The Tree of Life School aims to provide a respectful, thoughtful and supportive environment in which people can explore personal, psychological and spiritual development.
We want our courses, groups and individual sessions to be accessible while also respecting the time, preparation and commitment involved in offering them.
By enrolling on a course or group, or arranging an individual session with the Tree of Life School, we ask you to respect the following principles and arrangements.
Courses & Personal Development Groups
Participation
Our courses and personal development groups involve reflection, discussion and experiential learning.
Participants are encouraged to engage at a level that feels appropriate for them while respecting the experiences, beliefs and perspectives of others.
You are always free to decide how much personal information you wish to share, and you do not have to participate in an exercise or discussion that you do not feel comfortable undertaking.
Confidentiality
Participants are asked to treat anything of a personal nature shared by another member of a group as confidential and not to discuss that information outside the group.
The facilitators will work within appropriate professional and ethical standards of confidentiality. However, because courses and groups involve other participants, absolute confidentiality between group members cannot be guaranteed.
We therefore ask everyone attending to respect the privacy and trust of the people with whom they are sharing the experience.
Respectful Environment
The Tree of Life School welcomes people from different backgrounds, beliefs and life experiences.
We ask participants to communicate respectfully, listen to others and allow space for differences in perspective.
Abusive, discriminatory, threatening or persistently disruptive behaviour will not be accepted and may result in a participant being asked to leave a course or group.
Attendance
Regular attendance is encouraged, particularly where a course is structured as a journey over a number of weeks.
Each session may build upon previous work, and continuity also contributes to the experience of the wider group.
If you know that you will be unable to attend a session, please let us know as early as reasonably possible.
Course Payments & Cancellations
Any course fee, donation arrangement or payment schedule will be clearly explained before you enrol.
Where payment is required in advance, your place will normally be considered confirmed once the agreed payment has been received.
Any cancellation or refund arrangements specific to a particular course will be communicated when the course is offered.
Personal Development, Education & Spiritual Exploration
Tree of Life School courses and groups are intended to support education, self-understanding, personal development and spiritual exploration.
Psychological ideas and therapeutic principles may form part of this work, but participating in a course or personal development group is not a substitute for individual psychotherapy, psychiatric treatment, medical treatment or other professional healthcare.
Some of the subjects we explore can bring greater awareness to personal experiences, emotions and recurring patterns. Participants remain responsible for deciding what they wish to explore and for looking after their own wellbeing during and between sessions.
If you are experiencing significant psychological or emotional distress, we encourage you to seek appropriate professional support. If you would like to explore individual psychotherapy with Chris Stavri, you can learn more here.
Individual Tree of Life Counselling & Astrological Readings
The Tree of Life School also offers certain individual Tree of Life counselling sessions and astrological readings on a donation basis.
We have chosen this approach to make these sessions accessible while allowing those who benefit from the work to contribute towards the continuing development of the School.
Your Appointment
Once a date and time have been agreed, that appointment is reserved specifically for you.
You will receive the relevant online meeting details, normally a Zoom link, before your session.
Please join your appointment at the agreed time and, wherever possible, from an environment where you are able to speak comfortably and privately.
Donations
A considerable amount of time, experience, preparation and commitment goes into making these individual sessions possible.
All donations are warmly appreciated.
Your contribution helps us to continue the work of the Tree of Life School, develop its teachings and resources, and make this work available to other people.
The donation basis of these sessions depends upon mutual respect for both the work being offered and the time specifically reserved for each person.
Cancellation of Individual Sessions
Because an individual appointment is reserved exclusively for you, we ask that you provide at least seven days’ notice if you need to cancel or change your appointment.
This notice allows us a reasonable opportunity to offer the time to somebody else.
Where an appointment is cancelled with less than seven days’ notice, or where somebody does not attend an agreed appointment without appropriate notice, we reserve the right not to offer that person further donation-based individual sessions.
We appreciate that genuine emergencies and exceptional circumstances can sometimes arise, and these may be considered on an individual basis.
We ask everyone using this service to respect this arrangement so that the considerable time devoted to individual sessions can be used responsibly and appointments can be offered fairly to others.
Online Sessions & Groups
For online courses, groups and individual sessions, we ask participants wherever possible to join from a quiet and private environment.
Headphones may be helpful where other people are nearby, particularly during group discussions or individual sessions.
Participants should not record, photograph, film or otherwise reproduce an online session without the express permission of the Tree of Life School and, where relevant, the other participants involved.
Course Materials & Intellectual Property
Written materials, diagrams, presentations, recordings and other resources supplied as part of a Tree of Life School course or session are provided primarily for your own personal learning and development.
Unless otherwise stated, these materials remain the intellectual property of the Tree of Life School and/or the individual facilitator.
They should not be reproduced, distributed, taught, published or used commercially without prior permission.
Changes to Courses or Appointments
Occasionally circumstances may require us to change a course date, session time, facilitator or another aspect of a programme.
Where this is necessary, we will make reasonable efforts to give participants as much notice as possible and, where appropriate, offer an alternative arrangement.
Personal Responsibility
The Tree of Life School provides a framework for exploration, learning and personal development, but every person’s experience is individual.
Participation does not guarantee any particular psychological, personal, spiritual, relationship, health or life outcome.
Each participant remains responsible for their own choices, decisions and actions arising from the material explored.
Questions or Concerns
If you have any questions about a course, group, individual session or any part of this Participation Agreement, please contact the Tree of Life School before enrolling or arranging an appointment.
We are happy to clarify the nature of the work and what you can expect before you participate.
Agreement
By enrolling on a Tree of Life School course or group, or by confirming an individual appointment, you acknowledge that you have read and understood the arrangements described above and agree to participate with respect for the School, its facilitators and other participants.