Institute Alternativa - Education
European Accredited Training Institute for Systemic Psychotherapy (EAPTI)
Welcome to our european accredited Institute for professional education in family and systemic psychotherapy. We are here to provide optimal conditions for education and professional growth and development of various profiles of professionals with educational background in psychology, psychiatry, pedagogy, doctors of medicine, special educators, speech therapists, social workers, theologians, sociologists, interested in the field of family and systemic psychotherapy. We are committed to creating a caring and inclusive learning environment where participants can gain the knowledge, skills and expertise necessary to advance in their careers.
At the Institute, we organize a comprehensive educational program of family and systemic psychotherapy that covers various aspects, starting from basic principles, through advanced techniques and interventions and the program for personal growth and development to continuous supervision. Our team of experienced and highly qualified trainers implement their rich theoretical knowledge and practical expertise during and between workshops, providing an atmosphere of creativity and trust for experiential sharing and learning.
Whether you are a mental health professional looking to expand your therapeutic repertoire of knowledge and skills or a final year student exploring career development opportunities, our Institute offers a range of educational programs and themed courses tailored to meet your needs. We believe in the power of systems thinking and its ability to motivate change in individuals, partners, families and other humane systems in the community, and we are ready to share this knowledge with others.
By making the decision to begin family and systems psychotherapy education at our Institute, you will become part of a vibrant community of educators and practitioners, united in a shared commitment to improving the mental health and well-being of community members.
We invite you to explore our website, learn more about our educational programs, and embark with us on an exciting transformative journey of creative personal and professional growth and development.
Thank you for visiting our Institute and we look forward to supporting you in your pursuit of excellence in family and systems psychotherapy.
2.1. Education for family and systemic psychotherapy
Education implies getting to know, mastering and accepting the systemic way of thinking and its application in understanding and solving the problems of the living of the individual, the couple, the family and other humane systems in society.
Education aims at:
- Expanding the repertoire of professional knowledge and skills
- Increasing personal and professional experience
- Increasing professional abilities and competence
- Improvement of personal and family functioning
- Gaining experiences for team and group work
The educational program of family and systemic psychotherapy at the Alternative Institute is in accordance with the training standards of the Chamber of Training Institutes of the European Association for Family Psychotherapy (EFTA-TIC) and the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP) and offers opportunities to acquire a national and future International Certificate in Psychotherapy (ECP).
The process of acquiring new knowledge and skills in the field of family and systemic psychotherapy takes place in the form of a four-year educational program, during which theoretical knowledge is acquired, learning, practicing and acquiring new professional skills and techniques, personal experiences are improved and works under supervision. The program is adapted to the current context and has proven to be effective and useful in relation to the needs and tasks of various professional persons, as well as to the wide field of action of the relevant non-governmental and governmental organizations and institutions.
The educational process is realized mostly through two-day, weekend, workshops, once a month. Each educational year contains 10 workshops of 16 educational hours each and at the end of the annual educational cycles the 11th, exam workshop is held.
2.1.1. Want to become a family and system counselor?
Follow our program in the first two educational years, dedicated to further education for a family and systems counselor – during which thematic, mostly weekend, workshops are complemented by classes for personal growth and development (individual and/or group) and initial level of supervision.
This education is intended for further education of all professionals from the humanities who work on individual, partnership and family growth and development, but also on education, management consulting, coaching, professional growth and development of teams and organizations.
Program content:
First year – introductory course
The education in the first year can be followed by all professionals with a university degree in psychology, psychiatry, pedagogy, doctors of medicine, special educators, speech therapists, social workers, theologians, sociologists and students in the final year of the same, as well as professionals from political (journalists, political scientists), legal, economic, religious sciences and other humanities directions.
The main goal of education is familiarization and mastery with the basic theoretical concepts of system theory and practice and through them understanding the functioning of human systems in different contexts; familiarization with the basic techniques and interventions based on different schools and approaches in family and systemic psychotherapy; recognition of various family and systemic dysfunctional patterns; developing skills and competencies for systemic counseling; getting to know the models of co-therapeutic and teamwork.
Thematic workshops related to the family system and family and system psychotherapy:
- Historical development of family and systemic psychotherapy; Defining normality / normal family processes; functionality and dysfunctionality in family systems through the prism of systems theory and practice
- The general theory of systems and basic concepts, specific therapeutic techniques and interventions
- Life cycles (individual and family)
- Genogram – mapping, interpretation and application in family and systemic psychotherapy
- First interview – structure, specifics and practical aspects of organization and management of the psychotherapeutic process in the treatment of clients (individuals and/or family system)
- Transgenerational approach (m. Bowen and c. Whitaker)
- Structural approach (s. Minuchin)
- Strategic approach (J. H aley)
- The milan school (m. Salvini palazoli, l. Boscolo et al.)
- Narrative therapy; postmodernism; constructivism and co-constructivism / social constructionism
- Examination workshop
Second year – family and system counselor
The education in the second year can only be followed by professionals with a university degree in the humanities.
