TRANSPERSONAL ECOPSYCHOLOGY
Open Learning Course
Your Course Leader
Paul Maiteny is a psychotherapist (in private practice), an ecologist and anthropologist. He is a steering committee member of the transpersonal faculty of the UKCP. With 30 years’ experience in ecological education and research, he has been publishing on what is now known as ecopsychology since the 1990s, focusing on its psychospiritual and cultural dimensions.
Paul has held research and teaching posts at Oxford and Open Universities, and UCL. Research interests include psycho-spiritual and socio-cultural causes and consequences of ecological problems, the possible evolution of sustainability, human evolution in transpersonal (andeco-systemic) context, and clues to the latter within spiritual-religious texts, scriptures and myths. He has always been inspired by the invisible web of relationships between beings that constitute the eco-system.
Course Overview
We are living in unsettled times in which systems essential to life itself, ecological, social and personal, are being dis-integrated by human desires and behaviours. We created the strange, some would say illogical, predicament of undermining our existence through the psycho-cultural systems we have designed to make our lives better.
This option provides means of understanding the psycho-spiritual and psycho-cultural causes and consequences of ecological breakdown, and the human transformations necessary to resolving it. It is alchemical work since 1. all life is made of the primal materials of earth, water, fire (sunlight) and air that has evolved increasingly complex forms and capacities to the point of a species (us) that has the capacity to use its knowledge literally to destroy or integrate on a planetary scale; 2. we humans have been warning ourselves of the consequences of exploiting the ecosystem (aka evolved creation), rather than aligning with it, for millennia through the spiritual sages and wisdoms of all traditions. They did not have ecological language, however, their teachings contain profound psycho-ecological warnings and insights in ‘coded’, symbolic language.
Transpersonal ecopsychology, then, brings the spiritual, psycho-emotional, socio-cultural and ecological aspects of existence together in a related way. It explores 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.
We explore how and why Homo Sapiens, in all our dimensions, are dependent on and participants in the planetary ecosystem, and how this is a living transpersonal embodiment. For decades, ecological scientists have explained and warned about the breakdown of ecological life-support systems that human ways of living have generated, and that we are now experiencing. This option seeks to shed light on the deeper human, unconscious, instinctual dynamics of it as well as the possibilities of evolving our way through to sustaining psychospiritual life as members of this ecosystemic body. This is explored through readings and other resources, and discussion with peers and the tutor.
In this course you’ll get an opportunity to:
Entry requirements
There are no formal entry requirements to study this qualification. We offer this course to people seeking personal development or to those wishing to learn about creativity and transformation.
Enrolment information
Length of study: 10 weeks.
Before each course begins you will be provided with a Course Outline which will list the reading materials, time-lines, and any activities required as part of the course. This course features 2 discussion forums, experiential activities and several live webinars.
Fee: £400.00
In addition to the course materials you’ll receive 1-to-1 tuition and access to our unique collaborative learning environment.
Start date: February 2020
This course runs for 10 weeks and starts in February of each year. You can study at your own pace and partake in the webinars and forums as much as you like.
Enrolment/Information Request
If you would like to enrol, or request more information on our ‘Transpersonal Ecopsychology’ course then simply complete the form below and a member of our team will contact you. We offer a unique transformational learning experience and will be here to guide you through every step of your journey with Alef Trust.
