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Volume 15 l Issue 1 l Spring 2015

Exploring Light and Shade

• Light by its Nature Creates Shadow: A Conversation on the “Dark Side”

• The Trauma Contagion

• Emotion in the ‘Here-And-Now’

• When Grief Gets Complicated

Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy

Volume 15 l Issue 1

l Spring 2015The Irish Journal of C

ounselling and Psychotherapy

Contents

Editorial Board:Donna Bacon, Eithne Doherty, Anne Duffy, Áine Egan, Alison Larkin, Cóilín Ó Braonáin (Chair), Maureen Raymond-McKay, Antoinette Stanbridge

Design and layout:GKDesign.ie

Co-ordinator:Deirdre Browne.

ISSN: 1393-3582.

Advertising rates and deadlines:Contact the IACP for details. (Early booking essential.)

Light by its Nature Creates Shadow: A Conversation on the “Dark Side” 4By Eugene Mc Hugh

The Trauma Contagion 8By Graham Gill-Emerson

Emotion in the ‘Here-And-Now’ 12By Pat Comerford

When Grief Gets Complicated 17By Dr. Susan Delane

Book Review 20

Workshop Reviews 21

Noticeboard 23

Our TitleThe word Éisteach means ‘attentive in listening’ (Irish-English Dictionary, Irish Texts Society, 1927). Therefore, ‘duine éisteach’ would be ‘a person who listens attentively.’

Disclaimer:The views expressed in this publication, save where otherwise indicated, are the views of contributors and not necessarily the views of the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. The appearance of an advertisement in this publication does not necessarily indicate approval by the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy for the product or service advertised.

Next Issue:1st June 2015

Deadline for Next Issue:24th March 2015

Scripts: Each issue of Éisteach is planned well in advance of the publication date and some issues are themed. If you are interested in submitting an article for consideration, responding to the Therapist’s Dilemma or wish to contribute a book or workshop review or Letter to the Editor, please see ‘Author’s Guidelines’ on the IACP website, www.iacp.ie.


Volume 15 l Issue 1 l Spring 2015Éisteach

Volume 15 l Issue 1 l Winter 2015

3Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy

Antoinette Stanbridge

Dear Colleagues,

This first edition of 2015 explores the nuances of

light and shade, as well as the vital capacity required of the psychotherapist to integrate various aspects of self into awareness - ever a dedicated work in progress.

In this edition, Eugene Mc Hugh guides us through the many layers of the psyche, an often fragile and precarious process, reminding us of the enormous value of ongoing personal development as we endeavour to embrace those facets of self that make us uniquely human.

Cork based psychotherapist Pat Comerford looks at the role of emotion in his article, ‘Emotion in the ‘Here-and-Now’, inviting us to examine the nature and function of emotional terrain within the therapeutic space.

Graham Gill-Emerson approaches the subject of trauma , not only how it can affect the professional who is working with it in the form of Vicarious Trauma, but of Trauma Contagion and how it can impact those who are emotionally and physically close to a primary trauma survivor.

Dr. Susan Delaney of the Irish Hospice Foundation sheds light and provides insight into the distress of Complicated Grief in her article ‘When Grief gets Complicated’. As well as delving into the hardwiring of our attachments, she provides of an overview of the most up to date and relevant CGT treatment paradigms and protocols, appropriately celebrating the work of The Irish Hospice Foundation in leading the field of evidence based CGT practise in Europe.

Antoinette Stanbridge, MIACP is a full-time lecturer with PCI College and therapist in private practise in Dublin City Centre.

For more information please contact [email protected] or see the IACP website.

From the Editor:

4 Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy


A conversation on the “Dark Side”:The Shadow or just who we are?

by Eugene Mc Hugh

our psyche which is important, and which has caused a split that one can see in clients? Though we use the term ‘Shadow’, this author agrees with Jung, it is just what we are, encompassing all that we are, as human beings. Jung (2006) tells us, “what is commonly called self knowledge is a very limited knowledge as most of it is dependent on social factors” (p. 6). Terms like Ying and Yang, Light and Dark allow us to niceify what is, an integral part

of ourselves as humans. Using these terms, do we run the possibility of thinking that we are safe and that “evil” is in someone else, but not in us? In the therapeutic environment, how would this belief affect the relationship with a client who may be very aware of this shunned side of man? When looking at these human qualities Costello quotes Freud,

The inclination to aggression is an original, self subsisting instinctual disposition in man, … It constitutes the greatest impediment to civilisation … man’s natural aggressive instinct, the hostility of each against all and of all against each, opposes this programme of civilisation (2002, p. 23).

Treatment:Jung commented on the persona as being useful in a professional sense, “… because the persona is usually rewarded in cash” (cited in Matoon, 2005, p. 18). The persona is highly visible; it is the face we show the world, it allows the adaptations which one needs to be in the world. Without the development of this social face it is hard for the person to adapt to the social environment they find themselves in. Jung spoke of the formation of the ego as being a conflict between a person’s bodily needs and their home environment. This developing ego carries the early experiences in which we connect to the past and provides cohesion for us in the present. There are a number of forces that determine what we think and feel. The family environment sets up specific learning that, through the eyes of a child, can have a different perspective than what may actually be happening. This individual perspective sets up a template for what is good, proper and moral, and what is mean, shameful, and immoral. Zweig & Abrams (1991, p. xvii) tell us that “The Shadow acts like a psychic immune system,

Self Knowledge or Self Deception

IIn evolutionary terms we, as a species, had to be able to survive

by any means possible. Carl Jung named this ability as “Archaic, meaning primal or original” (Sabini. 2008, p. 99). This ability has got humanity to the level of sophistication that the species has reached. Has the perception that we must be good in the last millennia, facilitated a pushing underground of part of

“Light by its nature creates Shadow, if we care to see”

Eugene Mc Hugh 2014

How comfortable am I with my dark side and can I allow it to be seen? This question arose when a personal process diary was removed and read by a family member.



defining what is self and what is non self”.

In therapy, the visible persona is the one that most people try to understand to resolve the conflict between the internal and external world. This author considers that a client may find resolution for their life issues at this point and will end therapy. However, is this end point enough for a therapist, if a client wants to go deeper in the search for the self? How can a therapist accompany them if they have not gone further into their whole being, into the hidden psyche? Carl Rogers points out that, “… this can only be done by persons who are secure enough in themselves that they know they will not get lost in what may turn out to be the strange and bizarre world of the other, …”(1995, p. 143). Irvin Yalom also comments on the same point when he states, “Therapists must be familiar with their own dark side and be able to empathize with all human wishes and impulses” (2001, p. 40). The persona will do its best to hide or block the shadow and the perceived evil that might be visible to the outside world to present a socially acceptable face. Storr (1983) quotes Jung commenting on

Freud’s embracing of Eros (Love), its opposite, hate, and Phobas (Fear), Jung postulates that consciousness seeks its unconscious opposite, stating that “Life is born only of the spark of opposites”. Jung comments that without this opposite the mind is

“doomed to stagnation, congestion, and ossification” (in Storr. 1983, p.159). He goes on, “We refuse to endow it with any positive life force; hence we avoid and fear it” (p.160).

Hidden PsycheThe shadow tends to remain invisible for fear of been seen as wicked or evil, but is it really? Jung talked of the shadow as being “collective – part of humanity’s heritage” (Matoon, 2005,

p. 28). This shadow may not even be acknowledged due to fear. This side of a person may only be seen when alcohol or drugs are present, the ego is suppressed allowing the alter ego to take over. Mattoon quotes Jung as “the shadow is a necessary component of a three dimensional body” (2005, p. 29). He goes on to speak about Germany’s experience and how Nazism reflects unconscious contents that have potential in all of humanity. In Jungs’ work ‘The Undiscovered Self’ he tell us “the bigger the crowd the more negligible the individual” (2006, p. 14). It is, as if, when the Zeitgeist allows, it is permissible to unleash it. We see this in many of the world’s areas today where ‘normality’ is what is considered as evil to our developed World.

