Archetypal Tarot Counseling™ Phase I: The Workshop Process

Hi everyone, Thought I would give you a little more information about myself and my upcoming workshop at Breitenbush. There is much to teach and I hardly know where to begin. After many years of challenges, I feel as if I finally emerged and bloomed. My developmental challenges continue but I currently have a broader view and so don’t take things as seriously. My philosophical bent is Gnostic in the sense that: I keep an open mind and understand that I don’t actually know much; I believe in a direct participation with the Divine; and consider all perspectives important to the whole of our experience. I have studied the unconscious mind for many years and feel ready to teach others how to explore its treasures. This is the first offering of Archetypal Tarot Counseling™ Phase I. During this course, you will be instructed in my way of using Tarot images in wellness counseling. There are few requirements for Phase I and I expect it to be relaxing and fun. To become thoroughly instructed and trained to this method, I give a few take home assignments that are exacting but fun and informative. Learning how to see yourself in the cards is an enjoyable, insightful and mystical journey.

Archetypal Tarot Counseling™ Phase I workshop begins April 15th through the 18th 2012. Students flying into the Eugene or Portland airports will need to rent a car for the 2 hour drive to Breitenbush Hot Springs. One hour of freeway driving through our beautiful Willamette Valley and then up the mountain for the rest of the scenic drive. If you have never been to Breitenbush be prepared for a therapeutic experience by just being there.
My teaching style is laid back but organized. We will start on time and end on time. I do more holding the space for your experiential learning than I do lecturing. There are no tests, but there will be written assignments. This work is too cutting edge to get continuing education credits; however, the Association of Humanistic Psychology has endorsed this course.

My books “Messages from the Archetypes” and “Gaining Archetypal Vision” are the texts for this three day workshop. Students will be required to have a normal sized Rider Waite deck and one Tarot deck of your choosing. See instructions on choosing a deck: http://www.tonigilbert.com/sessions/personaldeck.asp (There are a lot of decks out there and so make sure it is a Tarot deck.) It is best to go to a store that has decks but if that is not possible, you can choose by finding a web site that sells Tarot decks.

By the end of this first phase, students will: know how to see themselves in the cards; begin using a Jungian vocabulary; and have a beginning understanding how to counsel others using the archetypal imagery of the cards. You will also be able to read for yourself and practice on friends and family.

The next two phases will also take place at Breitenbush the following two years at about the same time. This entire process will take three years. In addition to learning to be a tarotist, you will learn a great deal about wellness counseling, dream interpretation, guided imagery and psychology in general. During the year, you will have e-mail and phone mentoring by me. A certificate is issued upon the completion of each phase, however you will not be certified to counsel others until you have completed Phase III. At that time you will be able to use the credentials ATC after your name.

Because, my three year students will be taught to use the cards with illness, injury and life crisis issues, they need to have knowledge of the health care industry and a working vocabulary in which to communicate with doctors and nurses that the client may be associated with. For that reason, the second phase requirement is that they have 3 college courses in psychology: Psychology 101 an overview of the field; Developmental Psychology, theories on how we grow and develop; and Abnormal Psychology to be able to recognize symptoms of mental illness. If you already have 9 credits in psychology, we will look at what you have. If you can find a class on Mind-body Psychology that would be a good one to take too but is not required. On top of that, I will teach from a Jungian type of perspective and give lots of vocabulary and experientials…like guided imagery. I see all of this as essential in using the cards to help people with their issues. I believe that a tarotist, working in wellness, should be able to communicate using psychological words and concepts.

Please come to the Phase I workshop with the following: 2 Tarot decks, my books Messages from the Archetypes, Gaining Archetypal Vision, two blank journals and a notebook to take notes.

Looking forward to Being with you, Toni
toni@tonigilbert.com

Osho Zen Tarot