The first seminars and workshops by Ivan Tyrrell and Joe Griffin, the founders of the Human Givens approach were in the UK in the late 1990’s. Ivan and Joe have stepped back from being the main teachers and drivers of the project, yet these last 20 years have seen a quite astonishing development – though still mainly confined to the UK.
At the core of the HG approach is a very simple, easy to understand yet profound Organising Idea. And to this has been added some original science (including a new theory of why we dream) and a brilliantly expressed and delivered synthesis of the best of modern psychology, neuroscience and counselling.
From all of this, Joe and Ivan have created a teaching programme which is delivering a small number of really excellent counsellors and in addition a greater number of mainly public sector administrators and health professionals who know a little bit.
And these are attempting with various degrees of success to influence the UK provision of mental health, education and public services generally.