SCT Intermediate Level Training in Detail

Two Intermediate Level Goals

• Skill in systems-centered work. Many members enter Intermediate training simply with the goal of honing their work with others. Take as many trainings as you find useful and that you qualify for.
• Licensing as SCT Practitioner. Some members develop the goal of becoming a licensed Systems-centered Practitioner. The trainings listed here are required for that goal. In addition, members' own energy and interest are required to seek out learning experiences supporting their own next steps and to shape alternative learning environments if needed, with the goal of integrating theory, skills, and the capacity to work in attunement.

Contents of this page

• Core Developmental Settings
• Intermediate Block Training Sequence
  • Intermediate Skills Training
  • Intermediate Leadership Training
  • Mentor Training
  • Authority Issue Group
• Additional Trainings
  • Container Training
  • Intermediate Level Workshops
  • SAVI Training
  • Three Year Intermediate Training

Core Developmental Settings

• Experiential Training Practicum
• Theory Group
• Consultation

Every Intermediate member is responsible to organize membership in three settings:

• Ongoing experiential training practicum. Typically these trainings occur in SCT groups that meet regularly, led by an SCT Practitioner.  Members who don't have these groups available to them work with a Training Mentor to make use of intermediate level experiential workshops (for example, the 3-Year Intermediate Group as the SCT Conferences).
• Theory group seminars. The goal is to deepen understanding of the Theory of Living Human Systems (TLHS) and systems-centered thinking. These seminars occur on the phone bridge, in small groups or in conjunction with an on-going training group.
• Ongoing consultation with an SCT Practitioner. Consultation is the major environment for developing the ability to apply systems-centered theory, methods and techniques in your work context.

Intermediate Block Training Sequence

• Intermediate Skills Training
• Intermediate Leadership Training
• Mentor Training
• Authority Issue Group

These block trainings...

• Are significant environments for developing skill in using SCT with others
• Are intensive: a platform for the integration and development of skills through follow-up in ongoing consultation, theory and experiential learning.
• Require applications: candidates demonstrate meeting the criteria to join the group. The application insures both that members are in a training in which they are likely to meet success, and that the group-as-a-whole is supported to work together effectively.

Intermediate Skills Training

This five day intensive skill training is designed to shift focus from work with oneself to work with others. This training introduces the SCT protocols (often called the “Gold Sheets”) with an emphasis on the theoretical context within which the protocol is used, the actual steps in each technical skill that make up the protocol, video taped practice of each skill and review of each video taped section with an eye on building the skill of force field development. Many members elect to take this training more than once.

Intermediate Leadership Training

Offered at the annual SCT Conference and in York, UK, this skill sequence complements the Intermediate Skills Training and focuses on the basics of building a functional system using the systems-centered methods and techniques.

Mentor Training

This is a six day intensive training that builds on and reinforces the learning from the Intermediate Skill Training with further theoretical discussion, skill building, video taped practicum session and force field review. The focus of this training is to enhance the capacity to contextualize, understand what it means to develop a "systems-centered learning organization", orient to different contexts within the "organization", relate to the goal of the context and take up one's functional role. This training builds on prior mastery of the SCT protocol set out in the "Gold Sheets".

Authority Issue Group

Membership is for those intending to become licensed Systems-centered Practitioners.This intensive training involves making a commitment to membership in a closed group that meets twice a year for approximately three years. (The actual length of time depends on the work of the group itself.) It is in this setting that members develop their capacity to give and receive feedback by participating in assessing themselves and other members’ readiness for licensing as SCT Practioners. In the experiential component of the Authority Issue Group training the emphasis is placed on using the SCT methods with attunement, building a working group and the exploration of roles and role locks, the crisis of hatred, stubbornness and resistance to change and related issues in giving and taking authority. In doing so, the members continue to develop the capacity to take up their member role in both experiential and task group work.

The next Authority Issue Group (AIG) will begin at the Annual Conference in 2012. Applicants must have completed Intermediate Skills and Mentor Training. If you want to prepare to apply for the AIG, speak to your training group leader, a Training Mentor, or Susan Gantt or Rich Armington, SCT Trainers.

Additional Trainings

These events are offered at the SCT Conferences, and may also be available in other settings.

Container Training

The Container Role is an intermediate step in SCT training between subgrouping from the SCT member role and taking up a role to build the Group-as-a-Whole. Containers shift their focus from joining a particular subgroup with which they individually resonate, to resonating with and containing the apprehensive experience of every subgroup in the group. This shift helps containers to track the driving and restraining forces in each phase of group development. An orientation and practice in the container role is offered at the SCT Conference; opportunities to take this role are available in most SCT training workshops (e.g., the November SCT Weekend in Philadelphia, SCT training in Stockholm). Required for Licensing Track.

Intermediate Level Workshops

Special topic workshops and intermediate level experiential trainings are resources for deepening your knowledge and skills. Particularly useful is the Intermediate group at the Philadelphia November Weekend, focusing on a deeper understanding of roles in the context of the phases of group development. An Intermediate group experience is also offered each winter in Stockholm. A roles workshop is highly recommended for those intending to apply for SCT licensing.

For upcoming trainings, see the Training pages.

SAVI Training

A basic 2-day training in the foundations of the SAVI communication model, a tool for monitoring noise in systems communications. Required for licensing track.

Three Year Intermediate Training

Three Year Intermediate training: experiential, theory and phases of development. This training is for members who do not have access to an ongoing experiential group, as well as those who want to deepen their understanding of SCT.  For some, it may be part of preparing for the Authority Issue Group with the goal of licensing; for others, it may simply be part of continuing development.  SCT Conference 2011 will open a new cycle of the 3-year Intermediate level course, combining experiential work with in-depth theory and force field work on the phases of system development (diagnosis, dynamics, driving and restraining forces). Experiential work will focus on moving from person to member in the phases of group development. Membership requires a commitment to and attendance at all three yearly sessions.