The Facilitators

THE FACILITATORS

Meet the Facilitators & Speakers

Joyce Callus M.A. Diploma in Adlerian Psychology

Biography
M.A (Brunel University of London); B.A. (U.O.M.);  Diplomate in Adlerian Psychology.( NASAP) Over forty years experience as aneducator Devised and run Adlerian  programmes – THERE MUST BE ANOTHER WAY forParents and EducatorsPart time Staff Member of the GovermentInstitute for EducationPart time  lecturer at the University of MaltaMember of the ICASSI faculty for thepast twenty years.  Carried out Outreachprogrammes in Adlerian Education in various countries amongst which  Ireland, Bulgaria, Romania, China ... In private practiceCo founder of the MALTA ADLERIANPSYCHOLOGY ASSOCIATIONRegular contributor  in a number of TV/ Radio programmes and theprinted media

Workshops
LIFE IS NOT BEING BUT BECOMING  A. ADLER
This hands – on course provides participants with an overview of the  Adlerian concepts on the development of the personality, apperceptions and inferiority feelings in early childhood.  How is this linked to striving?Is striving positive or negative? Through discussions and practical activities  insight is gained into these concepts and their influence in  daily life.

BORN IN A WORLD OF GIANTS
Adler believed that the individual wants to move from a perceived minus to a perceived plus ,and this can turn striving into thriving. By exploring particular skills  together with the  concept of social interest this course offers a guide as to how movement towards the useful side of life can be achieved  thus bypassing moving towards  the useless side of life  in today’s society

Plenary
ROOTS AND WINGS
This presentation demonstrates the strength that lies behind these two special gifts that parents can pass on to their children. Gifts that enhance adult life, for after all we carry our childhood all our life.

Dr. Peggy Pelonis

Biography
Dr. Peggy Pelonis is Dean of Academic & Student Affairs at the American Community Schools of Athens, Greece.  She earned a Doctorate degree in Education from the University of Bath, UK, an M.Sc. degree in Counseling and School Psychology from California State University, Fullerton (where she also received two awards for Outstanding Student and Outstanding Research), an Executive M.B.A. from the University of Indianapolis and a B.S. in English Literature and Psychology from the American College of Greece

Dr. Pelonis is a Licensed Psychotherapist and holds School Counseling Certification from the State of California.  As well, she is a National Certified Psychologist and holds a diploma in Clinical Hypnosis.  Dr. Pelonis was on the staff of Cal State University Fullerton as well as the University of LaVerne teaching in the Master’s Psychology program, she was  on the staff of the Adlerian Training Institute, USA and is currently on the staff of ICASSI (International Committee of Adlerian Summer Schools and Institutes).  She is Chair of the Special Interest Group of the European Collaborative for International Schools (ECIS) and works with Middle States Association (MSA) as a team member and leader for school accreditation.

An active leadership and personal and professional growth coach and trainer and a trainer of school leadership and transformation, Dr. Pelonis conducts workshops in Europe, the Middle East and the USA.  She iss founder of ISOS Counseling and Educational Center and continues to conduct workshops and groups on Change and is a frequent lecturer at conferences as well as an invited speaker on various TV and radio programs.   Her work on Coping with Change, Resilience as well as on Leadership in Education and Educational Transformation has been cited in journals, magazines and books. She is the author of numerous journal articles, book chapters and magazine & newspaper articles, as well as books: “Change in the journey of life” Fytraki publications Athens, 2001, “Yparho Allazo”  I Exist, I Change) Isorropon publications, Athens 2006 and “Things Change” OIAKISTIS publications, Athens 2018.  Her Doctoral work involved international schools from around the world examining the views of Head of Schools and Principals regarding professional development in such schools.

Workshops
Understanding and coping with Life’s wanted and unwanted Changes
Change is inevitable.  Whether change is chosen and desired or unwanted and takes us by surprise the process we traverse and experience is different to each of us based on our unique personality and coping style.  The workshop is designed provide insight via numerous experiential exercises about individual participant’s unique coping style.  Basic Lifestyle strategies will be used to explore strengths and weaknesses, resources, core beliefs and maladaptive reactions to change in coping.  Each individual will come away with an understanding of their unique coping style, the process of change and how to change course when things don’t work.

Lifestyle Assessment and Spirituality
Personal belief systems often include core beliefs that are embedded in our private logic. Our spiritual belief system can be as source of support, inspiration and strength and/or a source of discouragement, self criticism and guilt.  Using Lifestyle Assessment individuals will explore personal belief systems, understand how core beliefs influence behaviour and examine how spirituality can help us lead meaningful lives.

Plenary
DISCOVERING THE LEADER IN YOU USING LIFESTYLE ASSESSMENT
Participants will engage in a thought experiment involving a group/organization/system/school that they wish to lead or already lead.  This thought experiment will involve self-reflection and exercises that will assist individuals to understand how one’s leadership approach and style is shaped by past experience, beliefs about the world, role models and private logic.

Richard Watts

Biography
Richard is distinguished professor of counselling at Texas State University. He has written extensively on Adler and many other topics in journals, papers, chapters in books and his own books.

Workshops
Integrative Adlerian Therapy: Tailoring Treatment to Clients’ Needs
Via discussion, demonstration, and practice, this course is designed to provide attendees with (a) understanding of Adlerian therapy techniques and selected techniques from closely related therapeutic approaches and (b) understanding of when, where and how these procedures best fit in the therapeutic process according to the phases of Adlerian therapy and the Client Stages of Change Model.

