what do our students think?

Students come to the Bowlby Centre from many different occupations and backgrounds. A recent survey of our students found that some students are looking for an occupation that is as challenging, valuable and rewarding as their current one (such as teaching or social work) used to be, before the human dimension gave way to crude target setting. A smaller number see our training as adding another dimension to what they are already doing – as counsellors, managers, care-givers, artists, and so on.

Many said they were attracted to the Bowlby Centre by meeting someone involved in the organisation whose personal spontaneity convinced them that our course would give them the freedom to ‘think their own thoughts’. The wide range of writers drawn upon is attractive to many, as is a clearly-stated commitment to recognise social causes of distress. Also appealing is a commitment to understanding issues around abuse and trauma, and an openness to all applicants who meet the requirements, including those who are disabled, gay, lesbian, transgender, have a variety of religious or atheist approaches, from ethnic minorities, and have experienced prejudice and discrimination.

A former trainee, who has recently completed the training comments:”The four year training was a transforming experience for me. It brought me out of a kind of emotional wilderness into a world of depth, colour and connection. It gave me a community that was able to celebrate all its members. It has added a new dimension to the working life I had before I began the training. Now that the training is over I feel an unprecedented sense of completeness. It has given me a solid theoretical and clinical base upon which to develop my work as a psychotherapist.”