Form of the Course

Every day we will meet twice as a group.

In the morning – to gain experience and to participate in various activities to search of metaphors for reflection (travel on a mountain train, hiking, exploring Greek cuisine and much more), and in the evening – for a group work using methods of transgenerational family therapy, existential analysis and art-therapy.

The course will contain a mixture of various experiential activities, short theoretical and methodical presentations, examples, demonstrations and exercises in plenary and small groups. You must be prepared for an active course with the opportunity to contribute with your own experiences and examples.

Audience

This course is aimed at both:

• specialists working in the field of psychological and social assistance (psychologists, psychotherapists, coaches, social workers and other professionals who work with interviews, counseling and development), and
• people with experience in receiving psychological assistance (personal psychotherapy, group work, including personal growth).

The group is intended for those who have an interest in family counseling, transgenerational family therapy, systemic family therapy, existential analysis and art-therapeutic approaches.

If you’re interested in the course, but in doubt if it is for you – please contact us.

Our group is designed for adults over 20 years old, however, if you plan to come with children, a separate program will be organized for them:

• for younger children – games (board and outdoors), culinary and creative workshops, walks in the area and harvesting;
• for children over 10 years old – participation in a D&D role-playing game with immersion in a magical world, where each player creates his/her own character and makes decisions about their actions in a reality created by the game host.

Where we will be: the Stavrianna Farm

Our unique course is held in the heartwarming and hospitable Stavrianna Farm, only 15 minutes walking distance from the Corinthian Gulf known for the unique colors during sunrises and sunsets. The farm is located in the heart of the charming Greek village of Zachloritika, on the shores of the Ionian Sea on the Peloponnese peninsula, only two hours from Athens by public transport.

When the owners, Stavros and Anna, got married they had a shared dream of creating their own paradise in the countryside, to cultivate organic vegetables and to provide the unique opportunity for their guest to pick all kinds of fruits directly from the trees. Their dream came true in 1990 and now that they are retired, they offer us to be a part of their dream.

Stavrianna Farm is just a 15 minute walk from a beautiful sand beach and a 30 minute walk from the mountain hiking trails. The village has a grocery store, 2 coffee shops, and 5 restaurants on the nearby beach. Within 5 minute drive or 15 minute bike ride you are in the town of Diakopto, which has 2 pharmacies, many shops, and a doctor. There are many coffee shops, restaurants, and souvlaki places. There is the train station for the famous Odontotos Rack Train. The train track was built 120 years ago and it was a technological achievement of its time. As part of our course we will take the train to the the famous town of Kalavrita. It is an one hour ride that will take us through the unique Vouraikos gorge with many bridges, tunnels, and waterfalls. Have you camera ready for extraordinary pictures or train your visual memory for sketching afterwards!

Within 6 km there are 5 beautiful beaches with many restaurants and beach bars that offer umbrellas at no additional cost. The closest one is Eleonas only 1.5 km away, 15 minutes by foot or 5-7 minutes by bike.

Within 10 km there four local wineries that you can visit for wine tasting of unique in the world local varieties: Roditis, Mavro Kalavritino, Malagousia, Mavrodafni, Retsina, Agiorgitiko just to name a few. The wineries are Tetramythos, Oinoforos, Cavino, Acheon Winery. Vines were cultivated here more than 3000 years.

More information about the area: guide

Course Program

06/27/2023 

12.00 – 16.00 Check-in, accommodation of participants, free time. 

16.00 – 19.00 Group work. Introductions of group members, looking into expectations and requests, coordination of group goals. Presentation of the seminar plan, group rules. Presentation and distribution of “concertina-notebooks”, introduction to the principles of the time-line technique. A mini-lecture on family history research methods and the principles of analyzing its patterns. 

19.30 – 21.30 Group dinner (optional) 

06/28/2023 

10.00 – 14.00 Check-in with the group and group field trip: from Diakopto to Kalavryta on a narrow-gauge train through the gorge. Working with one’s own notes: exploring the metaphors and chronotopes of “road”, “stops”, “landscape”, “turns”, “perspectives” for reflection. Exploring Kalavryta, its history and collective traumas related to WW2 (notion of memory culture and memorials), visit to a jewelry workshop (exploring the notion of heirloom). 

14.00 – 17.00 Lunch and rest 

17.00 – 20.00 Group work. The first stage of creating a life-line using “concertina-notebooks”. Presenting the technique for working with family history: “Family heirloom”. Closing day reflection. 

From 20.00 Independent time and rest. 

06/29/2023 

9.00 – 11.00 Independent time 

11.30 – 13.30 Check-in with the group: any themes that remained from the previous day. Group work: Key events in family history: loss, divorce, change of residence, exile, imprisonment, litigation. Working with those events through existential analysis and art-therapy approaches. Study of decision-making strategies, social construction of a family situation around events. Description and fixation of the meanings of family decisions and their consequences. 

