Control vs Self-mastery: A Key to Lasting Change for a Person with a Mental Illness

In this course, Tanya Curtis, FABIC Director, Assoc Dip Ed (Child Care), BHlth Sci (BehMgt), MBehMgt, MCoun, proposes the Body Life Skills Model as a three-step process for identifying the communication coming from the body, asking what part of life the body is not feeling equipped to respond to, and learning the skills to respond to the challenges effectively. Key to working with the model is understanding controlling behaviours (of ourselves or someone else), being-controlled behaviours (of self or others), and behaviours of self-mastery. Central concepts are those of intended versus interpreted message, form versus function of behaviour, and the relationship between mental health and commitment to life.