Awareness of personal darkness allows a position of understanding for the darkness in the other, which may not be evil. This author is drawn towards Nietzsche’s’ expression for these inner turmoil’s when he wrote,

Among a hundred mirrors before yourself false … Strangled in your own net Self knower! Self –executioner! Crammed between two nothings,

A question mark …

(cited in Kaufman, 1975, p. 197)

Zweig and Abrams quote Jungian analyst Liliane Frey-Rohn saying, “this dark treasury includes our infantile parts, emotional attachments, neurotic symptoms, as well as our undeveloped talents and gifts” (1991, p. xvii). She goes on to state “The shadow retains contact with the lost depths of the soul, with life and vitality – the superior, the universally human, yes, even the creative can be sensed there”. When Mark Hederman discusses the idea of art in ‘Underground Cathedrals’ and how it can open up thinking and a way forward for humanity. He talks

of the historical establishment, civil and religious, imposing a type of censorship on free expression of the artist who seeks to express their individual quality. Hederman poses the view that this free expression can evoke two reactions, one which can become “a vision statement of a group” or “public uproar”, but how it can become a valid expression of an, “… excavation of a reality which lies in the underbelly of the life of each one of us” (2010, p. 128). Antonio Damasio also comments on art being important to the understanding of the full organism, “Ultimately, because the arts have deep roots in biology and the human body, it can elevate humans to the greatest heights of thought and feeling …” (2010, p. 296).

Dramatic Portrayal of the Dark Side Looking at the portrayal of this “underbelly of life” by the artist, one can see that even before Freud, Robert Louis Stevenson in 1886, developed the idea of Jekyll and Hyde from a dream. The kind Jekyll turns into the violent Hyde. Recently this author considers a similarity in the film, The Black Swan. In the film one can see the battle that happens when the personality is split. Albeit dramatised, one can see Schizophrenia, Dis-associative Disorder, and depression, however, it is a useful metaphor for the purpose of this discussion.

The film shows Lily in her pink and fluffy bedroom, the good girl, striving to be the perfect ballerina, no ability to be passionate holds her back. The director observes that to get the part as the Swan Queen she must lose the good girl and allow herself to be taken over by the Black Swan. We see her looking in a mirror where she sees her dark side. This happens in the wardrobe department and again in the studio where her reflection separates. After a night of alcohol



and drugs we see her making love to her alter ego which tries to smother “the sweet girl”. Throughout the film we can see her being taken over by her shadow where black feathers seem to sprout from her back and mother asks “where’s my sweet girl gone”, Lily’s alter ego replies “she’s gone”. The director commands her to “lose herself” before she goes on stage. This progresses to the point that she tries to kill her good side shouting “it’s my turn, it’s my turn” hiding the good girl’s body. However, she notices she has stabbed herself, but continues to the end as the Swan Queen where she throws herself off a cliff. Ending the scene stating “I was perfect”, passionately bringing the White and the Black Swan together to become perfect.

While the film depicts the battle between the black and white with the idea that one side must die in order to be present, there is a more positive possibility between these two complimentary energies. Bringing these two elements of the psyche together can facilitate Individuation where a person can assimilate the Persona and the Shadow, the anima and the animus, and the typology (dominant and non dominant functions) of the individual. This allows better functioning in the life of the person in their internal and external worlds. It is important for mankind, that we do not see the other as the only one that has the capability to be evil. When Jung (2006) reflects on historic atrocities in dictator states he comments,

… the evil, the guilt, the profound unease of conscience, the obscure misgivings are there before our eyes, if only we could see.

Man has done these things, I am a man …, he goes on, we do well to have some imagination in evil (p. 95).

He speaks of the benefit of having this personal insight which involun-tarily impacts on the environment

around them. On this he says “It is an unintentional influence on the un-conscious of others” (2006, p. 109).

Working with the Dark sideHow can we work with the dark side with our clients or with ourselves? Using the physical body as a metaphor, we look in a mirror we only see our front side; we have to turn around to see our back fully. One side is outside our full awareness at all times even though we obviously know its there. Likewise, we can see this other side in other people as a projection or reflection; we dislike or hate the other person when we recognise something that we reject in ourselves. Owning these projected traits we can start to befriend our dark side, we can then use the positive aspects of the shadow, e.g. anger becomes assertiveness. However, if, as a therapist, the “stagnation congestion and ossification” is present, how can this facilitate flexibility in working with the client? Storr informs us that Jung writes on this development of personality as being “… much more than the hatching forth of monsters, or of isolation. It also means fidelity to the law of one’s own being” (1983, p. 197). Jung in his work ‘Modern Man in Search of Soul’ talks of clients being stuck at a period in therapy where treatment ends, but where development begins. As mentioned, this may be the point where clients decide they have had enough of therapy and leave.

Vocation or Existential GrowthWhat is it then that pushes somebody internally to go that extra mile? Jung writes that he considers this extra drive is about vocation “an irrational factor that destines a man to emancipate himself from the herd and its well worn paths” (cited by Storr, 2006, p. 199). Speaking on this he explains that the person is following his own law,

the internal voice that calls him (the original meaning of vocation) to delve deeper. It is at this point in time that the therapist must be able to accompany the client in that deeper exploration of the shadow that may hold fear and terror for both. So how else do we access this side of ourselves? Jung tells us that “dreams are an expression of your inner life, and can show you through what false attitudes you have landed yourself in this blind alley” (cited in Sabini, 2008, p. 188). These spontaneous dream narratives are outside our conscious control so are directly accessible as a way into the unconscious.

From personal and professional experience one can see the creativity of these unconscious made conscious processes. Processes as individual as each client, but yet holding a common theme when explored. It is astonishing how alike these archetypal images are for each client. They talk of locked doors, tidal waves, trees in oceans, cliffs, caves, churches, mansions, etc. etc., but one thing that is held initially for these images is fear sometimes bordering on terror. As they process these fears, a core is found which enables them to find a trust and integrity which facilitates free expression without fear. It is not a place without feeling, it is a place full of feeling, but without fear. A natural flow of thoughts, images, urges, and emotions can be experienced without guilt. In this, one can speculate that this is the language of the arts where expression is the individual being expressed without censorship either internally or externally. Stephen Diamond writes,

Psychotherapy is one way of coming to terms with the daimonic. By bravely voicing our inner “demons” – symbolizing those tendencies in us that we most fear, flee from, and hence, are obsessed or haunted by – we transmute



position of being non-judgemental in a more informed human way, still connected to the Persona, but also present to the possible in another environment. However, another part of the question then comes to light in how comfortable one is to have this part of self, publicised or used in another environment. Again, like the artist one must have the courage to face society and be open to an important part of being human in how one exists in present day society. As Jung says if one is true to self and exists with the full potential of being human it will have “an unintentional

influence on the unconscious of others”. This influence may be the way we consciously choose to be in the world, which can have a positive influence on the people that surround us, which in turn influences the people around them. Surely this exploration then is a gift not just for us as therapists, but all that we come in contact with. Madisyn Taylor an inspirational thoughts author writes “When we present ourselves to the world without a mask and keep it real, we offer the same opportunity for others to do the same” (www.dailyom.com/articles/2014/45691.html).

References

Costello, S. J. (2006). The pale criminal: Psychoanalytic perspectives. London: Karnac.Damasio, A. (2010). Self comes to mind: Constructing the conscious brain. London: Vintage.Hederman, M. P. (2010). Underground cathedrals. Dublin: The Columba Press.Jung, C. G. (2001). Jung; Modern man in search of soul. London and New York: Routledge.Jung, C. G. (2006). The undiscovered self: The dilemma of the individual in modern society. New York: Signet.Kaufmann, W. (1975). Existentialism from Dostoevsky to Sartre. New York: Meridian.Matoon, M. A. (2005). Jung and the human psyche. London & New York: Routledge.

Rogers, C. R. (1995). A way of being. New York: Mariner Books.Sabini, M. (Ed) (2008). C. G. Jung on nature, technology & modern life. California: North Atlantic Books.Storr, A. (1983). The essential Jung. New York: Barnes & Noble.Taylor, M, (2014). Retrieved 19 November 2014. http://www.dailyom.com/articles/2014/45691.html.Van Deurzen-Smith, E. (1988). Existential counselling in action. London: Sage Publications.Yalom, I. D. (2001). The gift of therapy: Reflections on being a therapist. London: Piatkus Books Ltd.Zweig, C. and Abrams, J. (1991). Meeting the shadow: The hidden power of the dark side of human nature. New York: Tarcher/Penguin.

Eugene Mc Hugh

Eugene Mc Hugh, MIACP. EAC. B.A.(Hons) Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy, Dip Humanistic & Integrative Counselling, Post Grad in Integrative Body Psychotherapy, N.U.I. Certificate in Addiction Studies, Certificate in Therapeutic Mindfulness, Certificate in Hakomi Body Psychotherapy and has undergone training in working with P.T.S.D. with Babette Rothschild. Eugene is a lecturer in Dublin Business School on the B.A. in Counselling and Psychotherapy and currently undertaking a Certificate in Integrative Supervision at IICP. He is in private practice and owner of Wicklow Counselling Service in Bray, Co Wicklow.

