In episode 138 of the Counselling Tutor Podcast, Ken Kelly and Rory Lees-Oakes explain the concepts of the id, ego and superego. ‘Check-In with CPCAB’ then looks at progression routes when training in counselling. Last, in ‘Practice Matters’, the presenters describe the emergence of the concept of adverse childhood experiences and how these may affect your work.
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Rory and Ken explain the concepts of the id, ego and superego – ideas originally introduced by Sigmund Freud as part of the psychoanalytic approach.
Rory clearly illustrates the difference between the id, ego and superego, using an analogy developed by a tutor colleague, Glenys Arthur – all based on cake!
In the regular weekly discussion group that forms part of the Counselling Study Resource (CSR), a recent question and ensuing exchange of views focused on how the three ego states related to the concepts of parent, adult and child modes in Eric Berne’s transactional analysis (TA).
You can download Rory’s handout on the id, ego and superego here, or access it through the Handouts Vault and CSR.
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Kelly – Graduated and now in practice.
There are many different counselling courses available in the UK, and it can be confusing to know which to choose.
Rory talks to Heather Price (Senior Counselling Professional) at CPCAB (Counselling & Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body) about its suite of counselling courses, which starts at level 2 (the equivalent to GCSE level) and extends to level 6 (honours degree level).
These levels refer to the National Qualifications Framework for England, Wales and Northern Ireland; the system is different in Scotland and in other countries.
One possible advantage of choosing an awarding body that offers a full series of courses is that it can offer consistency and so help the transition between stages.
Heather describes the courses offered by CPCAB, ranging from level 2 (including both awards, which are small courses, and the bigger certificate) to level 6 (in supervision).
She also talks about the CPCAB’s link to the Open University (OU), which enables those who have successfully completed the CPCAB level 4 diploma to use this towards an OU foundation degree.
All the CPCAB courses are studied part-time, as it’s important to have the time to fully process the learning before moving on.
Different colleges offer them in different ways: for example, you can find weekday or weekend courses, and daytime or evening ones. This enables you to choose an attendance pattern that best fits with your personal and professional responsibilities.
When you are choosing your counselling course, do plan ahead to how you might wish to progress – this will ensure that none of your hard work needs to be repeated, which is naturally also more cost-effective.
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The term ‘adverse childhood experiences’ (often abbreviated to ACEs) was originally developed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States.
This organisation observed that there is a link between physical health and ACEs, since these experiences detrimentally affect the person’s immune system.
The concept of ACEs is increasingly being used in schools in the UK, with a system having been developed to produce ACE scores for individuals. This can help inform approaches in counselling.
In the brand-new section of the CSR – Practice Partner, especially designed for qualified counsellors – you’ll find a lecture on this topic by a specialist in assessing and working with client with ACEs.
Freud’s Id, Ego and Superego
*Check in with CPCAB is proudly sponsored by CPCAB, the only awarding body run by counsellors for counsellors. To learn more about CPCAB qualifications and to get more detailed information on today’s podcast topic, visit CPCAB.co.uk.