Dealing with the stress of a looming deadline, or perhaps calming sibling turmoil at home, may become easier following the introduction of four new seminars and workshops at the G.P. Counselling and Educational Centre.
The workshops commence this weekend and are aimed at “personal and professional development”. Sounds great, but exactly what are these workshops?
According to Gabriella Phillipou, a psychotherapist and counsellor at the centre, one of the workshops entitled “How to handle Anxiety”, for example, can do just that, acting as a type of support group where eight to 20 fellow anxious individuals can share their stories and engage in guided discussion.
“The workshops are experiential, meaning everyone will be urged to contribute and describe when they feel anxiety,” she said. “Sharing experiences can be very therapeutic; the more you express feelings, the less the negative impacts of stress can affect you.”
The workshops will also provide a theoretical aspect. “We will look at what anxiety is, what the sources are, and teach different techniques of relaxation,” she said.
“We will also explore the impact anxiety has on organs of the body and environmental factors that can affect anxiety levels, for example poor working environments”.
Another of the workshops is geared towards children and adolescents and entitled “A Journey into the World of Emotions”. Activities such as painting, role playing, writing and analysing passages about emotions will all help promote a healthy approach to dealing with emotions. This workshop is also based on experiential education by encouraging the children to talk about their emotions and recognise and understand their peers’ feelings.
“This workshop is good at dealing with sibling rivalry, showing the children how to handle emotions, especially negative ones,” Phillipou explained, “for example learning to not smash their brother’s toy airplane!
“Parents aren’t very democratic at laying down boundaries, which is something children need,” she added, so the workshop will also look into teaching children to be responsible for their own emotions and fulfilling their obligations.
Some of the workshops are primarily available in Greek, but arrangements can be made to deliver them in English.
n For further information including dates, titles and costs of various workshops contact Gabriella Philippou by e-mail [email protected] or by telephone (+357 99 342225), or visir www.gp-cec.com