Contact Details:[email protected] 135 7891www.wicklowcounsellingservice.ie

them into helpful allies, in the form of newly liberated, life giving physic energy, for use in constructive activity (Zweig & Abrams. 1991, p. 185).

The person can allow the flow of thoughts without censorship and guilt of the persona and society. The individual can use this liberated energy to explore the world in a new way where they have the ability to choose a way of being which is right for them.

The one big change in this existential place is choice. The purpose of therapy is to enlarge choice so that the person can navigate the journey between the poles with ease. When van Deurzen-Smith talks of recognising these opposite sides of the person she says, “… recognizing opposites is not about choosing one or the other: it is about making movement between these two poles” (1988, p. 60). This movement allows a more holistic experience for the person, and in the therapist, allows an understanding of the clients’ world as they grapple with coming to terms with their whole range of experience rather than compromising their way of being. This author can resonate with the sentiment of Friedrich Nietzsche when he writes “The great epochs of our lives are at the points when we gain courage to rebaptize our badness as the best in us” (cited in Zweig & Abrams. 1991, p. 238).

The QuestionIn answering the initial question posed as to how comfortable is one with the dark side and can one allow it to be seen? The reply that surfaces is that one is comfortable with this darker side of self. The author has chosen a profession that requires one to be in contact with this side of humanity. If one shies away from this holistic self, then one would suggest that the client is not served as fully as possible. This position allows one to adopt a



The Trauma Contagionby Graham Gill-Emerson

Introduction

Traumatic experiences hold a central place in the therapy room.

As therapists, we are acutely aware of the difficulties trauma brings to the everyday lives of our clients and are mindful of the delicate journeys that need to be negotiated in our client’s trauma recovery. So too are we aware of the impact trauma can have on ourselves as practitioners, emphasis-ing our use of self-care to stave off the onset of vicarious or secondary traumatisation that may potentially lead to burnout.

Less time however may be given to acknowledging the impact trauma can have on the survivor’s broader system of care. This article focus-es on the belief that ‘if a helping professional can become vicariously traumatised when listening to the story of a client relatively unknown to them, the trauma survivor’s signifi-cant other is also (and possibly more) likely to experience such issues’. Yet, how often have we included partners in therapy as co-survivors or spoken to survivors about their partners’

needing their own individual therapy? Ultimately, can we increase efficiency of therapeutic success by including the partner in the recovery process? And if so, what form would this take?

BackgroundDescriptions of trauma widely agree that its cause lies in an event that is experienced as being a powerful psy-chological shock significant enough to overwhelm and through which one can lose their sense of control, connection and meaning.

In a small yet significant proportion of the population, trauma is followed by the onset of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This psychiatric diagnosis, is largely framed as the residual manifestation of trauma occurring for longer than one month post a traumatic event. Its lifetime prevalence in the adult population of the United States is 8% (DSM IV-TR, 2000), while the prevalence of probable PTSD in the North of Ireland is thought to approximate 10% of the population after a protracted period of political conflict (Muldoon

& Downes, 2007). Its characteristic symptoms include the persistent con-scious and unconscious avoidance of stimuli which remind the individual of the event, a heightened sense of arousal to triggers, and impairment in social, occupational and other areas of the victim’s external world. It can occur where one experiences, wit-nesses or learns of a serious threat to life, injury or physical integrity to themselves or those around them.

PTSD is recognised in this article for both its origins in and pertinence to trauma and for its recognition of the trauma experience extending beyond that of the primary trauma survivor to a third party

learning about unexpected or vio-lent death, serious harm, or threat of death or injury experienced by a family member or other close asso-ciate (DSM IV-TR, 2000 p.463).

These third party aspects of the trauma experience are termed ‘trau-ma contagion’ and have the potential to occur within trauma cases whether PTSD is present or not.

Trauma ContagionTrauma can be conceptualised as in-fectious by both physically witnessing a victim’s trauma or by learning about it. Despite this, much of our trauma literature has been compiled on the effects of trauma upon the primary survivor.

Emotional contagion refers to the individuals’ tendencies to mimic the emotional expressions of oth-ers (Feldman & Kaal, 2007 p.22.)

This emotional contagion can be broken down into the two concepts of ‘vicarious trauma’ and ‘secondary trauma’. Though much has been written over the past number of years on these concepts, there has been a



lack of clarity between the two terms. The similarity between vicarious and secondary trauma is evident in their characteristic of being communica-ble. They can be differentiated from each other with vicarious trauma con-cerning itself with alterations in the individual’s usual ways of understand-ing themselves and their world, i.e. perspective; while secondary trauma locates itself within the mimicking of trauma symptoms, i.e. the felt sense.

The term vicarious trauma was introduced by McCann & Pearlman (1990) and can be understood as

related both to the graphic and painful material trauma clients often present and to the thera-pist’s [or listeners] unique cognitive schemas or beliefs, expectations, and assumptions about self and others (McCann & Pearlman, 1990 p .131).

Vicarious trauma research has largely focused on how the pro-fessionals that work with trauma survivors or within traumatic environ-ments (such as first responders and therapists) are impacted.

However, stress symptoms can also be communicated to those close to the trauma survivor, who can be-come ‘infected’ with similar trauma symptoms (Goff et al, 2006 p.451). These Secondary Traumatic Stress Reactions (Figley, 1983) posit that at a foundational level, being a family member or engaging in a deep caring relationship predisposes us to being emotionally vulnerable to the ca-tastrophes which impact loved ones.

Thus a ripple effect is generated where people connected to the victim also experience a trauma, mimicking the trauma survivor’s symptoms.

In this way, the traumatic expe-rience can go on to impact the “psychological, emotional, physical, operational, social and spiritual subtypes of intimacy” (Mills, 2001 p.198) for both the individual and/or the couple involved.

So how can we treat trauma? We often work with individual clients, speaking about the importance of the extra-therapeutic support people. As outlined above, these people too may be affected, reducing their ability to support and increasing their potential to be reactive as a co-survivor. To treat a traumatised client in a loving relationship may be akin to treating someone individually for a conta-gious disease (e.g. Tuberculosis) in a sanitised environment before sending them home to their infected family. In this scenario, one would imagine that recovery would be slow at best!

What does the research tell us?Research in the area of trauma emphasises the need for self-care throughout, be it for the client, the therapist or the survivors support network.

The effects on child sexual abuse survivors and their spouses of common treatment modalities were explored by Reid, Wampler and Taylor (1996). Each of the modalities explored excluded partners. The authors point out that the literature provides much evidence around treating the child abuse survivor with limited consideration being given to the partner’s role in the dyadic process of recovery. They warn that ignoring current issues in the rela-tionship when treating the survivor of childhood sexual abuse ignores how the abuse issues are replayed within the current relationship.

Current literature and conceptual explanations of PTSD-like symptoms in female partners of war veterans were explored by Nelson & Wright (1996).

The study stated that assisting and supporting female partners through treatment may be essential to the overall aid of both partners in the treatment of PTSD. It expanded on this by stating that

Effective treatment should involve

family psycho-education, support groups for both partners and veter-ans, concurrent individual treat-ment, and couple or family therapy (Nelson and Wright, 1996 p.462).

In attempting to identify how intimate relationships are affected when there is a history of trauma exposure, Goff et Al (2006) argued that any treatment of solely the trauma survivor may potentially miss the consequences for the couple and larger family in addition to couple interactional patterns which may exacerbate symptoms in the prima-ry survivor. Thus in the provision of clinical treatment, it is critical to identify the fallout of trauma upon the couple’s functioning in order to promote healing for both the prima-ry and secondary survivors and to prevent further systemic damage from the trauma. It was the study’s contention that adjunctive conjoint sessions with the couple are essen-tial to adequately address dyadic issues and to reinforce the partner’s support in the healing process. The authors warn that most therapists will struggle to maintain a balanced focus in this sort of couple therapy, often shifting their emphasis to the survivor and may “fail to acknowl-edge the partner’s experience as a co-victim” (Reid, Wampler and Taylor, 1996 p.451).

Finally, Henry et Al (2011) outlined how interactional patterns within the couple and/or family may be symp-tomatic of the primary trauma. They argued that there are a variety of mechanisms that affect functioning in relationships where at least one partner is a trauma survivor, and that understanding the effects of trauma within a couple and family system will improve therapists’ abilities to facili-tate successful interventions.

Trauma RecoveryReturning to a previous state of being prior to a trauma is commonly referred to as recovery. This recovery



er chance their pre-trauma stages will be alike. The influences of this pre-trauma stage may remain hidden within a relationship unless amplified by the occurrence of a significant stressor. When such an incident does occur the effects of this stage will permeate throughout the recovery process.

