Open Learning Course
Transpersonal ecopsychology
Knowing your role in a conscious Earth
Start date: February 2023. Length of study: 10 weeks. Tuition: £450
Overview
We are living in extremely destabilised times. We humans are undermining life-support ecosystems essential to life itself, ecological, social and personal. It is a tragic irony that we have been doing so with the aim of making our lives better. We have now reached the threshold point where the destructive results of our priorities and action is confronting us full-on. Yet, we are continuing to seek technological ‘solutions and fixes’ using the same motivations and types of thinking as have caused the devastation in the first place.
Transpersonal Ecopsychology provides a new way of thinking about and understanding human meaning and purpose as embedded participants in the ecosystem, rather than in the binary way of thinking of ourselves as ‘other’ to ‘nature’ and ‘the environment’.
- What is the place of the human species in the continuing life of planet Earth?
- What is trans-personal eco-psychology and why is it important in this process?
- What is the ecosystem, how does it work, and how do humans fit into it, as individuals, groups and species?
- What are the blocks and catalysts to changing our behaviour so that we contribute to Earth's wholeness rather than destroy it - psychological, cultural and spiritual?
- How can day-to-day attention to our choices, behaviours and priorities become a profoundly practical psycho-spiritual practice that eases our existential fears?
- What clues have we been giving ourselves for millennia through ancient spiritual-religious wisdoms, about our role as participants of planet Earth? Why have we been denying them so stubbornly?
Synopsis
This course brings the spiritual, psycho-emotional, socio-cultural and ecological aspects of existence together in a related way. It explores, under an evolutionary-ecological framework, the extent to which the quest to ‘find our meaningful place in the scheme of things’, our ‘niche’ or ‘calling’ in the context of the whole, both as persons and as species, is also the key to returning to a healthy ecological functioning of the living body we call planet Earth.
The course begins by outlining the essential, baseline principles and dynamics of ecological life-support systems. All life is made of the primal materials of earth, water, fire (sunlight) and air. Out of these have evolved increasingly complex forms and capacities, to the point of a species that has the capacity to use its knowledge literally to destroy or integrate on a planetary scale.
The course then explains the biology and psychology of individual survival, security and well-being that has driven us to unintentionally put ourselves in this position of collective harm, and the cultural processes that justify our chosen priorities.
The next stage in the course presents the fundamental change of mind and heart that is required to shift from a binary to a systemic, integrative understanding of ourselves, as species and our lives as individuals; the psycho-spiritual and psycho-cultural causes and consequences of ecological breakdown; and the human transformations necessary to resolving it.
- Explore the relevance of ecopsychology to today’s systemic crises, and in particular a transpersonal approach to ecology and ecopsychology.
- Explore the place, role and purpose of psyche in the ecosystem.
- Explore how life evolves ever deeper complexity and more expansive diversity all of which generates a harmony of parts and dynamically stable communities.
- Consider what alternative directions may be possible with regards to human membership in the ecosystem.
- Discuss your own ideas about ecopsychology with peers and the tutor in interactive forums and join live webinars, combining analytical discussion and practical exploration of your own lives.
There are no formal entry requirements to join this course. Come and study purely for personal interest and enrichment … and get the same level access as our postgraduate students who will be studying alongside you!
As the course begins, you will be provided with reading resources and a syllabus which will list the schedule and any activities required as part of the course. The course features discussion forums, experiential activities and several live webinars.
Course tutor
Paul Maiteny
Paul Maiteny is a psychotherapist (in private practice), an ecologist and anthropologist. He has been publishing on what is now known as ecopsychology since the 1990s, focusing on its psychospiritual and cultural dimensions.
Student stories
“This course has given me a new perspective on life and the tools to be of service to others. Jevon Dangeli made himself available to his students at all times. I felt completely, positively, supported and guided.”
“I have felt supported, held and encouraged by Jevon. At every opportunity he has made himself available for feedback and further questions. This journey has in some way for me pulled together all previous learnings and study to an integrated sacred wholeness. It’s not an idea or theory of possible wholeness, it’s a deeply felt sense of wholeness. I am deeply grateful to Jevon and to Alef Trust for providing this opportunity.”
“I had wanted to study transpersonal coaching psychology for a while and I must say it was a real gift to learn it with Jevon Dängeli and Hennie Geldenhuys (the tutors) who are so knowledgeable and passionate, and always present to help. Methods are very organic and effective and I am amazed at the results I got with clients. I’m looking forward to exploring this with more and more clients and I recommend this course to anyone interested in transpersonal coaching psychology. Thank you Jevon and Hennie!”
“This course has given me the knowledge and confidence to facilitate powerful transformation in people’s lives. It is truly a blessing to have Jevon Dangeli as a teacher, supervisor and mentor!”
