3-Day Training in the Circles of Self Psychological Assessment
Virtual Information Session, July 18, 2024 at 12:00pm
Join us for a short introduction to Circles of the Self. This psychological assessment combines the sacred geometry of the circle and affiliated ancient mandala practices with Jungian psychology and the life cycle. This projective testing instrument indicates a diagnostic overview of a client’s process and shows ongoing progress in therapy. This tool is irreplaceable in adding to understanding a client’s inner world.
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Information Session Zoom Link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83836183755?pwd=7edCaYfEIW2BhmrHcK9pyI4CabvBSs.1
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About the Trainer:
Brenda Burgner LCSW, FAMI, is in private practice in Richmond, VA offering individual psychotherapy, supervision, teaching and consulting. Since becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Brenda has expanded her knowledge base in a variety of experiential directions. Brenda is a Fellow of the Association for Music and Imagery, and an endorsed trainer of that method. She is a trainer of Circles of the Self, a psychological assessing tool, and is a certified Mindfulness Teacher. Additionally, Brenda has training in EMDR, Energy Psychology, dream work and poetry.
Brenda has been studying mandalas under Carol Bush since 2003 and began her teacher training in 2009. Brenda has administered 100’s of assessment, taught Circles of the Self
internationally and conducts supervision groups for those who have completed the level II training.
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Circles of Self 3-Day Training, October 18-20, 2024
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Description
Circles of the Self is a simple, non-verbal psychological assessment based on mandalas. The assessment uses color and ancient universal symbols to identify an individual’s current conscious and unconscious state, potentially including cognitive, emotional, energetic, somatic and spiritual strengths and struggles. Mandala is a Sanskrit word meaning circle. Over the millennia, humans have created mandalas in drawing, painting, collaging, embedded in architecture, with sand, and just about every other imaginable medium. Mandalas can be found across cultures and across time, such as Tibetan sand mandalas, the Medicine Wheel used in many indigenous traditions or in the stained-glass windows of the great cathedrals of Europe.
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Mandala art has been used throughout the world as a process of self-expression, personal growth and spiritual transformation. Carl Jung brought the use of mandala drawings to the field of psychology. In 1918, Jung began his journey into drawing mandalas. From there he continued the use, and study of mandalas for the next 40 years. Jung writes in Memories, Dreams and Reflections, “In the product of the unconscious we discover mandala symbols, that is, circular and quaternity figures which express wholeness, and whenever we wish to express wholeness, we employ just such figures.” Based on Jung’s work, theories of Ken Wilbur, Jean Gebser, Erik Erikson and the work of art therapist Joan Kellogg, Carol Bush created this modern usage of mandalas in the Circles of the Self.
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The power of this assessment is that it can provide a snapshot of a client’s psyche in the way a traditional assessment does not. The nature of information gathered from a projective psychological assessment is suggestion rather than concrete. A discussion with the client follows prompted by more questions. Unlike the data driven nature of an intake assessment, these questions are specific to a client’s inner world and are depth oriented. It is frequent that clients will say things such as, “This puts into words what
I’ve not quite been able to identify.” Very often clients feel a tremendous sense of validation. They feel seen in a way they may have never before been seen.
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Training Schedule & Information
Circles of the Self is a two-part training. Part one gives a trainee the foundations of the assessment and enables you to use it immediately with your clients. Part two helps you become more fluent in the language of symbols and more fully embody the concepts. There is space between the two trainings to allow you to practice and develop questions. After Level II, there is an option of a 14 month supervision that allows new trainees to integrate further their knowledge and learn from other’s presentations.
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When: October 18-20, 2024 (Friday through Sunday 8:30am-6:00pm)
Where: Outdoor Therapeutics Main Office, 1707 Rosemont Avenue, Frederick, MD
Tuition: $625 ($430 training + $195 for assessment card deck which you will keep)
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Who Is Encouraged To Attend
All credentialed clinicians are welcome to attend: clinical social workers, psychologists, counselors, music therapists, art therapists, PNP, etc. The assessment is applicable for any setting where you will have three hours (not consecutive) with a client. So emergency department staff may not be in a position to utilize the instrument.
Registration
For questions and training registration, contact Brenda at: brendaburgner@gmail.com or call: 804-852-2311
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