Trauma Awareness:

The secondary survivor’s healing is going to be impacted by how much and how soon they become aware of the trauma. The more aware of the whole trauma, the more able the sec-ondary survivor will be able to spot and manage its repercussions.

Crisis and Disorientation:

Once the trauma is recognised, it can now be addressed. Shock, confusion and denial may follow, with periods of the secondary survivor feeling off balance and confused.

Outward Adjustment:

This marks a brief return to the pre-vious life of the couple pre-trauma. It is based on the partner dichotomous positioning of disowning the impact of the primary survivors traumatic experience, while at the same time endeavouring to be fully supportive.

It will manifest at both the personal and relationship level. At a personal level, defence mechanisms will dom-inate while established role patterns will present at a relationship level. These two levels will interact signif-icantly and will continue for as long as both the personal and relationship aspects coordinate in the mainte-nance of this cosmetic façade.

Reorganisation:

The same two aspects occur at this stage. At a personal level, the de-fence mechanisms that maintain the particular schema involved in adapta-tion will be addressed and renegoti-

can be conceived as the fundamental shift that occurs in our being when we successfully renegotiate trauma. These fundamental changes occur in our nervous systems, feelings and perceptions as one makes the tran-sition from a traumatic to a peaceful state (Levine, 1997).

In the therapy room, trauma recov-ery is facilitated through three steps (Herman, 2001). The central tasks of these steps are:

1. To establish safety.

2. Remembrance and mourning.

3. Reconnection with ordinary life. (Herman, 2001)

Despite this linear presentation, the journey of recovery is not straight-forward but instead oscillates, defying any attempt in applying order to the experience. However, it should be possible to

“recognize a gradual shift from unpredictable danger to reliable safety, from disassociated trauma to acknowledged memory, and from stigmatized isolation to restored social connection” (Her-man, 2001 p.155).

Though Herman’s (2001) stages of trauma recovery are written for the benefit of therapists working with primary trauma survivors in re-solving PTSD, this does not preclude its application in treating secondary survivors.

However, Remer & Ferguson (1998) present a thorough six stage model representing the steps and complexities involved in the healing process of the secondary trauma survivor (see Fig. 1.0).

Pre-Trauma:

This stage acknowledges the primary and secondary survivor’s assumptive world views, noting that we are social beings impacted by how we perceive the world through individual, social, personal and cultural contexts. The more alike the two partners’ histories, the great-

!Pre-Trauma

Trauma Awareness

Crisis and Disorientation

Outward Adjustment

Personal Relationship

Personal Relationship

Integration and Resolution

Reorganization

Figure 1.0 Processional Stage Model of the Secondary Survivor Healing Process. Remer & Ferguson (1998, p.145)



ated. At a relationship level new roles will be developed and implemented. Effectiveness at this stage will result from the couple’s ability to negoti-ate and coordinate such changes. The difficulty level involved in these changes will be partly determined by the couple’s pre-trauma relationship.

Integration and Resolution:

Integration involves accepting the trauma and making it part of the sec-ondary survivor’s personality. Reso-lution refers to the individual’s ability to spot the enduring aspects of the healing process as they progress, perhaps forever.

Earlier in the process, memories and insights often recycle back into crisis and disorientation, while new information at the final stage will likely recycle back to the reorganisa-tion stage where new information is managed and worked through quicker and more effectively.

Though it is not the focus of this article, it is worth noting that some individuals experience a positive out-come as a result of trauma. This trau-ma thriving or post traumatic growth has the potential to leave people in a better psychological state as a result of their ordeal. Such positive change spans the three broad categories of self-perception, interpersonal rela-tionships and philosophies of life (Tedeschi & Calhoun 1996 p.457).

ConclusionIt would seem that there is a general consensus among helping profes-sionals around the existence of trauma contagion in the form or vicar-ious and secondary trauma leading to a need for greater self-care when dealing with such cases. It would seem that we as professionals give less thought to how this contagion may be affecting the client’s broader system of care, utilising those close to the client in trauma treatment as a support while often failing to identify and treat them as co-survivors. It is

hoped that this article has increased therapist awareness on the effects of trauma within client’s relationships through the focus on how this trauma may be experienced by the partner and how this may in turn slow the process of recovery for both client and those they relate to. It offers a framework for trauma recovery for the client and their partner as well as charting a brief summary of sug-gested approaches brought forth by research in this area.

References

American Psychiatric Association, & American Psychiatric Association. Task Force on DSM-IV. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-IV-TR (4th , text revision ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association. Figley, C. R. (1983). In Figley C. R., McCubbin H. I. (Eds.), Stress and the family. v 2, coping with catastrophe. New York: Brunner/Mazel. Goff, B. S. N., Reisbig, A. M. J., Bole, A., Scheer, T., Hayes, E., Archuleta, K. L., . . . Smith, D. B. (2006). The effects of trauma on intimate relationships: A qualitative study with clinical couples. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 76(4), 451-460. doi:10.1037/0002-9432.76.4.451 Henry, S. B., Smith, D. B., Archuleta, K. L., Sanders-Hahs, E., Goff, B. S. N., Reisbig, A. M. J., . . . Scheer, T. (2011). Trauma and couples: Mechanisms in dyadic functioning. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 37(3), 319-332. doi:10.1111/j.1752-0606.2010.00203.x Herman, J. L. (2001). Trauma and recovery (New ed.). London: Pandora. Levine, P. A. (1997). Waking the tiger : Healing trauma through the body. Berkeley, Calif.: North Atlantic Books. McCann, L., & Pearlman, L. (1990). Vicarious traumatization: A framework for understanding the psychological effects of working with victims. Journal of Traumatic Stress, (3), 131-- 149. Mills, B. (2001). Impact of trauma on sexuality and relationships. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 16(3), 197-205. doi:10.1080/14681990125275

Muldoon, O. T., & Downes, C. (2007). Social identification and post-traumatic stress symptoms in post-conflict northern ireland. The British Journal of Psychiatry : The Journal of Mental Science, 191, 146-149. doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.106.022038 Nelson, B. S., & Wright, D. W. (1996). Understanding and treating post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in female partners of veterans with PTSD. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 22(4), 455-467. doi:10.1111/j.1752-0606.1996.tb00220.x Reid, K. S., Wampler, R. S., & Taylor, D. K. (1996). The ‘alienated’ partner: Responses to traditional therapies for adult sex abuse survivors. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 22(4), 443-453. doi:10.1111/j.1752-0606.1996.tb00219.x Remer, R. & Ferguson, R. (Ed.). (1998). Burnout in families : The systemic costs of caring. Boca Raton ; London: CRC Press. Tedeschi, R. G., & Calhoun, L. G. (1996). The posttraumatic growth inventory: Measuring the positive legacy of trauma. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 9(3), 455-471.

Graham Gill-Emerson, MIACP

Graham Gill-Emerson, MIACP, graduated from DCU with a MSc. in Psychotherapy. He co-founded and works as a private practitioner at Malahide Counselling & Psychotherapy. Graham also works as a freelance addiction consultant as a follow on from his previous career working with young people, adults and their families caught up in problematic and dependent addiction. Graham has a special interest in the area of trauma and the trauma contagion and this article is an excerpt from his thesis “Exploring The Effects Of Trauma On Partners Of Primary Trauma Survivors”.

Contact InformationEmail: [email protected]: www.malahidecounselling.com



Emotion In The ‘Here-And-Now’ by Pat Comerford

Introduction

In all counselling practices time will be spent exploring a client’s

emotions or feelings. This article will examine what it means for both the psychotherapist and client as they investigate and delve into the experience of emoting. This in turn challenges the professional to have a clear understanding of emotions to effectively engage in this important exploration. This article is an effort to bring greater clarity to both the work and to enrich the way of relating in the professional and personal domains.

Defining: A phenomenological Challenge.The fourth edition of ‘The Penguin Dictionary of Psychology’ states

that in defining the term ‘emotion:’

“Historically this term has proven utterly refractory to definitional efforts….”

(Reber, Allen, and Reber, 2009, p.256).

In the ‘Dictionary of Counselling’ the term ‘emotion’ is defined as “feeling, affect, excitation ….” (Feltham and Dryden, 2004, p.71) albeit the same authors acknowledge that:

“The term emotion is used imprecisely and usually synonymously with FEELINGS….”

(Ibid. 2004, p.71)

This article is an invitation to psychotherapists to have greater clarity on what is meant in the use of the term ‘emotion’ in their work, to understand the functions of

emotions and how these feelings can only be experienced, known, and used in the “here-and-now” (Rank, 1945, Chapter iv; Perls, Hefferline, and Goodman, 1951, p.32) of all relationships, whether they are professional or personal.

