Creative CPD
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Creative CPD | Support a local charity
Forthcoming events
Forthcoming events
Certificate in Creative Application of the Five Elements
18th April and 16th May 2026
Location: The Olive Branch Counselling Service, Winchester
Fees: Olive Branch volunteers: £150. All other counsellors/psychotherapists: £180
Half of workshop profits donated to The Olive Branch.
Further information is below and on the Olive Branch CPD booking page.
Creative Application of the Five Elements: CAFE
Creative Application of the Five Elements: CAFE
I gained a deep appreciation for how the Five Element metaphors could support our holistic wellbeing when I encountered the Touch for Health system in the 1990s. After experiencing profound healing benefits, I trained in this complementary therapy and this in turn guided me to the Gestalt approach to psychotherapy as it sits well with the holistic, dynamic and embodied nature of the Five Elements.
Since 2011, I've worked on developing a practical and creative way to help clients map and work through their issues using the resourcing metaphorical language of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water in therapy. It can also help you work with complex trauma, links well with other parts approaches such as IFS and includes grounding and regulating energy psychology methods.
The Creative Application of the Five Elements approach aims to help you:
Build confidence using a practical and engaging creative method with your clients.
Create meaningful maps of feelings and beliefs to support therapy and supervision.
Learn how to respectfully apply balancing acu-touch/tapping methods in therapy.
Eligibility
Eligibility
This CPD is aimed at qualified and trainee counsellors and psychotherapists, but if you're involved in counselling/clinical psychology, art therapy, play therapy etc, you may also find it relevant to your work. Just get in touch if you'd like to talk through your fit with this offer.
Certificate in Creative Application of the Five Elements
Certificate in Creative Application of the Five Elements
18 April and 16 May 2026 | Olive Branch, Winchester
15 to 20 hours of CPD.
Attend two, five-hour, collaborative workshops using creative metaphors to put theory into practice.
Do five hours of self-directed online learning to build underpinning knowledge and reflect on experiences.
Optional: 1) Peer supervision. 2) To receive a Certificate in Creative Application of the Five Elements and five additional CPD hours, you’re asked to use CAFE Online to map and consider how two clients responded to the core method and to write some brief reflections about therapeutic integration.
Day One: Make and map
Create the physical metaphors you’ll use on your CAFE journey
Use your fab box of creative resources to make your Five Element pompom metaphors.
Explore patterns of feelings, needs, strengths and beliefs within yourself and a colleague.
See how CAFE and CAFE Online offer an accessible and evolving approach to formulation.
Day Two: Extend and balance
Balancing systems and optional applied Energy Psychology (EP)
Use CAFE to support balancing change in our Elemental (and Internal Family) systems.
Build flexibility through openness to other metaphor models.
See how acu-touch/tapping may promote regulation and integration within therapy.
Relate
Relate
Enjoy time with colleagues as you prepare to use these engaging methods with your clients.
Create
Create
Make pompom metaphors and use other versatile resources in your awesome box of creative goodies.
Navigate
Navigate
Experience how the CAFE process can help you to map, track and work through complex therapeutic issues.
Supporting the Olive Branch
Supporting the Olive Branch
Whether you're in private practice, work in an organisation or are doing your training, you'll appreciate that systemic challenges in our society rule out long-term therapy for many. I've been able to pay for open-ended therapy at key times in my life and it's value was priceless. I hope you've had healing experiences like this too.
The Olive Branch offers affordable counselling for up to a year to people living in and around Winchester. I built the foundations for my practice by volunteering there and am so pleased to be partnering with them. If you sign up for the Cert CAFE, half of your fee, after allowing for the cost of your box of creative goodies, will go to support their vital work. Thank you.
Two hour CAFE introduction
Two hour CAFE introduction
Meet some aspects of this ancient metaphor model.
Try a simplified version of the main CAFE creative method to experience how this can help to map and guide therapeutic exploration.
Practise a mindfulness-based, balancing Energy Psychology technique rooted in the wisdom tradition that includes the Five Elements.
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