What previous participants have had to say        Groups: 2001-2008

2007/8 Foundation groups I and II

"I found the Foundation Course to be incredibly enriching; a challenging experience which I found to facilitate real individual growth. Having small groups for experiential aspects of the course enabled really deep, powerful group and individual exploration. The weekends were intense and provided me with many learning experiences. I was extremely impressed by the professionalism and passion of the course facilitators - Norman, Ann-Marie & Elaine. A course such as this relies heavily on the team which facilitate the various elements and I really cannot give enough high praise for the three of you. I thoroughly enjoyed having the Art Therapy and Bodywork as parts of the course... I would highly recommend this course to anybody who wishes to explore their own personal process and who would value a challenge." Vanessa Hoefler, Galway

"I feel I’ve learnt a great deal about myself in the last eight months. Things that I wasn’t aware of as well as things I’ve avoided in acknowledging. It’s been personally challenging and emotionally demanding but worth every minute" Patrice McDonnell, Furbo

"Just wanted to say thanks a million for a really enjoyable year…I really feel the last year has been such a wonderful journey full of self-discovery. I feel the group really offered me a place of great support, acceptance and understanding- a place where I could really feel safe to journey deeper within myself...I will continue to recommend this wonderful course to others" Emer Sheahan, Cork

“Certainly, the strongest element of the course was the personal development work...I really think that the experiential aspects like ‘the counselling skills practice and on-going feedback make this course particularly special and unique…All the therapists involved were of a high calibre and each one was supportive, committed and knowledgeable” Jason Power, Co. Kilkenny

"I liked the balance between theory and practise, I think it gives a good overall introduction to counselling…It was a very supportive, scary, fun, rewarding and worthwhile experience, worth travelling eight hours each weekend for!" Kate McLellan, Co. Waterford

“I really enjoyed the Foundation course, every second. I felt I could give the course my all, due to the well defined structure of the course and the safe and healthy environment in which it took place…felt at ease yet in control of how much I shared within the course. I especially found all the lecturers very approachable and enjoyed learning from all three of you. I enjoyed having the smaller group on Sundays in order to be able to work through more personal issues" Ruth Friel, Co. Galway
 

2006/2007 Groups I & II

"I really loved this course, and got a huge amount from it personally. I'm quite stunned at the level of personal growth I achieved during the 8 months, which was not something I had expected"  Maura Hiney, Administrator (Galway) 

"I enjoyed getting an informed taster of the different approaches to psychotherapy and learning about the different schools of thought. I found that I began to become more self aware and the counselling skills I had gained actually improved my personal life. Group therapy through art opened my eyes to the merits of group therapy and surprised myself how much I could get out of art materials and paper. The surroundings meant that each weekend was like a retreat and time away to spend on myself. This course was essential in my gaining entry to a Professional Diploma In Psychotherapy". Grainne Collins, Residential Health Care Attendant with Children

"I found the course challenging. I learned a lot about myself and I gained considerable insight from listening and interacting with a broad spectrum of people. The course also gave me a good theoretical grounding" Irene Hynes, married with children!

"I enjoyed the different models described in this course – this enables me to better understand the boundaries inside psychology and more importantly differences with coaching as a one to one intervention. On the other hand, art therapy and other experiential exercises coupled with group therapy enhance your self-awareness and the power of group therapy – listening to the stories of others is awesome. Recommend this course as the basic foundations of psychology especially within one’s coaching journey". Bernard Chanliau, Executive Coach (Galway)

"Everything the course had to offer exceeded my expectations. Every element of it sparked off a journey of thought and learning. I was delighted to have met, worked and eventually establish a very strong bond and friendship with the group I was privileged to be part of. I particularly enjoyed Art Therapy and was amazed at what it had to unravel. It showed just how powerful that form of therapy could be. I thoroughly enjoyed the assignments and also exploring the different schools of thought. It was an amazing experience, one of personal growth and knowledge. Considering it was a "foundation" course, I was impressed with being introduced to a wide spectrum of information at a very comfortable pace. This foundation course was so captivating that it only made me thirsty for more. I have definitely decided to go further with this subject and hope I get as much from my future course as I did from this one. A brilliant course. It will always be an important turning point in my life's journey and will hold a profound enjoyable memory. It has opened up so much for me. I have grown so much through it. an amazing experience". Pam Carragher, Human Resource Manager.

