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Advanced Diploma in Transpersonal Psychotherapy

Key information

Duration Runs every two years - next new cohort will start in 2025.
Two years, part-time, 30 weekly sessions per year on  Wednesdays 10:30am to 1:00pm, January to November
This course runs in person at CCPE ONLY
Cost Year 1 - 2025  £3400 course fees, plus a non-refundable deposit of £200 payable in advance.
Cost Year 2 - 2026 £3600
Award Advanced Diploma in Transpersonal Psychotherapy
Next Course
Term Dates		 2025-26
Term 1: 20th January - 28th March
Term 2: 22nd April - 27th June
Term 3: 8th September - 14th November
Weekends Three two-day and one three-day weekend trainings over two years and a five-day group residential in year 1 (costs included in the fees, students must organise and fund their travel to and from the residential) and a 10-day individual retreat (costs not included in the fees)
Interviews To apply for this course, you will need to email admissions@ccpe.org.uk to arrange an appointment for an interview. The interview lasts approximately 50 minutes and there is a fee of £60 .
Application form Application Form, if applicable,  will be provided at or after the interview.
*It does not include the costs of books, travel, individual and additional tutorials if required.

Introduction

The CCPE two-year Advanced Diploma in Transpersonal Psychotherapy offers in-depth training in the spiritual perspective of psychotherapy.  It is intended for qualified counsellors and psychotherapists who wish to develop their experience, knowledge, understanding of the spiritual perspective and its application to clinical work.  Emphasis is placed on the personal and spiritual development of the participants.  An Advanced Diploma in Transpersonal Psychotherapy will be awarded on completion of the course and all course requirements.  Alongside training in supervision, the award of the Advanced Diploma in Transpersonal Psychotherapy may be a route to opportunities to develop group facilitator and trainer roles.

The alchemy of transformation and the planes of consciousness

The unique curriculum of the Advanced Diploma in Transpersonal Psychotherapy is designed to balance the three strands of theory, spiritual experience and psychotherapy practice.  The alchemical model, with its stages of transformation, alchemical operations, pictorial emblems and commentaries form the first part of the theoretical model for understanding the process of psychological and spiritual transformation.  The second part of the model involves a study of the subtle levels of human consciousness (the transcendental realms) which are constantly being accessed and expressed in our lives (both consciously and unconsciously) during the process of transformation.  The role of the creative imagination is explored as a vehicle to access subtle levels of consciousness with the emphasis on accessing deeper levels of guidance to meet both the challenges of life and facilitate spiritual development.

Experiencing the model through dreamwork

Dreams are a window into our inner life and ultimately into our souls. Hence in this course they are used as prime teaching material for experiencing and understanding the process of psychic and spiritual transformation. This is where the theory of the alchemical operations, alchemical stages and planes of consciousness comes alive for us.

Although dream exploration is an art that takes years to learn, simple and safe exploratory methods will be taught and practised from week to week. This experiential work acts as a powerful tool for linking personal experience to both theory and practice.

Course outline

The course includes 60 weekly meetings, 30 sessions per year, of two and a half hours duration each, and four weekend trainings, a five day group retreat and a 10-day individual retreat.

The first year is spent studying the alchemical operations and alchemical stages of transformation in the therapeutic context.  The second year focuses on the role of creative imagination in the therapeutic journey and in our own spiritual path.  We also look at the role of guidance in therapy by contrasting the human and divine dimensions in the human being. Topics include:

Topics include:

  • The seven major alchemical operations (calcinatio, solutio, sublimatio, coagulatio, mortificatio, separatio and coniunctio).
  • The four stage alchemical model of personal transformation (images, symbols and personal expression which signify each stage).
  • The subtle inner levels (planes) of consciousness in the psyche and how life issues draw out qualities from these levels into our personality.
  • The use of the creative imagination to access deeper levels of consciousness.
  • A transpersonal theory of dreamwork. Applying the knowledge of alchemical operations, stages of transformation and planes of consciousness to dreamwork.
  • Recognising leaps in consciousness through dreamwork.
  • The four elements and Jung's four functions.
  • Distinguishing between ego and transpersonal work.
  • Stages of consciousness, awakening of the soul and of the spiritual ego.
  • Developing therapeutic presence and opening to inner guidance.

The course is delivered through the study of relevant texts, experiential work including visualisations, mediations, dreamwork and clinical experience.  The participants individual alchemical and spiritual transformation process and how this links in with the group process is an essential element in the training.

Therapeutic techniques

  • The use of creative imagination in therapy, dealing with thought forms in the body and psychological issues
  • Creative Imagination and its use in soul development
  • Dreams: working with dreams which reveal the client's spiritual growth
  • Using creative imagination in healing
  • Developing intuition to help with inner guidance

Case presentations

Students are required to make two oral case presentations showing how they have integrated the work into their personal development and psychotherapeutic practice and submit this in written form for evaluation.

Weekend seminars

The four weekends provide an opportunity to go deeper into our understanding and experience of how the Alchemical model works. The first two weekend seminars in year one deal with the Alchemical Operations involved in transformation. In year two, there are two further 3 day and 2 day weekend seminars focusing on topics such as the awakening the heart, the role of the Divine Feminine, the creative imagination and the spiritual dimension of the therapeutic relationship.

Retreats

Individual and group retreats provide the opportunity for going deeper into the experience of healing and spiritual transformation.

  • Group retreat
    The five-day residential silent retreat held in the countryside provides a unique opportunity for deeper exploration of the role of the alchemical process in spiritual transformation.  This takes place in year one. Please note that travel costs for the retreat are NOT included in the fees.
  • Individual retreat
    Each participant is required to complete a 10-day individual guided retreat in the second year of the course.  The retreat is an opportunity to turn within in order to access subtle levels of consciousness and deeper sources of spiritual wisdom.  This can lead to the discovery that  subtle levels of consciousness and spiritual guidance are both accessible and unconsciously active in everyday life. The cost of the individual retreat is NOT included in the course fee.

Entry requirements

  1. Diploma in Counselling and/or Psychotherapy.
  2. Evidence of three years of supervised psychotherapy practice.
  3. All candidates must have UKCP accreditation.

Requirements for the Award of Advanced Diploma

  • At least 80% attendance of weekly sessions, each year.
  • Attend all seminars and retreats.
  • Evidence of sufficient psychotherapy practice and supervision. Here the candidate must be seeing at least four clients per week and receiving sufficient supervision for this. The supervisor may be asked to provide a letter of evidence.
  • Case presentation of work from a spiritual perspective.

Training staff

Nigel Hamilton, Course Director
PhD., M.A. (Couns. Psych.), Dipl. Clin. Psych., & Social Psych.

Angela Gruber, Deputy Director
Cert.Ed., Dipls. Psych., Supvn. & Adv. Psych. Course Tutor.

Debra Deaville, Course  Facilitator
M.A., Dipls. Psych., Supvn, Adv. Psych.

Please note: All content may be subject to change.

CCPE equal opportunities policy

CCPE promotes equal opportunities for students, clients and staff. CCPE is committed to a policy and practice where students' admission and assessment on the course will be determined only by personal merit and performance. No applicant as a student or for a staff appointment will be treated less favourably than another. CCPE does not discriminate on the grounds of nationality, race, gender, sexual orientation, age, social class, disability, political, religious or spiritual persuasion or practice. CCPE promotes an Equal Opportunities and a Diversity Policy where students, staff and graduates recognise, respect and value the dignity and diversity of others. This statement also applies to all client practice.