activities, reflections, assignments, quizzes and an assessment at the end of each module.

Although the training is at NQF level 5, it is designed in such a way that the student can take the experience to a much deeper level in terms of reading and the assignments. There are additional resources, including video links, readings and websites to deepen your learning.

The online learning is supplemented by a weekly two-hour experiential Zoom session where participants get to experience being part of a group, creating images and reflecting on these images. Drama therapist and Lefika managing director, Rozanne Myburgh, and Kate Shand, art therapist in training, community art counsellor and Lefika communications manager, co-facilitate these sessions.

Click on the link to meet the video presenters - these are a combination of experienced community art counsellors, academics, art therapists and experts in various fields.

Module 1: Introducing community art counselling (5 CPDs)

What is a community art counsellor

Dates: 25 June (Intro), 2 - 23 July

Time: Meet on Zoom each Saturday from 12h30 to 14h30

Cost: R1875

Duration: Approximately 30 hours

Topics covered include what is counselling, the aims of counselling, creating a group contract and a safe space, photography, social media, the replication of art work, the studio space and storage of artworks. The reflective journal, working with children and children's rights, and the differences between art therapy and community art counselling, and the role of the image and objects are explored.

Module 2: The counselling process (5 CPDs)

Empathy and sympathy in community art counselling

Dates: 6 - 27 August

Time: Meet on Zoom each Saturday from 12h30 to 14h30

Cost: R1875

Duration: Approximately 30 hours

The counselling process and stages are explored from a person-centred approach. The essential characteristics of a community art counsellor, including empathy, sympathy, identification are covered. Topics include ethics, effective communication and counselling skills, listening, emotions, responding, using questions constructively, probes and prompts, clarification, partialising and summarising, and developing action strategies.

Module 3: Psychoanalytic approaches and theories (5 CPDs)

The origins of community art counselling

Dates: 10 September - 8 October

Time: Meet on Zoom each Saturday from 12h30 to 14h30

Cost: R1875

Duration: Approximately 30 hours

Re-entering a space and why this is important and how to facilitate smooth transitions for your group are explored. Psychoanalytic concepts such as the unconscious, symbols, free association, internal and external worlds, defences, transference and countertransference, dreams and social dreaming, attachment, containment and holding are covered. The Lefika model is contextualised in relation to psychoanalytic understanding and community-based work in the South African context.

Module 4: Group work (5 CPDs)

The group process with examples

Dates: 15 October - 5 November

Time: Meet on Zoom each Saturday from 12h30 to 14h30

Cost: R1875

Duration: Approximately 30 hours

The introduction to group work, beginnings and how to facilitate them are introduced. Group theory and practice are unpacked, looking at the development of a group, group function, influence techniques, directive and non-directive work.

Module 5: Trauma (5 CPDs)

Working with trauma

Dates: 7 - 28 June; or 19 November - 10 December

Time: Meet on Zoom each Tuesday 19h00-21h00 (7-28 June); or each Saturday 12h30-14h30 (19 Nov-10 Dec)

Cost: R1875

Duration: Approximately 30 hours

Trauma and the community art counsellor’s role to address it is explored. Different group activities using art-making are investigated, as well as somatic body scans, the limbic system and various trauma debriefing techniques. How group work impacts trauma is explored.

Module 6: Social action and visual research (5 CPDs)

The role of art in addressing social justice issues

Dates: 15 August - 5 September 2022; or 14 January - 4 February 2023

Time: Meet on Zoom each Tuesday 19h00-21h00 (15 Aug-5 Sept); or Saturday 12h30-14h30 (14 Jan - 4 Feb)

Cost: R1875

Duration: Approximately 30 hours

Social psychology theories and social action (including participatory action research) and ethics are covered, as well as methods of visual research such as photography and responding to images. Other techniques include body mapping, visual listening, community mapping, creating murals and how the theory and practice can be integrated.

Module 7: Social entrepreneurship (5 CPDs)

Lefika La Phodiso as an example of social entrepreneurship

Dates: 15 September - 10 October 2022; or 18 February - 11 March 2023

Time: Meet on Zoom each Tuesday 19h00-21h00 (15 Sept-10 Oct); or Saturday 12h30-14h30 (18 Feb-11 March)

Cost: R1875

Duration: Approximately 30 hours

The definition and theories of social entrepreneurship and personal leadership are covered. Monitoring and evaluation, the problem tree, and how to do needs assessments are included, as well as basic project management skills and presentation skills.

Module 8: Bereavement, loss and endings (5 CPDs)

The healing found in working with clay in bereavement

Dates: 24 October - 14 November 2022; or 25 March - 15 April (Closing 22 April) 2023

Time: Meet on Zoom each Tuesday 19h00-21h00 (4 Oct-14 Nov); or Saturday 12h30-14h30 (25 March-15 April)

Cost: R1875

Duration: Approximately 30 hours

Endings are as important as beginnings. In this module we cover how to work with life limiting conditions, bereavement, the stages of grief and how to address this in a community art counselling context. Other topics include Covid, HIV/AIDS, climate change, reflection and endings.