Regulation. Again, and again!

This morning, over breakfast I came across a posting by the British Association for Counselling: “Only 12% of the UK population realise that anyone can call themselves a counsellor or psychotherapist …People need to know why to choose a therapist who is on a Professional Standards Authority accredited register”. Not unlike the current conservative government which … [Read more…]

The Hidden Minority

As we progress through some of the most significant Jewish holidays I am again drawn to the topic of the ‘hidden minority’. Jews of varying degrees of observance or orthodoxy are now increasingly seeking both individual and couples therapy – with both Jewish and non-Jewish therapists. For the first time, COSRT asked me to facilitate … [Read more…]

Regulation and such… ( a view from Bernd)

The profession, I’d say, is in a mess. This could be said to apply to psychotherapy in general, but, actually, psychosexual and relationship therapy too seems to be somewhat at sea. Decades ago, as a result of the Rugby Conference 1982, counselling and psychotherapy separated out into ‘counselling’ and ‘psychotherapy’, for those who were keen … [Read more…]

Trauma – in couples, individuals and practitioners

“A program, organization, or system that is trauma-informed realizes the widespread impact of trauma and understands potential paths for healing; recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma in staff, clients, and others involved with the system; and responds by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, practices, and settings.” (SAMHSA, 2012, p. 4) We … [Read more…]

Our faces and therapy

There has been much in the news lately about Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which I was bestruck by some twenty-five years ago. At the time I was facilitating a group and one member said to me ‘Judi, I think you have had a stroke’ – there was no pain at the time and at that point … [Read more…]

Letting Go Of The Agenda

New clients presenting for therapy often expect the therapist to fix their problems, and in an attempt to justify our sessional rates, therapists like myself can be seduced to expertly search for what is missing or broken in a couple’s relationship. So not only do the partners or individuals have their agendas, but we also … [Read more…]