In Module 1 we introduce you to basic counselling skills, looking at self-awareness, self-complexity and values. We will also cover topics like: what is counselling; the aims of counselling; creating a group contract and a safe space; photography, social media, the replication of art work, the studio space and storage of artworks. Further we will explore community work and the motivations to become a community art counsellor. We introduce the concept of a reflective journal, working with children and children's rights and the differences between art therapy and community art counselling. We also explore the role of the image and objects.

Upon completion of this module, you will demonstrate the ability to:

• Understand community art counselling as part of the therapeutic process. 
• Identify common issues/difficulties in the therapeutic process of counselling. 
• Demonstrate knowledge of basic counselling skills. 
• Understand the beginnings of a group.

Video presenters:

Rozanne Myburgh - Managing director of Lefika La Phodiso and drama therapist

Kamal Naran - Community art counsellor and artist

Dr Hayley Berman - Art psychotherapist, founder of Lefika La Phodiso, senior lecturer

Luke Lambrecht - Child Protection and development specialist

In Module 2 we explore what the counselling process is and we look at the stages of counselling. We also cover everything you need to know about working from a person-centred approach. We unpack the essential characteristics of a community art counsellor, covering empathy, sympathy, identification. Ethics of counselling including topics such as individualisation, purposeful expression of feelings, controlled emotional involvement, acceptance, non-judgemental attitude, client self-determination, confidentiality and immediacy will be looked at. Other topics in this module include: effective communication and counselling skills; listening; emotions; responding; using questions constructively; probes and prompts; clarification, partialising and summarising; and developing action strategies. We also start to look at endings and why they are important in community art counselling.

Upon completion of this module, you will demonstrate the ability to:

• Identify common issues/difficulties in the therapeutic process of counselling. 
• Determine a counselling approach to match clients’ needs.
• Establish an appropriate context for counselling. 

Video presenters:

Rozanne Myburgh - Managing director of Lefika La Phodiso and drama therapist

Kamal Naran - Community art counsellor, counsellor and artist

In Module 3 we look at re-entering a space and why this is important and how to facilitate smooth transitions for your group. We look at psychoanalysis and the basic concepts such as, the unconscious, symbols as products of the unconscious, free association, internal and external worlds, defences, transference and countertransference, dreams and social dreaming. We then turn to attachment theory and unpack attachment styles, secure, avoidant, ambivalent and disorganised attachment. You will also learn about containment and holding and look at some examples of the concepts in community art counselling work. Lastly we look at the Lefika La Phodiso model to understand how we are incorporating psychoanalytic understanding into our community-based work in the South African context.

Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Be able to apply the counselling process using a psychoanalytical frame.
• Understand psychoanalytic thinking on a theoretical and experiential level. 
• Understand attachment theory and its application in community art counselling.
• Understand containing and holding as theoretical and practical concepts within community art counselling.
• Explain and understand the Lefika La Phodiso model and its integration of theory and practice.

Video presenters:

Rozanne Myburgh - Managing director of Lefika La Phodiso and drama therapist

Dr Hayley Berman - Art psychotherapist, founder of Lefika La Phodiso, senior lecturer

In Module 4 you will learn about working with groups — the introduction to group work, beginnings and how to facilitate them. Group theory and practice will also be unpacked, looking at the development of a group, group function, influence techniques, directive and non-directive work. We will look at setting up a studio and creating a talking stock, introduce working with sandtrays and role consultation and looking at the application of the group process.

Upon completion of this module, you will demonstrate the ability to:

• Understand the theory and practice of group work.
• Understand the forming of a group, safety in a group, stages and lifespan of a group.
• Understand and apply the influence techniques.
• Understand the difference between directive and non-directive art making.
• Apply different group art making activities.

Video presenters:

Rozanne Myburgh - Managing director of Lefika La Phodiso and drama therapist

Dr Hayley Berman - Art psychotherapist, founder of Lefika La Phodiso, senior lecturer

Humbu Nsenga - Community art counsellor and artist

Kamal Naran - Community art counsellor, counsellor and artist

Emilie Owen Raposo - Drama therapist

Alisa Ray - Community art counsellor and artist

In Module 5 we will look at trauma and a community art counsellors role in addressing it. We will also look at different group activities by exploring the art-making process of creating a sensory box, somatic body scans, the limbic system, and various trauma debriefing techniques. We will also unpack working in groups and how group work impacts trauma.

Upon completion of this module, you will demonstrate the ability to:

• Understand the community art counsellor’s role in assisting trauma survivors.
• Have some knowledge of trauma from a variety of theoretical perspectives.
• Understand how the body is affected by trauma
• Understand how to build a set of tools and techniques to assist groups/group members to process and manage both traumatic symptoms as well as the meaning associated with the trauma.

Video presenters:

Rozanne Myburgh - Managing director of Lefika La Phodiso and drama therapist

Luke Lamprecht - Child Protection and development specialist

Alisa Ray - Community art counsellor and artist

Sandra Greeff - Community art counsellor, educator and remedial therapis

We start this module by looking at social psychology theories and social action (including participatory action research) and ethics. Methods of visual research including using photography and responding to images will be covered. Other techniques include body mapping, visual listening, community mapping, creating murals and how the theory and practice can be integrated.

Upon completion of this module, you will demonstrate the ability to:

• Recognise the role of social context in the counselling relationship.  
• Understand social activism in the context of community art counselling.
• Understand what is participatory action research.
• Understand ethics in the context of visual research.
• Be able to apply various visual research methods and understand the benefits of these methods.
• Understand the relationship between practice and theory and how this is integrated in the Lefika model.

Video presenters:

Rozanne Myburgh - Managing director of Lefika La Phodiso and drama therapist

Prof Kim Berman - Professor, Dept Visual Art, University of Johannesburg, and co-founder and director, Artist Proof Studio

In module 7 we look at the definition and theories of social entrepreneurship, personal leadership and include multiple influential readings on social entrepreneurship. We will also cover the Lefika La Phodiso’s monitoring and evaluation framework, the problem tree, and how to do needs assessments. We will also cover basic project management skills and presentation skills.

Upon completion of this module, you will demonstrate the ability to:

• identify a need within a community
• develop a project concept
• write a fundraising proposal
• manage a project
• understand monitoring and evaluation

Video presenters:

Rozanne Myburgh - Managing director of Lefika La Phodiso and drama therapist

Dr Hayley Berman - Art psychotherapist, founder of Lefika La Phodiso, senior lecturer

Humbu Nsenga - Community art counsellor and artist

Ziyanda Magadia - Community art counsellor and auxiliary social worker

In this module we cover how to work with life limiting conditions, bereavement, the stages of grief and how to address this in a community art counselling context. Other topics include Covid, HIV/AIDS, climate change, reflection and endings.

Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Think about and work with losses and endings in community art counselling work
• Work with loss and bereavement

Video presenters:

Rozanne Myburgh - Managing director of Lefika La Phodiso and drama therapist

Dr Nataly Woollett - Art psychotherapist and researcher

Ponsy Pule - Community art counsellor

Kate Shand - Community art counsellor, author and artist