Exploration of a definition of emotionOne example of a definitional effort of emotion is:

“The word “emotion” quite literally means the outward expression (“e” from the Latin “ex”) of that which moves us, whether by way of an external stimulus or an internal need”

(Howe, in Pesso and Crandell, 1991, p.5).

The latter part of this definition

This article is dedicated, with gratitude, to the memory of

Brendan Connolly, M.I.A.H.I.P., an inspiring human being, teacher and supervisor.



‘that’ is an internal driving force of needs and wants. It is this driving force which influences how we relate to ourselves personally, and with the world. It is crucial for psychotherapists to make sincere efforts to know the client’s ‘that’ and to understand the relationship between their ‘that’ and their experience of emotion in the ‘here-and-now’ as they engage with clients. Irvin Yalom’s (2002) work provides a compelling framework for how psychotherapists can address the particular psychodynamic and existential relationship between the meaning of the ‘that’ and the ‘here-and-now’ experience of emoting by clients. To understand the process of emoting it is first necessary to understand the experience of emotion for human beings.

The Four Fundamentals of Experiencing EmotionThe following four fundamentals could be regarded as common sense for those of us in ‘the trade.’ These fundamentals, however, are central tenets for an integrative, or holistic, approach to psychotherapy.

One: All emotions are embodied. We can only know and experience emotion through the bodies we have. We can observe emotion expressed in the behaviours and bodily movements of the individual. Emotions generally find expression, and these expressions can be visible, and if not, can be inferred (“Empathy,” Rogers and Stevens, 1967, p.110) from the tone of voice, changing skin tone, involuntary physiological responses like perspiring, breathing rate, and from a multitude of other

responses, especially if you have the exceptional acuity skills of Milton Erickson (Haley, 1973).

Two: Emotions are experienced only in the ‘here-and-now’ of the present moment. Otto Rank (op.cit.) believed that all emotional life is rooted in the present. We cannot experience emotions in the past tense since emotions are only experienced in the ‘here-and-now.’ Similarly, we cannot experience emotions that are future-based as emotions can only be known in the ‘here-and-now.’ What mediates emotions in the present are the meanings (Yalom, 1980), or interpretations, created about the past, and future; but these meanings, in turn, can only be known and created in the present moment of the ‘here-and-now.’ Meanings may also include the cognitive legacies from the past of ideas, beliefs and a frame of reference held on to since childhood, but still used as a basis for living in the ‘here-and-now.’

Three: Because emotions are embodied, it is the body then in which all emotions have their origins. No external agent is the cause of emotion; rather the individual is the first and last cause of emotion – it is their unique and personal outward expression. It is the person who generates all emotion. No outside agent can put emotion into the person. This is both a physical and technical impossibility.

Four: Our bodies are always in a state of flux. Therefore, in varying degrees, emotions involve movement internally, and in terms of behavioural and bodily responses. It is reasonable then to conclude that none of the emotions we generate remain static or are permanent.

clearly points to a duality about the origin of emotion – the external or the internal. It is this duality which has contributed to the construction of what Miller, Duncan and Hubble (1997, p.1) has called a Babel-like tower of theories and beliefs in the field of counselling and psychotherapy. While this vast and rich source of knowledge is important to developing an understanding of what it means to be human and how to be psychotherapists, it could also be considered that we have become “trapped in Babel” (Ibid. 1997, p.1) which is a complex maze of theory.

Rather than add to this complex maze the goal of this article is to simplify. It is proposed in this article that emotion is the outward expression of only an internal ‘that’ which is unique and personal to each client we meet. It is being posited that emotion is not a response to a set of external stimuli. A more relevant and useful definition of emotion that is consistent with the tenor of this article is:

“An emotion or an affect can be considered as the felt tendency towards an object judged suitable or away from an object judged unsuitable, reinforced by specific bodily functions.”

(Arnold and Gasson, 1954, in Gross, 2010, p.145).

To grapple with, understand, and know the internal ‘that’, its associated meanings and judgements, in the above definitions, has been undertaken as an existential or life task by humanity (Russell, 1996). In the context of psychotherapy this



Evolution has clearly shown survival to be the primary goal of any species and it is this primary urge, the personal ‘that,’ which underpins the experience of emotion (Dugatkin, 2006). This survival, like our coming into existence, is dependent upon connection and relationship with another. During gestation, survival in the womb is predominantly physiologically based, and emotions, in terms of physiological feedback, are generally an excellent source of feedback for this purpose (Blott, 2009). From the time of birthing, however, it is not a sufficient source of survival feedback. With birth we must now deal with an external world of personal, individualised wants as well as the wants of others. We have entered a world of external relationships, a world Martin Buber calls the “I and Thou” (1958, p.20). This new world of relationships requires us to urgently develop the skills of sense-making and relating. Emotion provides the necessary feedback in developing the skills required for relating to others and for continued survival.

The Importance of Emotion in Human SurvivalWhat is the primary purpose of emotion for humans? I suggest that emotions are primarily a source of survival feedback for:

One: Our existence in the world from the moment of our conception.

Two: Originally it is a source of information about our connection with another, and our place in the womb. With birthing we are

required to begin to make sense of and understand a new place or environment, and of being separated and separate (Rank, 1999). This separation is a loss of the first connection and our first home.

Three: Supplying us with information as to whether or not we are getting what we want in our lives, particularly in the new world of relationships.

Four: Providing us with information about both the effectiveness of behaviours that we employ in the pursuit of our personal wants, and of those wants we have in personal relationships.

All of this feedback is experienced by the person in the present-time context of the ‘here-and-now.’ Consequently, the ‘here-and-now’ context of the therapeutic relationship becomes the primary vehicle through which the particular ‘that’ of clients can be explored in full.

The ‘Here and Now’A clear meaning of the term ‘here-and-now’ has been presented in ‘The Gift of Therapy’:

“The here-and-now refers to the immediate events of the therapeutic hour, to what is happening here (in this office, in this relationship, in the in-betweenness – the space between me and you) and now, in this immediate hour.”

(Yalom, 2002, p.47).

What is emotionally known and experienced is only possible in the ‘here-and-now.’ There are theories about the past and

future and that is what they are and will remain: theories. The past has already passed and emotionally can only be experienced in the present moment of the ‘here-and-now’ through our memories and the constructed meanings about personal life events created in the ‘here-and-now’ (Yalom, 1980). From the psychotherapy perspective what matters most is what is being done in the present moment, the now, and not what has been done in the past or can be done in the future. It is important to understand the meanings and judgements the client has created about their past and how these, in turn, have been allowed, or used, to impact and influence the ‘here-and-now’ of their living and lifestyle – this is understanding the client’s personal ‘that’ or driving force. And, for clients, to learn the skill of evaluating the usefulness of these created meanings and judgements lived in the ‘here-and-now’ is essential in order to survive and to live a useful and worthwhile life.

Viktor Frankl (2011) advocates a viewpoint of ‘that’ in his account of the time he spent in Auschwitz. He believed that we choose our attitude(s) in each moment of our lives and this influences how we will decide to live and relate in the ‘here-and-now.’ Equally, in the present moment, we cannot emotionally experience and know the future, but we may have theories about it. In any book about world religions you will find an array of beliefs about the future and what is in store for the human race (Matthews, 2011). Eckhart Tolle



has made his view explicit with his challenge to us to focus on the “Now” (1999, p.5) Similarly Anthony de Mello’s invitation is to “wake up” (1990, p.20) in order to achieve awareness in the present. Carl Jung once said: “who looks outside dreams, who looks inside awakens,” (Owen, 2002, p. 84) and this too requires a sense of the present.

Developing different psychotherapy models and theories is useful if it helps professionals and clients to live in the ‘here-and-now.’ As psychotherapists we can only engage with clients in the therapeutic alliance in the ‘here-and-now.’ It is essential to empathically know the emotions the client is generating in the ‘here-and-now’ so as to better understand what it is they want now from their lives and relationships and even from their relationship with the therapist. To know the client’s wants is to understand their personal driving force and how this informs them in the way they choose to behave and to relate in their lives. For the therapist to know what they are wanting in their lives and to be aware of the behavioural choices they make to achieve their wants is fundamental to an effective therapeutic alliance. Babette Rothschild’s (2000, 2003) work with trauma and post traumatic stress disorder, a past experience, is an excellent example of working with clients in the ‘here-and-now.’ It is because of her focus on the ‘here-and-now’ that she successfully prevents re-traumatisation of clients.

More Simply: The Twofold Purpose of EmotionAfter thirty four years of clinical practice, during which I purposefully listened to and observed my experience of emoting and the emotings of others, I have come to believe that as we are aging, and especially since puberty, in addition to the need for survival, emoting eventually comes to have only two purposes.

