THE MOTTO under which all our personal development courses are held is: ’Knowledge deepens and enhances the mystery’ – Simona Ciobanu, PhD

The President of our Association, Simona Ciobanu, PhD, has placed the whole activity of researching, creating and teaching the personal development courses under this motto, since holding the first course on self-knowledge, starting 2018. 

THE GUIDING PATRISTIC PRINCIPLE which underlies the development of courses and the self-working method is this: ’Good is not good unless done right.’

METHOD

The course has been carried out within the Association by Simona Ciobanu, PhD, and Alexandru Nechifor, PhDc, starting 2019. 

The topics of the modules were chosen starting from the topics suggested by the Active Sympathisers in the final Course sheets (Course I) and based on the continuous assessment of the sustainers’ praxis conducted by the course lecturers during the first year.

The stages of the course design:

1. The interdisciplinary research of each topic;
2. The selection of the intervention lines with direct impact on the level of personal development;
3. The design of applied exercises aimed at: self-sight, identifying and solving various blockages, activating the mechanism of inner change, etc. The exercises are applied to oneself and can be: individual, in pairs, in a sub-group or in a group; 
4. Elaborating the conceptual clarifications intended to endorse the correct meanings of the realities the person is put in touch with. 

OBJECTIVES

1. Developing and practicing certain inner abilities according to the principles of patristic psychology;
2. Creating a community as support-environment for individual inner growth. 

CONTENT

By way of example, you can find below some of the topics addressed within the course: 

• Accessing the true self. How do we know we are on the right path?
• How to actually do the inner self-work?
• The sight of our wounds. Difficulties which may arise. Solutions; 
• Means of identifying the soul’s needs;
• Conflict management. How to relate and how to strengthen ourselves into Christ in a conflict situation; 
• The aggressiveness and how to recognize it. Its forms. Blockages which may arise and solutions; 
• Time management: its pathologies and one’s healing in relation to time; 
• How to recognize we have a healthy relationship with a person. Maintaining healthy boundaries in daily interactions;
• What is the middle way? Compromise or truth?
• How to live with God into the world and how to enjoy normality. 

ORGANIZATION

• The course is structured in nine modules;
• It usually follows the academic calendar structure  (October  – June); for additional information please visit: When will other courses be organized and how can I apply?
• They can be organized in physical and/ or online format;
• Taking part in the course requires attending all modules, signing a Course Regulation and  Nondisclosure Agreement;
• The course is deeply formative and transformative. In order to achieve its goal, respecting The Inner Work Protection Rules and committing towards the personal praxis is needed. Therefore, a conscious and responsible choice of the course is required.
• Course completion does NOT involve obtaining a certificate of attendance or any other form of certification.

COURSE ACCESS

• The course can be accessed by persons who already have or acquire the quality of Active Symphathiser of the Association; 
• Priority is given to those who already have the Active Symphathiser status, regardless of their previous academic training; 
• Those who acquire the quality of Active Symphathiser along with this course enrollment will additionally go through a preliminary interview during the selection phase;
• For additional information please visit the section: SYMPATHISER.

LINKS

For additional information please visit the website sections below:

• When will other courses be organized and how can I apply?  

• SYMPATHISER

• What does it mean to be an Active Sympathiser of the Association?  
• How can I become an Active Sympathiser of the Association?
• Which are the benefits for the Active Sympathiser of the Association? 
• May I attend the personal development courses if I am a priest/ monk/ noun? 
• Do you provide courses/ activities dedicated to priests and/ or monastic personnel only? 
• May I attend the courses if I am a student in psychology/ theology/ medicine?
• BROADCASTS