2005/2006 Group        

"The course has surpassed all I wanted. Would highly recommend it. Excellent course" Margaret Tierney, Development manager with Console-now studying for degree in counselling and psychotherapy

"I got up at 5.30am each Saturday of the weekends and drove from Dublin to Galway for the course. and towards the end I was looking forward to each weekend...so it definitely gave me energy and motivation. I was given a great opportunity to reflect on things". Alan King, civil servant (Dublin)

"The course was excellent; excellent variety, excellent tutors, excellent facilitation. This has been the best self investment I have ever made. It is hard to describe in words the 'high' you feel after the weekends. Its a great feeling of self acceptance, of reassurance, of hope and belief in the future. It was just so worth it. I had a wonderful group of people to work with and learn from and excellent professional tutors". Mags, teacher (Cork)"

What I liked about this course was: The location – beautiful setting beside the beach. The tutors – always professional, interesting & interested, relaxed. All the personal development work, counselling skills, Art therapy day, Biodynamic therapy day, feedback exercise, video exercise, group work, going down to the beach work, etc., etc., etc. I’ve done a lot of courses over the years but this one was exceptional. It has been a life changing experience for me. I’ve learnt so much from the fantastic tutors and have got a real insight into myself as well as to Counselling and Psychotherapy. This course has given me the inspiration and the confidence to continue studying and learning more about this fascinating subject. The mixture of personalities in the group was amazing, I felt from early on that I was meeting a group of friends each weekend. I would and will recommend this course to everyone!" Gillian, Recruitment Assistant

"I found the course everything I wanted it to be and everything I needed it to be". Margaret Byrne

"Thank you very much for an experience I will never forget". Brian Williamson, student

2004 Group
"I had not given much thought to the content or what to expect before I started the course and I have to say I found everything we did, from the first weekend to the last, incredibly interesting, insightful and worthwhile. I found the amount of personal development work throughout the course really complimented the theory work, and provided a perfect opportunity to put the two together for a greater understanding of the material. All of the trainers added their individual touch to the course which made it so much more personal and effective. Completing this course was possibly the best thing I have ever done for myself. It took something I was interested in and turned it into something I am now passionate about. The amount I have learned about Counselling and Psychotherapy, but more importantly myself, has really surprised me. It was an amazing journey of discovery, which I will continue with enthusiasm and a great appreciation for this course and the people I met on it, for starting me out so wonderfully". Jane Lee, Legal Secretary

"I liked just about everything. The people were fantastic and I feel it was a privilege to be part of that. The atmosphere within the course was one of non-judgemental acceptance right from the start, and within that we all grew enormously. The fact that you made your library of books available was really excellent, as I ended up reading some books I might never have bought otherwise and learning a lot from them. The exercises at the start of the course brought us in contact with our feelings and I think this contributed greatly to the bonding that happened within the class. The theory was explained very well and topics that seemed complicated in books I read, were presented in a simple and straight-forward manner. The work we did on empathy was excellent and something I brought away to use when dealing with my 12 year old son. It has made a huge difference in the way he opens up to me about concerns he has and I think this technique will be particularly valuable during his teenage years. This course greatly exceeded my expectations. As a result of it, I know that I definitely want to continue and do a diploma course. I just hope I learn as much from it as I did from the Foundation".  Mary Howick, Senior IT Manager/Reiki Master (Donegal)

