Sunday, December 04, 2005

Long time, no post

A few things to report:

1. Very interesting (if unintended) thread on PCA-Events recently, precipitated by an individual's attempts to get some guidance as to where one can get classical ('purist') good old fashioned, honest-to-goodness, non-directive, client-centred counselling training these days. The phrase 'rocking horse s**t' comes to mind.

Incidentally, for those who are not signed up to PCA-Events, it has become much better in recent times!

2. Wild tangent this, but anyone interested in a mind-bogglingly comprehensive Handbook of Medicinal Spices in pdf format (nearly 4.5 Mb in size so make sure your email or flaky dial-up connection can deal with it)? Copies on CD-R for a small donation (mail pcayorks@yahoo.co.uk to order!).

3. The December meeting of PCAyorks took place today, with the following persons present: Paul Colley, Patricia Hender, Catherine Higgins, Derek Lawton, Seamus Nash, Cathy Theaker, Haydn Tomlinson, Susan Waller, Jenny Wallin. Apologies were received from: Kathryn Fitch, Ann Simon. (Please note this is by way of a record - not done in an effort to 'name and shame/praise' or to differentiate). As there was no agenda and no-one to minute what was said or what ground was covered, these notes are by way of personal reflection on - not an official record of - the meeting.

Firstly, how refreshing to be in the same room at the same time as more than one (or, if you're lucky, two) other members of 'the tribe'! Those of us no longer / not currently involved in PC training - where regular/ongoing access to a 'family'/learning community can sometimes be taken for granted - expressed something of our appreciation and need for that simple but fundamental 'being with others' dimension of what our coming together represents. It seems like a statement of the glaringly obvious to say of a meeting that we came together, but to connect with others and to feel a part of and united in something is a pretty basic need. If no-one had said anything (quakeristic thoughts often flash into my head when I'm in a PC group!) it would have been enough that I was not alone in my striving to be PC silence.

I can't stress this aspect enough. There is simply no substitute for the experience of being with like-minded souls.

As it happens, silence was in fairly short supply. I would like to reel off, in Generation Game-fashion (showing my age) some of the points, ideas, contributions that are still fresh in my mind, in order to give a flavour of what 'went down' - and in the hope that saying some of them again will help to fan the sparks into something stronger, more tangible and sustainable. This is neither a comprehensive nor a chronological list of what was said - just bullet-pointy nuggets of stuff that left an impression on me.
  • Warding against drift / making sure we are person centred
  • Isolation and influence
  • The quest for purity
  • The crisis in training
  • The need to read
  • Becoming inspired and (re)energised
  • Way of being vs. mode of doing
  • The role of the flipchart - tool or metaphor
  • Refugees & asylum seekers - re-educating OURselves

My head is starting to hurt now. You get the gist.

4. NEXT MEETING IS 22 JANUARY 2006!!

Please email your intentions to pcayorks@yahoo.co.uk

Watch out over the next day or two for proposed meeting dates for Feb/March.

Stay in touch, keep checking the blog. Over and out.

PC (Paul Colley - great initials, great guy).

2 comments:

Dave said...

Seems like you had a good meeting. Nice to see a healthy turnout. I'm trying to make PCA Events more relevant to more rareas of the country than just being London-centric (used to live in Leeds, remember what that felt like).

If there is anything you can contribute, from thoughts to workshops or courses, please visit and post.

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