First, emotions provide people with feedback on their wants being satisfied or not in the ‘here-and-now.’

Second, emotions are a source of feedback on the relative success or failure of the behaviours employed to get what is wanted in the ‘here-and-now.’

It needs to be reiterated that the feedback of emotions is critical to survival, even in the context of satisfying wants. Failure to understand and effectively deal with emotions as feedback at a personal level will lead to the physical demise of the individual, and failure at a collective level will lead to the demise of our species.

A Simple Definition of Emotion:

Following from the above review I propose a simple definition of emotion:

Emotion is the outward of expression of our wants being or not being satisfied and equally a measure of the success or failure of the behaviours we have chosen to satisfy those wants.

An Example: Alfred Adler’s Existential Understanding of the Client’s ‘that’ in the ‘here-and-now’Alfred Adler, as an example, has provided us with a theory and clinical framework to understand how individuals go about scripting their ‘that’ by personally making sense of their world through the development of what is called “Private Logic” (Ansbacher and Ansbacher, 1964, p.102). Private Logic is a set of ideas, beliefs, or conclusions created during childhood about the world and relationships based on personal contact with that world and those relationships encountered. This experience-based knowledge may be used to form and inform how to relate to the ‘I’ and others. It can also be the framework that is employed by the clients to satisfy their wants in their lives. For example, if the client has many memories of being pampered in childhood they may believe that life, and relationships, is about receiving and taking, and consequently relate in this fashion to satisfy their wants. If the client reports repeated memories of unreliable and inconsistent contact with the world, they may conclude or believe that living and relating in their world are not safe and therefore one has to be always guarded in pursing wants. This example of exploring childhood memories, or “early recollections” (Clark, 2002, p.7) is one useful approach to understanding the unique meanings, or the ‘that,’ clients employ as they conduct their ‘here-and-now’ lives.



Concluding and InvitingIt behoves us as psychotherapists to work and relate with clients in the ‘here-and-now’ and in this context to understand how they experience emotion and their ‘that’ because this is what we can only know with some degree of certainty. It is essential that we fully understand the client’s wants and how these are directly linked to their ‘here-and-now’ emotings and behaviours. To relate in any other way, one might as well start interpreting rune stones, practicing clairvoyance, and reading horoscopes. It is a necessary and essential part of our professional practice to know the simple and sublime ways of relating to the client that are not only client-centred but also present-moment centred, and thus be facilitative of emotional and behavioural responsibility. (Rogers, 1961, Yalom, 1992, 1996)

Jiddu Krishnamurti (1969) advo-cated that we cultivate a freedom from a rigid adherence to estab-lished theories of knowledge and to instead live in the ‘here-and-now.’ We may listen to client’s theories about their pasts and futures, and we may ourselves theorise along with them, but this will be a fruitless exercise if it is not anchored in the ‘here-and-now’ reality of emoting and the personal living experience of the therapist-client relationship.

Ansbacher, H.L. and Ansbacher, R.R. (eds.1964) The Individual Psychology of Alfred Adler. New York: Harper Torchbooks.Blott, M. (2009) The Day-By-Day Pregnancy Book. Great Britain: Dorling Kindersley Limited.Buber, M. (1958) I and Thou. Translated by R.G. Smith. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.Clark, A.J. (2002) Early Recollections: Theory and Practise in Counselling and Psychotherapy. London: Brunner-Routledge.de Mello, A. (1990) Awareness. United States: Zondervan.Dugaktin, L.A. (2006) The Altruism Equation: Seven Scientists Search For The Origins Of Goodness. Princeton: Princeton University Press.Frankl, V.E. (2011) Man’s Search for Meaning: The Classic Tribute to Hope from the Holocaust. London: Rider.Gross, R. (2010) Psychology: The Science of Mind And Behaviour. Sixth Edition. United Kingdom: Hodder Education.Haley, J. (1973), Uncommon Therapy: The Psychiatric Techniques of Milton H. Erickson, M.D. New York: Norton.Krishnamurti, J. (1969) Freedom from the known. United States: Harper & Row.Miller, S.D., Duncan, B.L., and Hubble, M.A. (1997) Escape From Babel: Toward a Unifying Language for Psychotherapy Practise. New York: Norton.Matthews, W. (2011) World Religions. Seventh Edition. Ohio: Wadsworth.Owen, M. (2002) Jung and the Native American Moon Cycles: Rhythms of Influence. Florida: Nicolas-Hays, Inc.Perls, F., Hefferline, R., and Goodman, P. (1951) Gestalt Therapy: Excitement and growth in the human personality. New York: Julian Press.Pesso, A., and Wassenar, H. (1991) ‘Ego Function and Pesso System/ Psychomotor Therapy’ in Pesso, A., and Crandell, J.S. (eds) Moving Psychotherapy: theory and application of Pesso system/psychomotor therapy. Massachusetts: Brookline Books.Rank, O. (1945) Will Therapy and Truth and Reality. New York: Knopf.

Rank, O. (1999) The Trauma of Birth. New York: Routledge.Rogers, C.R. (1961) On Becoming A Person: A Therapist’s View of Psychotherapy. London: Constable.Rogers, C.R. and Stevens, B. (1967) Person to person: the problem of being human: a new trend in psychology. California: Real People Press.Rothschild, B. (2002) The Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment. New York: Norton.Rothschild, B. (2003) The Body Remembers Casebook. New York: Norton.Russell, B. (1996) History of Western Philosophy. Oxford: Routledge Classics.Yalom, I.D. (1980) Existential Psychotherapy. New York: Basic Books.Yalom, I.D. (1992) When Nietzsche Wept. New York: Basic Books.Yalom, I.D. (1996) Lying on the Couch. New York: Harper Perennial.Yalom, I.D. (2002) The Gift of Therapy. Great Britain: Piatkus Books Ltd.

Pat Comerford

Pat Comerford, M.Coun., B.A., H.Dip.Ed., Dip.Catech., R.T.C., D.A.C., E.C.P., M.W.G.I.I., M.A.N.I., M.I.A.H.I.P., S.I.A.H.I.P., M.E.A.P. is humanistic psychotherapist working in private practice in counselling and supervision in Cork.

References



mental representation (“working model” ) of these figures which are updated as changes occur in the relationship.

Grief is a natural consequence of forming these emotional bonds to others; we grieve when we lose someone (or something) that is important to us. When we experience the loss of an important person in our lives, our physical and emotional well-being is disrupted; we resist accepting the finality of the loss and struggle to make sense of what has happened and how to live without that person.

If our attachment figures are so central to our functioning, then how do we ever learn to manage without them? Is grief so destabilising that we can never recover from it?

Bowlby recognised that a successful period of mourning consisted of acknowledging the finality of the loss and its consequences, revising the internal representation of the person who died and redefining life goals. This is echoed in William Worden’s more contemporary work on grief tasks. Research by George Bonanno highlighted the role of resilience and added significantly to our understanding of grief trajectories by evidencing the fact that failure to integrate grief was the exception rather than the rule. We now know that in parallel to our physical immune system, we also have a psychological immune system which facilitates emotional healing. So although grieving can be a very difficult experience, most people find their way through their grief journey with the support of family and friends. As we process the loss, our acute grief gradually becomes integrated and no longer dominates our emotional landscape, but is incorporated into our understanding of ourselves and our world view. The working model is

Introduction

Popular notions about how we grieve, including the idea of fixed

stages of grief and the importance of closure have, for the most part, now been discarded as research evidence has failed to support their validity. Neuro- imaging findings have reawakened an interest in human attachment and researchers, such as Mikulincer, have refined the early work undertaken by John Bowlby to explain the central role of attachment in our lives and in our losses. As human beings we are hard-wired to attach to

others throughout our life span. We thrive emotionally and socially when we have attachment figures in our lives who provide a safe haven for us. These attachment relationships help to regulate important aspects of our functioning- from sleeping and eating to feelings of self-esteem and self-confidence. Well-functioning adults will typically have about five significant figures in their lives at any one time. We seek out these people when we need comfort and feel confident in exploring the world knowing they “have our backs”. We develop a

When grief gets complicated

Abstract

Much has been written, argued and debated about whether complicated grief exists and whether we are merely pathologising a natural event when we attach a diagnosis to it. This ar ticle provides an overview on current thinking about the role of attachment in how we grieve, it introduces an evidence-based protocol which has been shown to provide better treatment results and considers how the research in therapy efficacy relates to working with clients presenting with complicated grief.

by Dr. Susan Delaney



updated to reflect the loss and we find new ways to remain connected to the person who has died, recognising that death ends a life not a relationship.