"This was the most useful journey of self-discovery, the best investment “in me” I have ever made!  It was also the toughest, most challenging, painful, and rewarding period of education I have experienced to date. The course took me completely by surprise.  It was nothing that I expected, and everything that I needed. I have experienced enormous growth and development emotionally. I leave the course more fully aware of who I really am, who and what has shaped me and of what I am capable. I absolutely adore the personality of our group, and am extremely proud of the part I have played in forming and adding to the dynamic of the GCS class of 2005. I look forward to carrying with me the love, acceptance, warmth, excitement, growth, pain and confidence of the group. My interpersonal skills have vastly improved. In the past, I have taken courses where I have been taught what could be done if I applied myself. This is the only course where I emerged with life-changing improvements and strategies in place, and useful tools already developed, for use in the future.  I have seen the personal growth, as the course progressed, in all of us, and it amazes me. The course is well thought out, professional and extremely valuable.  Not only as a foundation course with a view to a career in counselling. More importantly, as a tool to self-understanding and therefore highly valuable to anyone who deals with people. Be it in personal relationships, work, with our children, dealing with the public, wherever people-skills are used this course is a must". Katherine McGee, Proprietor, MARIANS Galway."

"I loved the closeness of the group in the course. I felt I could talk about anything to them and they would accept me completely. I also was very privileged  by the fact that they chose to share with me. I loved the relaxed structure of the course and that it wasn't hugely academic. I also liked the way books were available to us but there was no pressure on us to have read them. This course was a breath of fresh air compared to the course I undertook in college, and the people were amazing. The course hit a balance of academic, factual knowledge with practical experience and self development projects and group work. I enjoyed the relaxation element a lot and walks on the beach (weather permitted of course!), so I would have liked more of them, there's is nothing I would like less of". Louise Lyons -Product Builder  
 

2004 group

"The course has helped me greatly in accepting and appreciating who I am. It has strengthened my self awareness immeasurably. I began it for professional reasons. Now I realise that the greatest work I have achieved has been on myself and only through this can I be more socially and professionally effective. I recommend it highly-in fact., I already have, to colleagues and friends." David Harkin, secondary teacher 

"On starting the course I was a bit nervous on what I may find on doing the course...I can say very honestly that this was one of the best things I have done so far in my life. I can't believe the different things that came up on the course about myself, little things that occurred to me that I have never thought about before."  Damien Wade, student, GMIT


2003 Group

"I found the GCS Foundation Course to be an excellent first step in counselling training. The quality and content of the course helped me to decide whether I wanted to go on and continue with further professional training. The completion of a detailed research project and the course's strong emphasis on experiential work stood to me when applying for diploma and masters courses and the course quality was noted by any interviewer for further training that I have had." Nicola Hogg (Limerick), Sales Rep and student on the MA in Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy-University of Limerick

"I found the Foundation Course to be of great value to me in my own personal development and found it definitely improved both  my personal and work life. Definitely worth the effort and encouraged me to move on to explore a future career in this area." Pat Tyrrell (Limerick), Program Manager (Dell). Currently pursuing a Diploma in Counselling, The Counselling Centre, Cork
 

2002 group

"I found the foundation course to be very interesting and informative. I got much more out of it then I ever thought possible and was sorry when it ended. I met a great group of people and through the exercises on the course learned much about myself. I would highly recommend the course, even if just for personal development." Garry Moogan, IT Analyst

"This course is invaluable for both personal growth and as an introduction to counselling. A self-empowering approach is used in a non-threatening environment. After finishing this course I decided to pursue a professional course in psychotherapy". Della Lynn, Voluntary counsellor, and student on Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy


2001 group

"In terms of personal development work the foundation course was very helpful, giving me some of the confidence I needed to move forward and take a few chances. Towards the end of the course I successfully applied for a position of supervisor for the Childline service. The basic counselling skills of active listening and empathising that I learned on the course are essential to this work. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who is interested in the area of counselling or who would like to develop his or her listening skills generally." Erika King, Childline supervisor (Galway)

Other comments: "I was challenged to move outside my comfort zone" "My confidence increased so much over this year", "I liked the facilitators acceptance of all views. This helped produce an atmosphere of trust and openness for learning"