March | 2010 | David R. Durham's Blog

The decision to train as a therapist is often a very personal one, and marks a period of transition and growth.

So chosing a suitable course is key to a successful journey.

One of the problems with the hypnotherapy field in the UK at least, is its lack of clear structure. And hence there are some courses out there which do not really cut the mustard. One such course is the diploma course offered by the Contemporary College of Therapeutic Studies (CCTS).

On a recent course I noted the following specific problems:

A lecturer could not define what neurosis means.

The training on emotional therapy was an old video from the 1960′s which is available on Youtube.

The smoking cessation part had no demonstration, and ended up with a reference to a NLP book.

The NLP taught is the cheap trick kind.

At the end of this diploma, there is no way you would be qualified to work with people professionally.

In short, save your money and avoid Contemporary College of Therapeutic Studies (CCTS) diploma course.

Instead get hold of a couple of good books on the hypnotherapy, EFT, NLP etc. and practice with your friends.

© David R. Durham

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Entering a book shop a couple of days ago, I noticed a ‘Zen Dog’ birthday card. The dog was laid back in a sun-chair, obviously enjoying chilling out.

It is certainly an interesting take on zen, and perhaps it symbolises a common view of zen. In that zen has something to do with being calm and chilled out, unruffled by the assorted goings on of our life.

This is a bit of a misleading understanding of zen, as it is neither a calm state of mind nor an agitated one.

Like all words, to understand it we need a definition, and this is where trying to understand what is zen comes unstuck. Words fail us, not due to the specialness of zen (for zen is sometimes special and often not special), but rather due to the limitations of our linguistic minds.

So in coming to an understanding of zen we hit these linguistic limitations. Our linguistic minds cannot grasp all of reality.

To understand zen mind is rather like getting a joke. Often we either get a joke or don’t. But if you try and explain a joke or understand it literally, it loses its’ meaning.

Similarly with zen, when you get it you need no words, it is a spontaneous sense of life and living, and our immediate expression and experience of that life.

Still, if you’re so inclined, you can ‘get it’ whilst enjoying chilling out in a sun-chair. Immersed, in your un-analysed enjoyment of the moment.

© David R. Durham

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