Most academic training programmes fill my head with theory and knowledge and upon completion I carry on with life or work in my usual practice perhaps applying one or two gems of the theory. I might ‘wow’ my associates with my superior understanding and secretly boast & take pride in my educational achievements, all of which help to justify my worth and value & perhaps feed my status. What a different experience I had on the post-graduate course!! This was definitely a programme whose weight and power came off the pages of the text book.
The open and experiential learning of emotional processes & the applied practical realities of them in human relationships continue to inform my work and life practice, shaping my responses as the future progressively reveals itself to me. I learned how to be with people, to connect and to remove the barriers in my heart that I had erected to keep others out. All of which I had head knowledge of before the course, but this programme offered a safe place to experiment, test, modify and prove the theory in practice. I learnt in the group the power of love that builds up and brings the best out of people rather than of knowledge that puffs up and might be used to dis empower the potential of others. I made sense of my life experiences to date, its successes and its failures, & the course empowered me with tools & the confidence to live life from an attitude of genuine love & not just the knowledge of it. It was a unique experience, in a unique setting, with a unique approach - a real jewel in the educational crown.
- Ali Mesher.
Experiences of the PGCEE
My decision to do the PGCEE course was made because I had wanted for a long time to work with people who were interested in this area of learning. People who are willing to look at themselves and their relationships and share their experiences in a safe environment. I have often been aware of the influence my own family has had on my present relationships and in this group we get the chance to explore these influences and become much more aware. The course is about emotional education and my eyes have certainly been opened to how hugely important this concept is in my everyday life. I have always been intimidated by group work, so knew this course would be a challenge for me. However, having already done one of Jean’s courses 7 years ago I knew partly what to expect. As I have gone further along the course, my perceptions of working in a group setting have changed. I still find myself feeling scared at times, but I also find it exciting and hugely rewarding. I have met some wonderful, interesting and very supportive people on this course, whom I have learned a lot from. We still have a while to go yet until the summer school, but already I feel I have been on a huge learning curve and am grateful to have had the opportunity to take part in this memorable experience.