The educational program is structured in the form of seminar workshops dedicated to mastering certain thematic areas and working with human systems (individuals, couples and/or families), in the form of case studies, role playing, “live” work accompanied with supervision, development of video materials, etc.
The main goal of the education in the second year is to acquire theoretical knowledge about the special models of family functioning and the basic techniques of systemic interventions in systemic counseling practice; to develop skills and techniques for systemic interventions through case studies (individuals, parents, couples, families) and analysis of protocols prepared through a systemic approach; to achieve personal growth and development through individual/group supervision; to understand the importance of self-reflexivity and continuous fostering of awareness of the process and content of learning and to develop abilities to identify one’s own strengths and skills, as well as weaknesses, and abilities to critically and constructively evaluate the therapeutic process and work.
Thematic workshops related to the family system and family and system psychotherapy:
- Therapeutic process (assessment of the family system, formulation of psychotherapeutic focus, plan and process)
- Concept of individual and family resilience
- Emotional connection (attachment), adoption
- Marriage/couple, marital/partner crisis and marital/partner systemic psychotherapy
- Separation, divorce, divorce mediation, “mixed” families
- Losses in the family
- Secrets in the family
- Family and chronic illness (somatic or mental) and handicap
- Family systems organized by violence
- Refugee family, displaced families, migration, multicultural family systems, Use of metaphors
- Examination workshop
Upon completion of two years, you become a family and systems counselor
2.1.2. Want to become a family and systemic psychotherapist?
If you are interested in family and systems psychotherapist education, continue to follow the educational program in the third and fourth year!
Education in the third and fourth year is a professional further education intended for all professionals with a diploma in psychology, psychiatry, pedagogy, doctors of medicine, special educators, speech therapists, social workers, theologians, sociologists, who аре in the course of their higher education acquired knowledge in medical psychology and psychopathology.
Before the third educational year, we organize additional workshops in medical psychology and psychopathology, followed by an exam workshop, intended for all of you who did not acquire this knowledge during basic higher education (social workers, pedagogues, special pedagogues, etc.) and want to continue your education in family and systemic psychotherapy.
Third and fourth year – family and systemic psychotherapist
Education in the third and fourth years consists of interactive thematic workshops, clinical practice, supervision (individual and group) and lessons of individual growth and development.
The third educational year is structured in the form of seminar workshops dedicated to mastering certain thematic areas and acquiring and improving specific knowledge and skills for psychotherapeutic work with clients (individuals, parents, couples, families) followed by continuous individual and/or group supervision ( “live” or via video recording). The main goal is to support the continuous progress, development and integration of reflexivity and self-reflexivity in the therapeutic work; as well as taking an active role in the process of personal growth and development by identifying areas of personal resilience, strengths and weaknesses, as well as challenges for future professional development.
Thematic workshops related to the family system and family and system psychotherapy:
- Depression and suicide
- Psychotic disorders
- Anxiety, stress, neurotic disorders
- The syndrome of addiction to psychoactive substances
- Behavioral disorders and delinquency
- Family and systemic interventions focused on children, individual systemic psychotherapy
- Psychosomatic and eating disorder
- Psychosexual dysfunctions and work with lgbt+ systems
- Self-reflexivity and use of the “self”, ethical and anti-discriminatory practice in family and systemic psychotherapy
- Culturally sensitive practice and cultural genogram, gender sensitive family and systemic psychotherapy
- Examination workshop
The fourth educational year is completely supervisory and allows the adopted and applied knowledge and skills of family and systemic psychotherapy in working with clients to be perceived through a reflective and self-reflective individual and group supervision process (from the first, second and third degree); also using peter rober’s model. The supervision of the therapeutic process takes place with families “live”, through video materials, presented cases, role playing and numerous other creatively organized processes.
After completing the program in the fourth year, you take the final exam, which takes place before an examination committee / board for certification.
A successful final exam is followed by a certificate – psychotherapist in supervised family and systemic psychotherapy.
After you have completed all the obligations according to the 4-year educational program, in accordance with efta and eap standards, you are a candidate for psychotherapist in family and systemic psychotherapy and you can immediately apply to eap for a european certificate of psychotherapy (ecp)
2.1.3. Want to become a European certificate in psychotherapy (ECP)?
The european certificate in psychotherapy (ECP) is the european standard for psychotherapy education and training. The european psychotherapy association established the european psychotherapy certificate to ensure standardization of the psychotherapy profession across europe. The european certificate in psychotherapy (ecp) was established to create a comprehensive european standard for the psychotherapy profession and ensure equal standards of education and training across europe.
After you have completed all the obligations according to the 4-year educational program, in accordance with efta and eap standards, you are a candidate for psychotherapist in family and systemic psychotherapy and you can immediately apply to eap for a european certificate of psychotherapy (ecp)
2.2. Other professional trainings and collaborations
In our Institute we also organize:
- Training for trainers (ТоТ) and supervisors in family and systemic psychotherapy, for selected psychotherapists
- Participation in international trainings and education for professionals – refer to official events of EFTA TIC (chamber of training Institute)
Within the Institute there are also satellite Institutes with which we cooperate.