Complicated griefHowever, for a small number of

bereaved individuals this adjustment does not occur. Instead of the grief integrating, the process is derailed, sending it into a repetitive loop with intense yearning, avoidance and preoccupation with the death predominating the emotional and cognitive landscape. The bereaved person has little enthusiasm for life and cannot imagine a time that they will ever feel joy or passion in their life again. This is what is known as complicated grief (CG). The analogy of a train can be a useful way to explain complicated grief; if grief is imagined as a train journey, then each bereaved person finds their own route, stopping at different stations for different lengths of time and arriving at their own destination. When someone has CG it is as though obstacles have caused the train to derail and no progress can be made until the debris is removed from the track. To work effectively with CG practitioners must recognise and attend to the debris so that the train can get back on track and the grief journey can continue. The incidence of CG is low; estimates range from 2% to 20% and most cases are still unrecognised and untreated.

DSM-5 has included CG as a recognised disorder under the title Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder. Lack of an agreed set of criteria resulted in the disorder being placed as a condition for further study, however must researchers agree that key features include a bereavement reaction out of proportion or inconsistent with cultural/religious

or age-appropriate norms and a level of disturbance that causes clinically significant distress of impairment of functioning in social or occupational settings. It is expected that the disorder will also appear in the new edition of the ICD due to be published in 2015.

CG- as it continues to be called by clinicians- can be diagnosed using standardised inventories coupled with a thorough grief history and assessment. DSM-5 sets 12 months post bereavement as the minimum time frame for diagnosis; however Holly Prigerson’s work indicates that it may be diagnosed as early as six months post bereavement. The inclusion of the disorder has been criticised by some as an attempt to pathologise grief- in this author’s opinion, it merely confirms what most practitioners have long been aware of; the failure of a small number of clients to progress in therapy despite everyone’s best efforts. Wherever we position ourselves on the debated-diagnostic categories ultimately serve only one purpose and that is to reduce the suffering, incapacity and misery of clients who seek our help.

Treating complicated griefThe acceptance of CG as a disorder has led to the development of innovative treatment protocols, most notably that developed by Shear (2006) known as CGT, which has been shown to reduce symptoms of grief and improve level of functioning when compared to more traditional talk therapy. CGT is based on attachment theory and integrates strategies drawn from Interpersonal Psychotherapy, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy and Motivational Interviewing. It is a 16 week, strengths-based model which mirrors the Dual Process Model (DPM) described by Stroebe and Schut.

DPM recognises the importance of oscillating between focusing on the grief and defensive exclusion to allow for restoration work. People with CG frequently struggle to dose their grief; they have likely developed strategies to avoid their grief, because they feel overwhelmed when they do attend to it. CGT models this oscillation in the therapy work and allows clients to develop the capacity to move towards their grief and away from their grief.

The CGT protocol uses strategies and techniques which facilitate the three main processes of grief resolution; acknowledging the death and its consequences, revising the mental representation of the person who has died and redefining life goals in light of the life changing events. Sessions are structured and follow a similar format, beginning with a review, moving on to particular exercises focusing on the death and consequences, then shifting to activities of restoration and ending with plans for the following week. Clients are active collaborators in the process and are asked to engage in daily activities of grief monitoring, goals work and self-compassion. Both imaginal and situational activities are utilised as well as structured memory work, photographs and an imaginal conversation with the deceased. Progress is monitored regularly and feedback is used to structure the protocol to the client’s needs and to refine the understanding of why the grief process became stuck. As the instinctual healing process is activated, the working model updates and the grief begins to integrate.

Of course protocols and techniques alone don’t heal people, and effective treatment will always be predicated on the ability to form a strong therapeutic alliance and



References

Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and Loss: Attachment. Vol.1, New York, NY: Basic BooksBowlby, J. (1980) Loss: Sadness and Depression. Attachment and Loss. Vol 3. New York, NY. Basic BooksBonanno, G.A., Wortman, C.B., Lehman, D.R., et al. (2002). Resilience to loss and chronic grief: A prospective study from pre-loss to 18 months post-loss. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83, 1150-1164.Gundel, M.D et al (2003). Functional Neuroanatomy of Grief: An fMRI Study. Am J Psychiatry 160:11Hubble, M. Duncan, B., & Millers. (1999). The heart and soul of change: what works in therapy. Washington DC: American Psychological AssociationMorawetz, D. (2007). What works in Grief Counselling? US evidence and Australian Experience. Grief Matters, Vol 10, issue 3Mikulincer, M. et al. (2009). What’s inside the mind of securely and

insecurely attached people? J of Per & Soc Psych, Vol. 97, No. 4, 615–633Prigerson HG, Maciejewski PK, Reynolds CF, et al. (1995). Inventory of Complicated Grief: a scale to measure maladaptive symptoms of loss. Psychiatry Res. 59:65-79.Shear, M.K. (2006). The treatment of complicated grief. Grief Matters: The Australian journal of grief and bereavement, 9(2), 39-42.Stroebe, M. and Schut, H. (1999). The dual process model of coping with bereavement: rationale and description. Death Studies 23 (30): 197-224Wagner, B., Knaevelsrud, C., Maercker, A. (2006). Internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy for complicated grief: A randomized controlled trial. Death Studies, 30, 429-453.Worden, J.W. (2008). Grief counseling and grief therapy: A handbook for the mental health practitioner (4th ed.). New York: Springer.

CS Lewis in observing his own grief noted; “I have learned that passionate grief does NOT link us with the dead, but cuts us off from them….. It is just at those moments when I feel least sorrow that H rushes upon my mind in her full reality”.

With the establishment of the Complicated Grief Programme at the Irish Hospice Foundation, Ireland has

taken a lead in providing evidence-based treatment for people presenting with complicated grief and is one of only two sites in Europe providing treatment and training in CGT. With growing awareness and better understanding of the principles of effective intervention there is now hope for this debilitating condition.

Dr Susan Delaney

Dr Susan Delaney, Clinical Psychologist is the Bereavement Services Manager in the Irish Hospice Foundation. She has practised and taught in the area of loss and bereavement for over 20 years. She has been awarded the title of Fellow in Thanatologyby ADEC (Association of Death, Education & Counselling) for her contribution to the bereavement field and is the editor of Irish Stories of Loss and Hope , a book about bereavement experiences. Susan is a member of the international Train-the Trainers group with Dr Kathy Shear at Columbia University and is the Director of the Complicated Grief Programme in the Hospice Foundation. This newly-established programme provides clinical services, training, education and research in the area of complicated grief.

Inquiries or comments may be directed to:Dr Susan Delaney, Bereavement Services Manager email: [email protected] line: 01 6730048

tailor treatment interventions to fit with the client’s experience and interpretation of the problem. Duncan Hubble and his colleagues provide an excellent overview of what makes for effective therapy in their book; The heart and soul of change. They break down the effectiveness variance into; 40% -client factors, 30% - therapeutic relationship, 15% accounted for by the instillation of hope and expectation and 15% accounted for by the techniques utilised. One of the best predictors of negative outcome in therapy is a lack of focus and structure, when working with CG it becomes even more important to have a clear hypothesis rooted in bereavement theory and a therapeutic approach with an evidence base. To ensure that bereavement therapy is both effective and self-sustaining David Morawetz recommends that therapists focus on using the relationship to empower the client both in and outside of session, generate realistic hope without minimising the difficulties and utilise relevant and proven techniques to ensure that the therapy is effective and self-sustaining.

CS Lewis reminds us in A grief observed; “Bereavement is a universal part of the experience of love… it is not the interruption of the dance, but the next figure of the dance”. People with CG erroneously believe that they need to hold tightly to their grief as a way of staying connected to their loved one, they fear forgetting and can become locked in a vicious cycle of either feeling bad or feeling bad if they start feeling better. The truth is that we are forever connected in a deep way to those we love, but it is possible to remember them with love rather than with pain and it is possible to reconnect with life and find meaning and joy after bereavement. Again



Book ReviewTitle: Improving Memory through Creativity

A Professional Guide to Culturally Sensitive Cognitive Training with Older

Adults.

Author: Amanda Alders Pike

Published: 2014

ISBN: 978-1-84905-953-4

Reviewed by: Cynthia Quinn, MIAHIP; SIAHIP; MIAPTP; ECP

Pre & Peri-natal Psychotherapist/Supervisor and Play-therapist

As the title suggests this is a guide on how to stimulate older adults mentally and emotionally through creative Cognitive Training. Creativity is known to stimulate anyone both mentally and emotionally and this guidebook outlines strategies that are useful and effective in clinical work with older adults.

