:::   F O U N D A T I O N   :::

                      

This page offers you some information about the:

1. Scientific foundation of Educational Counselling in Crisis (ECC) which has been discussed thoroughly in the book “Nachtstunden des Lebens” (1992).

2. Further development of the concept in 2002 and 2004 which has been presented in “Krisenpädagogik” Vol. 1 & 2.

3. Practical applications since 2008 by a) training course, b) continuing education plan and c) supervision program.

 thirsty for meaning



... is the feature of our time

1. Scientific foundation (1992)

Main idea (see PRINCIPLES): Every crisis is, first and foremost, an external event, something that happens outside of one's self. The fact that this external event touches us is based on cognition and consciousness. Our consciousness assigns meaning to the external event; in case of a crisis, the meaning is painful and troubling. Educational Counselling in Crisis (ECC) begins here, asking: How can we bring our consciousness to let go of its fixation or obsession on this painful and troubling meaning, and to discover a different, new and more pleasant explanation of the crisis instead? Counselling thus involves working on consciousness and seeking for a new meaning. This brings us the two basic terms of ECC: consciousness and meaning.

scientific foundation of ECC (1992)

this book is out of print

In order to analyze these two terms, ECC draws from two monumental sources – Friedrich Hegel’s unsurpassed "Phenomenology of Mind" and Viktor Frankl’s brilliant anthropological and psychological work, known as "Logo therapy & Existential Analysis". The genuine achievement of ECC (according to Prof. Amini) lies in bringing these two sources together in a synthesis. The synthesis discovers consciousness and meaning as two sides of the same cognition act. They comprise a unit with two halves. In the field of philosophy, this is called polarity. Pole and anti pole, position and opposition, part and counterpart are complementing each other. Their interaction and interdependence create a unified whole. The simplest example of polarity is respiration, which consists of two parts – inhaling and exhaling. A closer look reveals the following: Exhalation emerges from inhalation, and vice versa. The whole respiration is formed by the two opposites of inhalation and exhalation, which are not mutually exclusive. So, here is no duality; on the contrary. They include each other and even more than that: One is the condition of the other. Another similar example is cardiac activity, which also consists of two parts, systole and diastole (suction and pumping). The suction makes pumping possible and vice versa. The phenomenon of polarity is manifest at the core of all parts of life. Even life itself is essentially polar.

By analogy, crisis as a phenomenon can also be seen as just one half of an event; the other half is development. Crisis management is a maturing process, in which the person learns to recognize the interlace of both sides. This realization is a kind of mental rebirth. Understanding its meaning is a basic prerequisite of maturity; a mature person realizes that a crisis does not mean the dissolution of life but requires a solution for the tasks in life. We cannot avoid crises, but we can and must learn how to cope with them. This learning process is very special, because it conveys an existentially significant experience. It is the foundation of life experience, strength of character and wisdom.
 

2. Further development of the concept (2002-2011)
 
At Kiel University, the scientific groundwork "Nachtstunden des Lebens" (1992) was researched in more than a decade, teaching was refined and, finally, the concept was put to the test in counselling. At that time, ECC was recognized as a field of scientific research and added as a new sub-discipline of educational science (see GESAMTWERK 3.8 to 3.12 and FOUNDER). Diploma dissertations and MA theses are already being written about ECC.

Between 2002 and 2011, a completely new version of the concept was submitted (see "Krisenpädagogik" in three volumes). The theoretical groundwork remained unchanged. But it was put in more concrete terms and illustrated by practical examples. This new version marked the breakthrough from theory to practice concerning training, supervision and monitoring.

In 2008, two further steps were taken to concept's practical application so: a) The "Training course" (1 year) and b) The "Supervision program" (3-5 years), called "Krisenpaedagogicum", were established. Both of these qualifications (see AUSBILDUNG and WEITERBILDUNG) are certified by the European Association of Educational Counselling in Crisis (see EGKP).
 

Further development of ECC concept (2002-2011)

                                   

                      ECC vol. 1 (2002)                                    ECC vol. 2 (2004)                                    ECC vol. 3 (2011) 

There were no major changes to the structure. But many of the details changed significantly. In the following, two aspects of the new version will be briefly discussed: the competence model and educational communication.

2.1. The competence model

Competence acquisition is divided into 3 fields, which are taught in training, education and supervision:


Subject competence to master the challenges of the outside world (professional aspect).
Social competence to master the challenges of the social world (communication aspect).
Self-competence to master the challenges of the inside world (self-knowledge).

Subject competence, social competence and self-competence are the three forms of competence people need to acquire if they wish to realize their life plans successfully (see illustration below).

First, we can educate ourselves in certain subjects and become physicians, technicians or teachers. This mostly work-related subject competence is essential to secure our livelihood.

