Interpersonal training is an intensive form of group work in which for 4 days (day after day) Interpersonal training participants experience themselves in relationships with other people.
The course of interpersonal training depends on the Participants of the meeting and what is happening “here and now.” It is a form of non-directive work (one of the tenets of Carl Rogers’ humanistic psychology), which involves trainers being observers of what is happening in the group process and reacting to it in their interventions. They don’t work from any lesson plan or set of issues. They take care of the framework of the meeting, that is, what they agree on with the Participants at the beginning in the so-called contract. Depending on the moment in the group process, they also work with “silence” (allowing feelings, emotions and insights to resound) and offer the group different types of activities that bring out and activate reactions in the participants that are appropriate to what is emerging in the “group energy” at that moment.
Trainers are supposed to take care of the rules of communication between participants, carefully observe, listen, summarize, clarify what is happening, give feedback to participants. The whole purpose of these activities is to ensure that the group goes through the three stages of the process such as orientation, conflict/rebellion, cohesion and cooperation.
Who is the training for?
Interpersonal training is a very developing experience for anyone who feels the need. It can be a great step for people who work with people in the fields of business, medicine, psychological assistance, education, parenting. It can also be a good idea for anyone who feels like looking at their relationships with people, in a safe environment to explore better-than-usual ways to communicate, cooperate, resolve conflicts, etc.
Interpersonal training is a form of work for healthy people and is educational and developmental in nature, not psychotherapeutic. Each participant has a conversation with the instructor about his or her goals, needs and readiness to participate in the class.
What does interpersonal training provide?
- teaches to accurately name and recognize emotions, needs, intentions, thoughts
- helps to understand one’s own mechanisms of functioning among people
- enables us to receive reliable information about how others perceive us
- allows you to prepare for various important/difficult conversations
- Provides an opportunity for individuals to work on their own areas for development in a group setting
- better understanding of oneself
- better “reading” others