Preparation for an I Matter Online Learning Journey
All successful journeys start with noticing new details that have been overlooked
Preparation is a key part of an I Matter Learning Journey
The first key question is to think about your role - or roles
So are you a professional, or a parent-carer, or young person, or a senior leader,
Or do you have several roles?
An I Matter Learning Journey is relevant for ALL of these roles.
What they have in common is leadership.
The second key question is what is happening in your community?
Are you linked to an organisation that is offering support with an I Matter Learning Journey?
So with an I Matter Relationship Health Approach to improving wellbeing we focus in on this leadership issue.
Leadership at work, Leadership at home, Leadership in your organisation
Then we prepare you for more confidence in these important roles.
As you grow in leadership so wellbeing will improve.
To help get you started, we ask you to choose a focus relationship
One which is challenging for you.
Then we invite you to do some studying and reflection
You will be learning what decades of research evidence is telling us is needed from You.
So our goal is to equip You.
Then you will work with others to address the challenges you are seeing.
The long-term goal is a happier and healthier relationship with your focus child or other.
But we start first with you
So do you understand what it is all about?
Have you some ideas about a focus relationship?
Do you understand what will be needed from you?
Have you thought about your support options?
Do you understand what the Learning Journey does and does not offer?
Do you understand the difference between the stages of I Matter Training?
Are you ready to sign our Learning Agreement?
Hello my name is Dr Cathy Betoin, I’m an experienced clinical psychologist and teacher.
I’d like to tell you a bit about an I Matter Journey
I am excited you are wanting to learn about how to improve relationship health as a way for you to help yourself whilst helping an anxious or challenging child or adult achieve improved wellbeing. This could be in a home or work role - or both. Our goal is to give you a step by step process so you can progress without feeling you are making it all up as you go along or trying to figure it out all on your own. 😊
An I Matter Journey you will learn about the I Matter Framework and then will help you explore its implications for a specific challenging situation that you want to feel more confident in. Study of the I Matter Framework will help you understand what the research evidence on child and adult wellbeing is really saying. In particular we focus on helping you to understand your own important role.
The good news is that You can really make a difference!
In an I Matter Journey we aim to support your clarity & effective decision making.
However an I Matter learning process also usually involves you doing some rethinking and this in turn can bring up lots of questions – some of which I have learned it is best to address right at the start.
- Why a Journey? The I Matter Journey is carefully structured in stages so as to support your thinking over a longer term period as this is generally key to seeing results in any setting.
The Fundamentals: Involves listening to taught ideas
The Five Steps 1-2 Involves studying the I Matter Theory online and doing personal reflections
The Five Steps 3-5 Involves focus on putting I Matter Theory into Practice
The Wheel Involves exploring the applications of I Matter to everyday situations
Extended Journey: Involves deepening insight into work with complex care situations
Supporting Others Involves equipping yourself for leadership certification
- Who is it for? I Matter Training is for a wide range of adults - both professionals and parents-carers as well as young people and adults who are ready to learn about relationship health and their own role.
People get involved and work for the I Matter Certificates for the purposes of:
+ Preparing for a role
+ Strengthening confidence in a role
+ Foundations for Recovery of relationship health
+ General education purposes
- What’s involved? In the first stages of I Matter Training you are learning how to think about situations using a growing understanding of the I Matter Framework. We ask everyone to choose a focus relationship – one in which they would like to feel more confident about their own role with a view to making a positive difference. This is usually with a child but could also be with a significant adult.
- How much support is there? Basic I Matter Training involves helping you learn some important ideas. Some people access additional support options. Some will be interested in becoming certified to offer study support. However the key focus of this support is on learning to understand some important ideas and their implications rather than on addressing a specific situation. You remain responsible for the learning and change process.
- How does it work? The delivery of I Matter Core Training uses online learning. The certificates of the I Matter Learning Journey involves online study and reflections. This ensures consistency. The online worksheets help you make time to think.
- What can you do with your training and course resources? In the first stages of training the I Matter Resources are to inform your own thinking and everyday actions in personal direct roles with children or in direct professional roles. The resources are NOT for sharing or copying or distributing with others.
It is not your role to train others because the learning process is sensitive. If you approach things in a rush you can make things worse. So, If you want others to learn about I Matter in your setting then they can talk to us, or you can yourself train to the Phase 3 Supporting Others stage. This involves a longer term commitment.
- How can I describe myself after training? After phase 1 you are I Matter Aware. After Phase 2 you are I Matter Informed. You can describe yourself as as using I Matter Principles (this will refer to your understanding in your decision making of the central importance of adult-child relationship health). To be certified as an I Matter Practitioner you must work for Phase 3
- Are I Matter Practitioners all therapists? No, I Matter Practitioners are licensed professionals but can have a variety of professional core training. To be certified for supporting others they will all have extensive experience in supporting children and families.
- What about Data Protection? The storage of your data online adheres to the principles of GDPR and data protection. We advise however that participants should never use the names of your child or family members or colleagues – and should instead use initials or screen names. If you are not comfortable with data being stored online please do not progress with this training. Be respectful in everything.
- What about Confidentiality?. In the course of your I Matter Training you may take part in group learning situations with others. Please remember that though everyone is asked to respect the confidentiality of others, it will remain your responsibility to keep yourself and others safe by not sharing sensitive details online or in a group setting.
- Is I Matter Training a therapy or a parenting course? I Matter Training is not therapy, or counselling, though it can have therapeutic results. It is not simply a parenting course, it is a personal development course that can support professionals and parents.
- How long does it take to see results? We describe I Matter Training as offering a journey because we do not offer any quick fixes though most people find that an understanding of the I Matter Framework helps them to see a lot of complex situations more clearly in quite a short space of time. Every person’s I Matter Journey is different. However, the only way to see real results for most people is to commit to a longer-term learning process and to be willing to make some changes oneself.
- Will there be results? To see results from your I Matter Training will involve a personal commitment from you. We do not put any time scales on how long this process will take. For some it is quite quick. For others it can take longer. However with commitment it is never too late to see significant positive results.
- What about safeguarding? I Matter Practice is governed by safeguarding legislation. Relationships can be complex and sometimes become escalated. However, we are not a crisis intervention service so you should ensure adequate support for yourself outside of the community.
- What do I do if I have a concern, a compliment or a complaint? Please share your thoughts. We value your feedback and your encouragement. If you have a concern, please contact us at the earliest possible date so that we can do our best to address it promptly.
- Can you sum up what I can and can’t do if I take part in I Matter training ? In sum, The I Matter journey is about you learning to see and do things differently so that you can lead by example through your own attitudes and actions. Any course resources are for your own private use to inform your own thinking and actions. For example, you might work through them to think about a child or family that you are working with to help inform your next steps. At Awareness stage you are not a certified I Matter Practitioner but you can describe your parenting or professional practice as ‘informed by I Matter Principles’.
- Why is I Matter training offered with these restrictions? We are committed to sharing the I Matter Framework. However, we know that teaching things in the wrong order can make key messages difficult to understand, we know people must be ready to learn & readiness and available support is key. We also know there is a tendency for us all to want others to change as a way of distracting ourselves from our own part! :)
- What can I do to help share the ideas more widely? If you are interested in becoming certified as a practitioner do let us know¬
You can read the full details of our Terms and conditions here. To progress with this journey, please digitally sign the agreement to say that you have read and accept the above.
Last Updated: May 1st 2022