Second, we can improve our communication skills with other people. The social competence acquired here is indispensable for peaceful communication with our neighbors, colleagues, friends and acquaintances or for negotiations in a leadership position. By the way, people who possess this competence are not just respected but also popular. Their opinion counts and the way they present it is important.

And third, we can educate our selves by deepening our self-knowledge and increase our self-competence. Self- competence is fundamental in realizing our life plans and in overcoming crises. Self-competence is the highest level of competence we could conceivably acquire in our lifetime. It is the key to understanding ourselves and thus the world - and it is certainly the key to a successful career. Nothing in this world is more mysterious than our own self. Nobody else seems as strange to us as our own personality. But how can a person, who does not even know or understand his own self, try to understand other people, the world or even God? Training courses and education programs in ECC make the acquisition of self-competence their top priority (see  AUSBILDUNG).

 

           

People without subject competence have one problem.
                People without social competence have some problems. 
                    People without self-competence have nothing but problems and create crises constantly.

3. Practical approach in training, education and supervision (since 2008)

While the scientific foundation of ECC focuses on the terms consciousness and meaning, its practical approach is set to achieve the following 3 goals with the 1-year training course and the 3-5 years supervision program:


3.1. Ethical view of humanity
Ethics reflect the view of humanity in ECC. It deals with the worthwhile objectives of being and becoming human respecting others. Ethically speaking, the situation of a person seeking counselling can be described as follows: A desperate human being is sitting before us, collapsing under the pressure of life’s events, with his self-esteem reduced to a minimum. His current condition is in disarray and his future looks bleak to him. ECC will bring order in his current condition and explore his future perspectives in order to increase his self-confidence and self-esteem. In ECC, this ethical goal is expressed in the phrase: lifting up the other. Counselors are guided by the following four maxims:

Maxim I
People who seek ECC are not sick. They are simply suffering under intolerable pressure, due to a temporary problem. In ECC, people are neither patients nor clients. Instead, they are dialogue partners, to some extent they have priority.

Maxim II
The person bringing the problem to the counselling session usually brings possible solutions as well. He gives us a human problem; in return, we give him a human solution. In a way, he is our “boss”, because he knows what his goals are, and we are the “servants”, because we know the ways to accomplish these goals.

Maxim III
While counselling it is not important to analyse the past. ECC is solution-orientated and looks
for a way out of the dilemma and a reasonable life in the future. Whether the proposal is useful and feasible, it is always the “boss” who decides.

Maxim IV
ECC imparts subject competence and promotes social competence as well as self-competence. Furthermore a sound health is important in every aspect. Knowledge and competence are gathered inter-disciplinarily and are transfered tailor-made while counselling.

Maxim V
All counselling is of no use if the helping person lacks the necessary human qualities and virtues like love, humanity modesty, foresight, intuition and wisdom. 


3.2. Respectful communication
As humans, we are socialized through communication, which means: We learn to perceive the world in a certain way and to express our perceptions and their evaluations in a certain way.

Communication teaches us to gain awareness. We take it that others are aware of problems in the same way. We exchange our awareness by communication. This means we share something. That is the basis of gaining self-competence. We can describe communication with a pair of glasses through which we are able to learn to see our social world . If our view is selfish and disrespectful , crises are bound to arise. So there will be misunderstanding. There will be daily quarrels because we don´t agree and every word produces new tension. This leads to a poisoned atmosphere, all further talks are in vain.

Sometimes we have the impression everything is alright but the apparently kind conversation
leads into a double monologue, nobody listens anymore, only concentrating on himself, talking about himself and misuses the other one to provide the next cue-word.

Experience of  ECC shows: crises of this kind vanish once the person has removed his glasses to see the world through the glasses of the other one. ECC has forged this training of awareness: Different viewpoint, different perspective; different perspective, different insight; different insight, different world. The world changes its face when you change your viewpoint.

The communication concept specifically developed for ECC is based on an educational, rather than a therapeutical approach. It reconstructs communication, determining the recurring sore points. It rebuilds failed communication, thus helping to prevent future communication from failing, too. It uncovers rigid viewpoints and points out stuck behavioral patterns. It unmasks petrified habits and motivates to practice alternative patterns. Thus it breaks up encrusted structures; life receives new order and organization. Based on this, communication will be successful. In ECC, this work is called developing a new rhythm.

The communication concept in ECC is taught intensively in training and continues to be practiced and evaluated in continued education and supervision. There are specific exercises to practice the following 10 guidelines:

1.   Pay attention to body language.
2.   Listen intensively and without distraction. This shows respect for the other's opinions and thoughts. 
3.   Be empathetic, but keep your distance. This permits you to express a contrary opinion without losing respect for the other.
4.   Recognize the core of the problem from both your viewpoint and from the other's viewpoint as well.
5.   Place the problem in context - both your context and the other's context.
6.   Register hints to possible solutions; compromises are needed.
7.   Look at the other side of the issue.
8.   Open new horizons and point out development potential.
9.   Offer support by e-mail or phone.
10. Be a role model without preaching.

