Why offer a group:
The motivation to start group work is to satisfy the demand more effectively, so more people can access services at more affordable prices.
What the course is about:
The Life Skills Course aims to provide you with a wide range of practical psychological skills, which can help improve your quality of life. Each session will contain three parts, giving you a chance to learn and practice different (1) breathing and relaxation techniques, (2) concrete skills from Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical-Behavioural Therapy, and Schema Therapy, and (3) discussion and Q&A. The course also aims to create a dynamic and interactive environment where you can feel safe, accepted, free, and enriched by the experience. Between sessions you will be encouraged to experiment with the new skills. Progress is greater if there is active engagement during and between sessions.
Who the course is for:
If you have issues dealing: with certain thoughts or mental patterns, regulating your emotions, managing habits or unhelpful behaviours, relaxing, or interacting with others, then this course is for you.
Course versus group therapy:
The term “course” is used to differentiate it from “group therapy”. The focus of sessions will not be on sharing detailed accounts of individual experiences and bouncing them against the group. There might be some optional disclosure during exercises but no one will be expected to go beyond their comfort zone. If you feel that you require greater one-to-one professional attention to explore the specifics of your life, then you might prefer to consider individual therapy.
Details:
Instructor: Dr Désirée Gonzalo (Clinical Psychologist, Educator, Psychotherapist, Neuroscientist).
Course duration: 10 weekly sessions.
Session duration: 2hrs 30min.
Location: Alivio Centrum (Badeniho 1, 2nd floor Room 10, 160 00 Praha 6, metro Hradčanska) or online.
Language: English.
Price: 11.000 Kč*/course in person, 10.000 Kč/course online
*Dr Gonzalo is registered under this VZP program: https://dusevnizdravi.vzp.cz/. If you have VZP insurance, they will refund you 5000 Kč for this course once you have completed the 10 sessions.
Maximum group capacity: 10 participants. Registration will stop once capacity is reached.
If you wish to register or have any questions, please send an email to: drdesireegonzalo@gmail.com or access the Contact form here.
TESTIMONIALS:
“These are essential life skills that should be taught to all children in school. I was grateful to learn them at the age of 42! This is a highly practical, accessible and eye-opening course that is tailored to the participants and their real-life challenges. Dr Gonzalo draws on an impressive range of therapeutic techniques to equip her students with a well-rounded toolbox. Highly recommended!” L.K.
“This course is one of the most useful experiences that I’ve ever had. It’s a general psycology course with focuses on development, but there are also coping skills that are often talked about but never taught. I learned so much about myself and what I need to work on in further therapy, as well as consolidating a lot of data about my own development. I would encourage anyone to take this course!” L.P.
“Désirée’s Life Skills Course came at an important time in my life. I looked forward to each of the sessions. I felt a sense of belonging in the group, and the subject matter always gave me food for thought. I left each session with a new breathing technique, and a greater vocabulary to understand and express my thoughts, feelings, and actions. Desiree is encouraging, patient, and understanding. I highly recommend this course!” S.P.
“Desi´s Life Skills course is an amazing and necessary journey into our psychology, that comes packed with incredible practical tools and skills; I reached a deep understanding of how my emotions and processes function, and how to work with them in order to improve my balance, my happiness and my quality of life. For me, it was a before and after when it comes to self-knowledge, it opened so many doors and provided so many tools to keep working on it. The atmosphere, the energy, and the interaction created were so safe and comfortable and brought so much to the sessions. I can´t recommend it enough, I feel like the world would be a better place if everyone took this course!” D.N.
“I had the opportunity to participate in this workshop on “Life Skills”, and it was a very good decision. It has really helped me a lot on a personal level, it has allowed me to understand myself better emotionally and psychologically, to manage my emotions better, especially in situations of stress and anxiety and to improve my communication skills with other people. I find the concept of the course very interesting, it covers in balance, theoretical and practical issues, and at the same time leaves the intervention of the participants to express themselves and even touch personal things in an optional way. I recommend it for anyone, especially for those who want to grow and improve their quality of life.” A.S.
“I’ve noticed lots of positive changes in me during sessions of the «Life Skills Course». The course itself is a toolbox that Désirée offers you to experiment with: some of them will fit you more and you might include them in your everyday life, some of them are nice to try and appreciate how many options exist, and how many different techniques you actually have that can make your life more interesting, meaningful and joyful. Nice addition in this course – you’re surrounded by people who are, just as you, striving to develop, learn and grow!” M.P.
“Thank you for sharing all of your knowledge and resources in the course with us! I really appreciate that I had the opportunity to attend! I think it was very well structured and I really hope I take this knowledge with me for the rest of my life and I keep working on it.” A.R.
“It was the best course I took, and I can highly recommend it to anyone! We got equipped with plenty of materials for learning about and practicing the skills for life. I attended all the course sessions, the classes were highly interactive, and Desiree created a safe environment. I had enough chance to ask my questions and receive answers. It was excellent and worth investing in! I loved the course.” K.B.
Multilingual Psychological Services, Dr Désirée gonzalo 