Dr Tony Humphreys is a renowned psychologist and author, lecturer and columnist who heads up in University College Cork that can now be studied through the Lifelong Learning Department of Portarlington Further Education and Training Centre.
The two courses have been running in UCC for almost 20 years, and last year was the first year it could be done by UCC in Portlaoise.
Interpersonal Communication and Relationship Mentoring are the two courses being offered.
Tony believes that the courses can be availed of not only to develop a career, but develop a better understanding of ourselves.
Tony trained as a clincial psychologist in England and worked in psychiatric services there and in Ennis, county Clare.
He said he began to ‘challenge the understanding around human behaviour’ which caused him to abandon ‘labels’ around human behaviour.
You can read more about both courses which run in Portlaoise below.
Course Outline – Interpersonal Communication
“This communications course is suited to anyone. We all need to examine our lives. In the words of Socrates, ‘A life unexamined is a life not lived,'” said Tony.
There are six modules within the interpersonal communication course.
The first module is; How you see yourself, what is your sense of self.
“How do you see yourseld in all aspects of yourself; social, physical, secxual, emotional, spiritual, creative and behavioural. That is quite a powerful module,” Tony stated.
The second module focuses on family relationships and adult-to-adult relationships.
Emotional thought takes up the next module in the course, examining different feelings.
Communication makes up the following module, and looks at both verbal and non-verbal communication. Sexuality is the next module and the final module is on stress and illness.
“There’s a whole new development in medicine called narrative medicine. It is so important to look at story if you’re going to look at heart disease or cancer or back pain.
Communication is the life-blood of any social system (family, health, social, religious, legal, community).
Effective communication entails having an understanding of the dynamics of social systems and the types of communication that operate typically within them.
The course will focus on both the personal and Interpersonal aspects of communication within and across the particular social systems of which course participants are members.
Duration: 1 Year, Part Time
NFQ: Level 7
Entry Requirements: Candidates must be 21 years of age See UCC website for full details.
You can get more information by contacting Margaret Morrin in Laois Third Level on 057 23161 or by emailing mmorrin@loetb.ie – or by contacting Tony Humphries by emailing tonyhumphreys1@eircom.net.
Course Outline – Relationship Mentoring
“A lot of people then go on to this second course,” said Tony.
The higher diploma in Relationship Mentoring course trains people to work with people aloong all of the dimensions of the first course.
Tony describes this course as ‘double-training’, one being working one-to-one and another for looking at groups.
This two year, level 8 programme is also designed to enhance other adults’ professional effectiveness and organisational effectiveness by increasing the personal and interpersonal maturity of employees and those in leadership roles.
Furthermore the programme is designed to train participants in one-to-one relationship mentoring and in the provision of courses on enhancing relationship for community groups and work organisations.
Skills to qualitatively and quantitatively analyse individual and organisational interventions will be developed.
The course is substantially rooted in the theories and practices of psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, sociological theories and experimental psychology.
Duration: 2 Years, Part Time
NFQ: Level 8
Entry Requirements: Check the UCC website for full details.
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