3.3. Sound health 
Our health is our greatest good. During a crisis, it is in extreme danger. What are you supposed to eat in a crisis? Which beverages should you avoid? What about your rhythm of day and night? These are all important factors in overcoming a crisis.

Educational Counselling in Crisis (ECC) developed a health concept, published in 1990 by the renowned publishing house Rowohlt. This holistic concept is called "Inner harmony. Balancing body, soul and mind" (Innere Harmonie. Körper, Seele und Geist im Gleichgewicht). It has helped many people with simple tips for changing their diets. The book of the same title has seen many editions thus far; it was translated into English and Japanese. This concept sees a human being as a unit of body, soul and mind. All three parts are closely connected and influence one another. If a person experiences a physical crisis (an illness, for example), he is also put under considerable emotional and mental strain. If he experiences an emotional crisis (caused by a breakup or loss), he feels physical and mental stress as well. There is only one sensible approach that can help a person overcome a crisis successfully – the holistic approach. This path is not open to other sciences, only to philosophy. Because: Each science needs to specialize, analyze and differentiate. However, life is multifaceted event that cannot be split up into individual parts. Everything is interconnected, and the whole is more than the sum of its parts. The holistic health concept of ECC, as described in the book INNERE HARMONIE, strives to create balance of the body, through a healthy diet, of the soul, through meditation, and of the mind, through the search for meaning and fulfillment.

We need to be much more sensitive to maintaining our health. Many illnesses are not accidental, but the consequence of exploiting our own bodies, of a soul in permanent imbalance or of a negative mental attitude toward life. Everybody wants to be in sound health. But who actually starts to consider about the fact that he or she is responsible for his or her body, that miracle of Creation? No driver would put the wrong fuel into his car even once, but he puts all kinds of poison into his body on a daily basis. Obesity, alcohol, drugs and tobacco have become a normal part of life. There is a lot to do and we need to work hard to raise awareness. A mother who smokes or drinks during pregnancy lacks a clear understanding of what she is doing to herself and her unborn child. A father whose excessive ambition drives him to pushing himself with nothing but coffee lacks awareness of his responsibility as the protector and provider of his family.

Educational Counselling in Crisis (ECC) seeks to create a keen awareness for everyday nutrition, so that we can hand our bodies back to our Creator in decent condition. Thus far, our training experience has shown that some participants spontaneously quit smoking as soon as they begin thinking about this attitude to life. ECC takes the commandment of “Love your neighbor like yourself!” literally: Start to love, appreciate and respect yourself; only then you will be able to love, appreciate and respect others. Loving yourself begins with taking care of your own health.


3.4. Training course (1 year AUSBILDUNG )
The training course teaches practical application of the concept in modules 3 (communication) and 4 (health), following clear theoretical classes in modules 1 (consciousness) and 2 (meaning), illustrated with the help of appropriate media. The interconnection of understanding and action is the top priority, because action always requires conviction. Only this insight leads to a new viewpoint, which in turn changes the world in the eyes of a person. The 5th module not only brings theory and practice together. It also elevates this synthesis into a spiritual and cosmic realm. Participants gain hopeful, enlightening insights into the eternal and universal laws of life. In ECC, the science of life’s universal laws is called evology. Evology – a new term that cannot be found in any encyclopedia - deals with all-encompassing connections in the universe (not just in our individual lives). Evology explores the laws governing Heaven and Earth. Evology is the cosmological foundation of ECC. It was first published in 2004, in volume 2 of “Krisenpädagogik”. In each of the 5 modules, Prof. Amini will conduct at least 1 counselling session. This offers participants an opportunity to experience the practical application of the theoretical concept.



3.5. Supervision program (3-5 years WEITERBILDUNG )
The supervision program, called Krisenpaedagogicum, is a consistent continuation of putting ECC into practice. It is about supervision, monitoring and live counselling. Participants are eligible if they a) have the certificate and b) receive a written invitation from Prof. Amini. The idea: Once or twice a year, ECC-certified counselors get the opportunity to present their own counselling work to a small circle of peers, where they can share their experiences and receive intensive supervision. The Krisenpaedagogicum seeks to integrate the ideal of lifelong learning into the training concept of ECC. Participants may receive their Krisenpaedagogicum certificate after completing 5 units, but that does not mean that they are done with learning.

Albert Einstein once had lunch at a restaurant. He was reading a book. A young woman who did not recognize him, joined him and asked what he was reading. “I’m studying physics,” Einstein replied. Amazed, the young woman said, „At your age? I finished three years ago."

It is my hope that the best graduates of the Krisenpaedagogicum will become trainers in Educational Counselling in Crisis (ECC), carrying this knowledge much further than its founder did.


© 2011 by Prof. Dr. Bijan Amini