14.00 – 18.00 Lunch and rest 

18.00 – 20.00 Group work: workshop on history of traditional Greek dance patterns, its cultural meaning and exploring those as a metaphor for family interactions. Closing day reflection. 

20.00 – 22.00 Group dinner 

06/30/2023 

9.00 – 13.00 Participation in one of the activities of one’s own choice: trekking in the mountains / relaxing by the sea / traveling. The study of strategies and patterns of decision-making in your life, independent reflection on the guided self-reflection questions. 

14.00 – 17.00 Lunch and rest 

17.00 – 20.00 Group work. Working with exploring the decision-making experience in one’s own history. Analysis of the content of links and their types with decision-making strategies in previous generations. Designing opportunities for experimentation in decision-making tactics in the future. Closing day reflection. 

From 20 – Independent time and rest. 

07/01/2023 

9.00 – 11.00 Independent time 

11.30 – 13.30 Check-in with the group: any themes that remained from the previous day. Group work: Resource memories in our life and family history. Construction of a positive experience associated with family history using art-therapeutic and narrative techniques. The flow of life – decision making – change – finding a place for good memories on the line of life. 

14.00 – 17.00 Lunch and rest 

17.00 – 19.00 Group work: Resource memories. Examples of family recipes, favorite dishes, and special occasions dishes family traditions around cooking and cooking together as a family. Introduction to the traditional Greek cuisine, group cooking class. Closing day reflection. 

19.00 – 21.00 Group dinner 

07/02/2023 

10.00 – 14.00 Check-in with the group: any themes that remained from the previous day. Group field trip: visit to the mountain monastery and local winery as a way to explore a family’s history and heritage, traditions, cultural practices, religious and spiritual beliefs of a family’s ancestors, and values through exploring architecture, artwork and artifacts. Having a glimpse into the history and culture of the region, as well as the values and traditions of the local communities. Working with the observations, metaphors, chronotope of the road and chronotope of the past, experiences of silence, awe, and reverence of the sacred spaces. 

14.00 – 16.00 Lunch and rest 

16.00 – 19.00 Group work. Closing session, exchange of reflections on the intensive work throughout the course, personal process with the self-experience questions, observations, mindfulness practices, art-work, etc.. Closing of the course and farewell to the group. 

From 19.00 Final evening with a free walk

Accommodation

Hotel Afrika

Participant of our event can enjoy a discounted stay with 55 euros per day for a single room and 60 euros per day for a double room. Breakfast is additional 5 euros per person per day. The hotel is located 150 m from the beach, close to tavernas, restaurants and beach bars. Contact us to make use of this offer.

Hotel Semantron

Other options are Dimitropoulos Apartments or Olive Tree Suits.

Transport to Zachloritika

By train

From Athens Airport there are about 7 daily departures by train from the airport to Diakopto (which is about 3 km from Hotel Africa). The train is 19 euros per person and 12 euros below the age of 24 or above 65.

From Athens City, you can reach Stathmos Larisis by Metro line 2, which has several daily train departures for Diakopto. 

Information about tickets can be found here

By car

If you’re renting a car – coordinates of Stavrianna

Transfer

We can also assist you with recommendation for taxi from Athens to Zachloritika. The cost for this ride is about 180 euros. You can easily split the ride with other participants of the course. Contact us if you are interested in this option.

Registration fee

9500 DKK

Registration fee includes:

• Six days of the course program
• Various handouts & other course material (including the concertina notebook)
• Certificate of Attendance
• Two group dinners
• Small bites & snacks during the group meetings

Fee does not include: transportation, accommodation, lunches & other dinners.

Fee can be paid in three equal installments.

Discounts are available for members of the Time Perspective Network, participants of other Creative Time Studio events, and for participants coming from low income countries.

Please get in touch with us!

LOW INCOME COUNTRIES:

European countries having a net average wage less than 500€ per month.
More information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_European_countries_by_average_wage
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_countries_by_monthly_average_wage
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Asian_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)_per_capita

Purchase conditions & cancellation policy

Your registration is valid only when you have paid the course fee using the provided payment service. Please note that registration is binding. The course fee is refunded exclusively in the event of cancellation or rescheduling of the course on Creative Time Studio’s part. 

In case of cancellation from the participant, the course fee is:

In case of cancellation, please make sure to contact us as soon as possible. Cancellation until 15th May 2023 = 50% of the price. Cancellation after that date the course fee is not refunded unless Creative Time Studio has another participant on the waiting list who wishes to acquire the registration. You cannot transfer your registration for another course, but you are welcome to give/sell your registration to another professional should you be prevented from participating. Creative Time Studio must be informed as soon as possible if you transfer the registration to someone else.

We reserve the right for date changes, typos, teacher illness and similar unforeseen events. We reserve the right to postpone or cancel this course if there are less than 5 participants. We only collect and process your name and contact information. Read more about our processing of your data under our “Privacy policy”. It is the participants responsibility to inform Creative Time Studio if there are any changes to your name or contact information.

By purchasing this course, you agree to our “Terms & Conditions” and “Privacy Policy”.