Using the Integrated Developmental Model (IDM) in Supervision: AnAdlerian Perspective
Supervision models guide supervisors in teaching knowledge and skills, facilitating development, and evaluating the supervisee’s growth. The Integrated Developmental Model (IDM) of Supervision is a useful approach to supervision that works well with many approaches to counselling and psychotherapy. This course will (a) introduce participants to the process and practice of using the IDM in supervision, (b) discuss how Adlerian theory and practice readily integrates with IDM, and (c) explain how specific Adlerian techniques that can be usefully applied to supervision in an Adlerian/IDM supervision perspective.

Plenary
THE ORIGINAL POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
The contemporary relevance of Adler’s thinking is evident in many streams of contemporary psychological thinking, including positive psychology. This lecture will address the enormous common ground between Adler’s mature theoretical ideas and the contemporary positive psychology movement in demonstrating that Adler’s psychological theory and approach to helping people is the original positive psychology.

Rosemarie White

Biography
I took my Diploma in Adlerian Counselling in 2008 with Bucks Adlerian Training and from there went on to take the Certificate in the Adlerian Facilitation of Parent Education Groups (2009), Certificate in Supervision an Adlerian Integrative Approach (2011), City and Guilds Level 4 Award in Work with Parents (2011) and the introductory certificate in Adlerian Family Counselling (2014). All of my Adlerian and parenting training took place following a career of over 25 years in Business mainly HR and recruiting placing IT Consultants and specialists and providing systems solutions.Married for over 40 years I am a mother and grandmother and whilst semi-retired I continue to offer supervision via Skype and am part of the Adlerian Skype Research Group. I am passionate about Individual Psychology and the work of Alfred Adler and am currently seeking opportunities to promote his works and theories in the glorious county of Somerset

Workshops
A TALK ABOUT SPIRALS
As a member of the Adlerian Skype Research Group I find it easy to talk about my passions, beliefs and understanding of Adlerian Theory and its applications.  Fortunately for me we are able to record our sessions and I can go back and see and hear myself speaking and explaining myself in the moment.

I have been actively encouraged to write about what I say but find that extremely hard to do.  Where to start, how to organise my material and my thoughts.  I recall completing my diploma application and trawling back over client notes for ‘evidence’ of my growth and my influence on my clients.  What did I do, what was the impact and how did I know that?  This became more true when I investigated the accreditation process. All the evidence was there somewhere but I was drowning in bits of paper.

Joy Mounter joined our Skype Research Group late in 2018 and comes from a teaching background.  She introduced us to SPIRALS a learning process Joy developed with children in her primary class. Together they created ‘a space we could hold open for our learning and reflections: a space for reflection and reflexivity over time: a space to generate or own understandings and self-identity, giving us the energy of motivation’. Based on Belle Wallace TASC wheel, ‘Spirals is intended to help us to discover, explore and improve ourselves with respect to what gives meaning and purpose to each of our lives.  One of the oldest geometric shapes, the spiral is fundamental in nature, design and religion’.

I have adopted the use of Spirals in my work with Adlerian diploma students along with the 7 eyed model for supervision. This I find useful for me to identify what works well for students and to have a structure in which to examine the counselling and supervisory process in a 3-dimensional manner whilst holding a timeline of individual development and learning.  

Consequently, I use Spirals to record my work, case notes and reflections and as it is all dated it is easy to retrieve. Because of the way it is structured it encourages me to reflect on what took place, the outcomes and my successes and note when I could have done things differently?  I question my purpose and if I am living my values in my work. What conclusions am I coming to from the sessions, am I open about my thinking or ‘acting as if’? In addition, I hold the client in mind and their presenting issue.  Rather than thinking in rigid silos, I use separate spirals for each topic, exploring the relationships between them and allow them to overlap.  For example, the placement where the counsellor is working, their contract, policies and working practices and the environment forms the context within which the counsellor and their client meet.  They may require a dialogue with me too and that may need to be negotiated with all parties.

Learning to work effectively with the Adlerian Tool kit takes time and practice and when discussing interventions used with counsellors and their effectiveness with clients there is a lot to explore.  Again, the use of the 3-dimensional process of Spirals works well in capturing a rounded view of the client from the Lifestyle work including Family Constellation, Early Recollections, Socratic Questioning, Social interest as flowing from and into each other rather than in isolation. Over time through recording notes and insights in this way supervisees can see how their understanding of theory has deepened and how they have become more skilled practitioners with improved outcomes.

As insights, strengths, discoveries and values are presented by the counsellor in their work and this information is collated and dated by both of us, the spirals process leads each of us through our own self-examination and reflection on what has taken place and explores feelings of failure and concern over ‘not knowing’ alongside achievements, excitement at discoveries and insights.  Nothing is shared unless the individual chooses to share but the record is there for personal reflection and growth, so nothing is lost.

During my talk I will describe the Spirals Process but will leave you with the first step to consider:

Dear Me
A conversation with yourself.  Reflecting on past experiences and present situations and starting from here can you identify what values, passions, beliefs, opinions, attitudes and interests have brought you to where you are now.  The question is ‘What is important to me now?’ and ‘How do I account for my successes and difficulties?’ ‘Where do I want to be?’