The following is a speech presented by Christine Moran at the recent ICPPD Graduation Awards 2017 Ceremony in Athlone:
Welcome everyone,
To all graduands gathered here to-day and to those unable to be present, my joyous congratulations to you all! We are here to honour you, our learners who carry the torch of our next generation of healers, counsellors and psychotherapists. You heard your heart’s Calling, and you answered it!
On your behalf I would like to thank and appreciate your loved ones, your family and friends who supported you and made sacrifices, so you could attend college and follow your dream. I invite you to stand, turn and bow in gratitude to them.
I hope your time at ICPPD was a beneficial learning experience for you whether that was during:
- The Introductory Certificate in Holistic Counselling and Psychotherapy
- The Professional Certificate in Psychosynthesis
- The Professional Diploma in Expressive Arts
- The Professional Diploma in Reflexive Supervision across Professions or the
- 3-year Professional Diploma in Holistic Counselling and Psychotherapy and the
- BA in Holistic Counselling and Psychotherapy
and whether you attended Athlone, Dublin, or Galway, I hope that you felt nurtured and supported in your personal journey by all at ICPPD.
As Learners you put hundreds of hours of your time and your money to learn the theory, skills and the practice of holistic counselling and psychotherapy. You attended college every second week-end for 3 years, had personal therapy and external and in-house supervision, clinical practice, attended progression meetings and integration evenings. 23 modules and assessments, I think!
All of you graduating today can hold your head high, for us at ICPPD, we are proud to release to the profession of counselling and psychotherapy in Ireland – our latest graduates. Our national validation and accreditation bodies are the framework that uphold academic and professional standards at ICPPD; we are pleased to have the involvement and approval of QQI, IACP and NAPCP.
This is a unique ceremony at ICPPD today, as it is our first time to present parchments on behalf of Quality Qualifications of Ireland, QQI and we are delighted to do this as a provider.
In this field of counselling and psychotherapy, (that we choose to be part of) – as trainers, tutors, supervisors, therapists, clients – we are all pilgrims on a journey of self-discovery and learning – we are all involved in the on-going work of loving self and others to health and wholeness.
I use the word “loving” consciously; it supports a profession that has at its core – empathy, integrity, non-judgemental attitude, congruence, compassion, acceptance and ownership of our human frailties and our creative resourcefulness and resilience.
Our journey to self-realisation is the embodiment of being the best version of self – being all of yourself. The ups and downs of life are part of that embodiment. To me failure is an opportunity to change our course, a big red flag saying, you are going the wrong way, turn around. Thank it, bless it, let it take you in a new direction.
We sometimes shrink in shame, guilt and other ways of being and behaving into our woundedness, instead of humbly acknowledging our humanity and expanding into our greatness without apology! Letting our love, our joy, our happiness, our hopes express itself, unashamedly!
A wise person, said to me – When you don’t know what to do – do nothing! Get still, until you do know the path to your own truth. You are the captain of your soul, align with the spirit of you, and serve your hearts calling! You have heard this, in many ways during your studies at ICPPD.
We are a college with a Difference; at ICPPD we deliver holistic education which is all-inclusive, universal. The Latin word “educare” means to lead out, to bring out what is in the person. Education is a life-long process and we are all the time learning to bring out what is inside us.
You are an alchemist. Like the gardener putting a seed into the soil and with nurturing, that seed is transformed into a beautiful tree – This is your blessed work as a therapist, co-creating and nurturing a relationship and making a difference that ripples out beyond the counselling room. For your work as holistic counsellors/psychotherapists, you appreciate that every human is born with potential, like the acorn into the oak tree.
Holistic education is learning with your whole being – Body, mind and spirit. Educate our heads of course, with information, knowledge and ideas. Training our heart, we learn compassion, to feel generosity, love, sorrow and all feelings. Hands are a magical gift to us, through our hands with our heart and imagination co-ordinated, we can transform ourselves and others. We are all artists. The greatest art is the art of living.
We are always students of life. So, education must help us to bring out our true artist, encourage us to open our minds to a bigger picture. The challenge of education is producing well-equipped people with imagination, creativity, skills, ideas and heart relationships who will go into the world joyfully. As a learner, I hope you have experienced this kind of holistic education at ICPPD.
It is important that you, as ambassadors of this profession – inform and aid people – to hear, to see, the sacred work you do with your clients – this will be, and is demonstrated – by your ethical behaviour and the way you live your life. It is important that you continue to nourish yourself physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually – that you continue to grow both personally and professionally through:
- ongoing deepening personal therapy
- effective reflective supervision
- networking with your peers
- self-care: open, honest communication and taking responsibility for yourself and your actions are paramount as you go forward in your chosen career.
The Degree, Professional Diploma and Certificate that you will receive shortly is our guarantee that you have been found to be worthy of the award. We therefore invite you to come and claim your award. On behalf of all at ICPPD – the members of the various boards, the administration staff, your tutors, support staff and the learning community, I congratulate you. Well done.
I am delighted to meet and celebrate you today as a qualified therapist and my peer in the field of Counselling and Psychotherapy. It is my privilege and pleasure to see you claim (I use the word claim deliberately, in coming up to receive – you are honouring your commitment, dedication, challenging work, sacrifices and learning involved in getting here today) so come and claim your prize:
You are goldminers – with your clients, sifting for nuggets of hope, qualities and resources undeveloped.
You are midwives, with your clients, birthing new beginnings, new perspectives and change.
You are here on the path and breath of your ancestors, give thanks.
You are here in this moment inspiring future generations.
Create your own path; follow the master in your heart. As my therapist said to me and I say to you – “your crown has been paid for, put it on your head and wear it”. Come and claim your award – you have earned it. To you who have completed your supervision training, I look forward to meeting you as a supervisor in the field. To all learners who have successfully completed various courses at ICPPD – Well done and congratulation, I wish you all health and happiness.
May all of us here today – walk in Beauty and Kindness.
Thank you.
– Christine Moran
INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE FOR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, ICPPD, Athlone, Co. Westmeath – A College with a Difference!
2017, Conferring of Awards – Christine Moran, Academic Director, Founder of ICPPD