“Thank you Jevon and Hennie. Your depth of wisdom, trust and values have been magic. The Transpersonal Coaching Psychology course has deepened my connection, trust and inner wisdom to integrate into my day to day life. The course has been a transformative journey for me and offering this to clients has been a win, win, win process. I am excited to take everything I have learnt forward and trust the unfolding of my own path.”
“I continue to have deep gratitude for what the Transpersonal Coaching Certificate course experience has offered us. Many important insights have been coming to me during our integrated practice, and we are blessed to have a beautiful community of peers. This program has had a catalytic impact on my pursuit for personal transformation and spiritual awareness. Deepening my understanding of transpersonal approaches has also contributed to a new level of embodied creativity in my screenwriting, filmmaking, curriculum design and teaching. I am constantly inspired through accessing Open Awareness.”
“The transpersonal coaching (TC) course was very cleverly designed as it chaperoned us naturally, effectively and inspiringly into the depth of understanding and skilfulness in TC. Not only did this course give me the tools, understanding and confidence I needed to be an impactful coach, but the inner journey was quite personally transformative. I experienced deep and lasting shifts in myself and in my life. I can’t recommend this course enough – highly professional, well organized, rich with information, ample community and faculty support, robust curriculum and potency in impact.”
“I am very grateful that life took me in the direction of the TCP course with its rich content and inquiry-based approach.
I valued the way in which each module was built skillfully upon each other. I appreciated the focus as we entered into peer to peer coaching, in first developing an integral practice in support of growing maturity of presence, to be able to hold space for another, and also, before fully exploring coaching models, the focus was oriented towards being fully present to the other in the co-creative coaching space. Only after experiencing and establishing rapport and the flow of a session, the structure was introduced with the lightest of touches so that the emphasis in a session moves from flow to structure in an organic client-centred way.
An integral practice has served to deepen and support an already established mindfulness practice. The course has created a core understanding of the transpersonal perspective which has served to enrich the inquiry process in mindfulness group work I do with adults and children and I’m enjoying the next steps of being in service to others in a coaching capacity.”
“A unique journey that has allowed me to experience alternative ways to discover my own SELF, opening out a world of options in my life path in a multitude of realms; and extending it to walk aside others in the discovery of their own self-realization path, in a distinctive growth-symbiosis.”
“I’m so grateful Jevon was my teacher at the Transpersonal Coaching course. He encouraged me to pursue my own methodology, always showing an enthusiastic, warm and supportive response towards my personal approach. Jevon has a unique style of teaching, he brings his full presence to the classes and transmits his knowledge with high clarity and simplicity, which is very helpful to get to the essence of the method he has created.”
“The Transpersonal Coaching course played a pivotal part in my journey of self-development. Through the course, I became more aware of my authentic self, which in turn helped me overcome the lack of purpose I was experiencing at work. The practical focus of the course really helped prepare me for real-life coaching. I learned invaluable skills that I can use to support my clients, and also skills I can use on my continued journey of self-inquiry. I would recommend this course not only to those who wish to coach but anyone who wants to connect more deeply with themselves and others.”
“A year ago I wasn’t a transpersonal coach, but now I am. And that’s not just a piece of paper saying I am one, but an embodied realisation that I am a coach. The year for me has been about growing into a role and developing both skills and confidence along the way. While it feels like a significant shift from student to professional as we embark on our careers as transpersonal coaches, when I check in to notice how it feels in my deeper Self, I notice an alignment, a ‘rightness’. So, it feels more like a “next small step” as we would say, rather than a giant leap. That for me is the biggest testament to the course. Go for it!”
“The depth and knowledge of the teachers at Alef Trust allowed for a truly authentic learning experience. The awareness and techniques I developed during the course bring light and growth to every encounter, enriching my life and the life of my clients in profound and meaningful ways.”
“Alef Trust’s Transpersonal Coaching Psychology Certificate course dramatically propelled my transformative journey, both spiritually and professionally. I will always be grateful for the vast amount of resources it put at my disposal, the thorough training, and the supportive collegial community.”
“Thank you so very much for leading us through such an amazing course. For me, it has been life changing and has come at the right time in my life when I was in a process of spiritually waking up and this has propelled me into the next phase and I am very grateful to you for enabling that through transpersonal coaching. This course has given me the confidence I lacked to make changes in my life and now I am ready to share that learning with more people. Thank you.’
“I am excited, humbled, and feel like this program has given me exactly what I have wanted to learn and create for this next chapter of my life. I am very grateful.”
“This is what I have been waiting for! The transpersonal coaching course exceeded my expectations. It has inspired me to add this approach to my inner work and path of service. This course has expanded my heart vision through applied transformative sciences and the integration of what serving the life journey of others truly means.”