In a world where the number of older adults are increasing, plus those with Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease too; cog-nitive training has become an important part of helping those with these conditions. The author combined her back-ground in Art Therapy and the various theories, together with Cognitive Training to produce a very versatile approach to aid older adults improve their memory.

The neuroscience of normal and abnormal aging is easily explained, together with the risk factors. The primary risk factor of interest in this book is lifestyle factors, mental stimulation, decreasing stress and improving socialization and mood. Thus the creative approach takes into consideration the older adults mental/cognitive well-being needs; these are related to five key areas: physical, social, emotional, spiritual and mental.

With simple exercises aimed at these factors and needs they are broken down into several steps and explained together with graphs charts and tables that show how artistic creativity can parallel cognitive training that will provide benefits to a wide audience of older adults. Everything from introducing art materials and techniques, to enhancing cross-cultural interaction is outlined in detail and each encourages self-reflection as to what the images and symbols means to each person personally.

The author has coupled this with an understanding of how art making, affects brain waves and neurotransmitters; and how this may help the professional to positively affect older adult’s internal stimuli, thus enhancing their mood. To achieve this three neurotransmitters (and corresponding brain waves) that relate to both happiness and

creativity are Acetylcholine (gamma waves) which enhances memory, Dopamine (beta waves) which creates motivation and Serotonin (alpha waves) which calms the mind. So what exercise would achieve all this? A MANDALA!

The repetitive strokes in a confined area improves hand/eye co-ordination, while the focusing on the sensation of the materials give a bodily pleasure, while deep breathing connects the mind/body and the choosing of colours without self-judgement improves self-esteem and that’s just the serotonin release!

I really liked how this book built on information from the previous chapter, gave step by step guidelines for one session to several weeks together with information on

the elements that create a successful session, from length of session to the number of weeks that are most beneficial. The charts, graphs and diagrams are very simple and explain key factors, especially the neuroscience link. All this is also accompanied by online material for use in sessions and workshops making it a vital resource to all professionals who work with older adults.

21Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy 21


Workshop Review

EVERYDAY MINDFULNESS

Presenter: Aoife Valley

Date: 15th November 2014

Organised by: Northern Ireland Regional Branch IACP

Reviewed by: Gerry McCanny

Venue: City Hotel Derry

Aoife introduced herself by saying that she had studied meditation and mindfulness in the Buddhist tradition over the past five years. She outlined the plan for the workshop which included a series of meditations interspersed with presentations and group discussions. It was obvious from the way Aoife composed herself before the workshop began and by her calm demeanour that she was practicing the mindful philosophy that she preached and her audience was fully engaged from the beginning.

The first meditation was a meditation using our senses and and we were reminded of the meaning of “coming to our senses” as a way of returning our attention to the present moment. Following some group discussion Aoife introduced her audience to a meditation focussing on awareness of breathing and then to some mindful movement exercises similar to Tai Chi and yoga movements. We were reminded that each individual may find different meditations and mindful exer cises useful at various times and that it was important to adapt these to our unique requirements.

The next meditation consisted of a body scan where we were asked to visualise the various parts of our bodies from the top of our heads down to our toes and to imagine each part smiling as we focussed on that particular area.

The last meditation involved the repetition of statements including “May I be free” and “May I be at peace”. The facilitator then asked us to think about someone whom we felt neutral about i.e. not having strong negative or positive feelings towards them. We were then asked to repeat “May you be free” and “ May you be at peace” while thinking about that person. This progressed to thinking about someone with whom we had difficulties and repeating the above statements with them in mind. This exercise produced a really interesting debate on the meaning of forgiveness and its relevance within the counselling process.

In the final exercise we broke into dyads and one person was asked to speak for 3 minutes while the other simply listened attentively without any comment

at all. Roles were then reversed and afterwards participants fed back on their experiences of this exercise. The exercise exemplified the Buddhist method of “being with” the other person without deliberately trying to respond or fix the problem.

The workshop ended with a plenary discussion on the value of various types of meditation and mindfulness practices and on how mindfulness can be incorporated into our counselling work.

Overall the workshop was very competently presented with a useful balance between experiential exercises, information giving and group discussion. I would strongly recommend it for those interested in learning more about mindfulness and who especially enjoy experiential learning.

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Workshop Review


SEXUALITY: LET’S TALK

Presenters: Gillford D’Souza and Karen Ward

Date: 28th November 2014

Reviewed by: Clara Slattery

Venue: Avila Centre, Dublin 4

On the 28th November I attended the above workshop on sexuality, and I am glad I did. I work with the organisation Ruhama supporting women affected by prostitution and women trafficked into sexual exploitation. My experience is that it is difficult for many clients to look at their sexuality and sexual relationships. I decided it was important for me to explore this further to better support my clients.

A large part of this workshop focused on the participants and exploring our sexuality. We looked at what sexuality is; levels of comfort and discomfort on certain themes; our sexual script; and sexual desire. The later part of the day looked at client work. The workshop was interactive, alternating between full group and small group discussions. It highlighted how sexuality touches off so many aspects of ourselves and how these aspects connect and interlink.

I enjoyed the workshop immensely. It felt refreshing to sit in a room with practitioners who spoke so frankly about sexuality, and to learn about their feelings, opinions and experiences - but also where they struggle, both personally and in their client work. This in my experience does not happen often and is not always easy to do, even though sexuality is a significant part of us. The desire to engage was palpable, and participation was tremendously helped by the facilitators’ ability to make the group feel at ease. Gillford and Karen shared their own experiences, helping to lead the way. They were gentle in their approach and deeply respectful of individuals’

experiences, contributions and varying levels of participation. And the workshop was fun! So while the work was serious and at times painful, we also laughed. There was great energy in the room and it felt natural to talk about this part of ourselves. But most importantly, the space felt safe.

The section on sexual scripts I found particularly valuable. It was an eye opener to learn about generational and cultural scripting. We were reminded of the huge role family and society play in shaping sexuality and our relationship to it.

The facilitators were adept at keeping the workshop on track and to the point. However, for myself I would have liked more small group discussions - perhaps even role playing - and a deepening of some of the topics raised. In relation to the section on client work there is scope for further development.

This workshop was a very good introduction to exploring sexuality in a group setting. I am already seeing a difference in my client work. I look forward to Gillford and Karen’s follow-on workshop in the spring. It was a privilege to explore with my fellow participants something as personal as our sexuality. Thank you Gillford and Karen for making that possible.

Clara Slattery: [email protected]

Ruhama: www.ruhama.ie

A day seminar exploring our attitudes and beliefs around sexuality that influence how we support others in the exploration of their sexuality.


IACP Noticeboard


Dear Members,

I hope my letter finds you all well and I offer my best wishes to you all for 2015. After a very fulfilling year as IACP Cathaoirleach I have decided, for personal reasons, not to serve a second year. It has been an honour to have been the IACP Cathaoirleach and it is with pride that I can say that IACP is strong and growing in strength and integrity. I am confident that this strength and integrity shall continue, as I offer my sincere thanks to my Executive Committee colleagues and the Management Team members, led by the IACP National Director, Naoise Kelly for all of their hard work during the past year.

It has been a privilege to lead the IACP Executive Committee since March 2014 and I wish to pay tribute to all of the IACP members for their enthusiasm for all that IACP does. I wish to acknowledge that all of the time given by committee members, is on a completely voluntary and unpaid basis. Attending meetings, supporting and communicating with peers, participating in discussions, reading and writing documents & emails, sometimes travelling long distances, being available, often at short notice and in general working very hard to further the vision and mission of IACP. I also wish to pay tribute to the Management Team and staff of IACP, whose professionalism, expertise, hard work and loyalty to IACP cannot be underestimated. In my experience, all of us volunteers do our work supported by the staff of IACP. IACP is strong and growing, perhaps because the contributions of each group, volunteers and staff, blend coherently and complement each other very productively.

The many impressive IACP accomplishments during 2014 will be detailed in the Directors’ report of the AGM booklet. Some highlights of the year include:

• Meeting with the Minister for Mental Health, Kathleen Lynch, and receiving a commitment to regulate Counselling and Psychotherapy

• Purchased and re-located head office to Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin• Nationwide distribution of 45,000 IACP information leaflets• Governance Working Group established and start of implementation of “Board match Ireland” report

recommendations• Review by Ethics Committee of IACP Code of Ethics and Practice well advanced

I am particularly pleased that the implementation of the governance recommendations (further to the review of IACP Governance by Boardmatch Ireland in March 2014) has been within my time as Cathaoirleach. Again, I offer my thanks to the membership of IACP whose continued membership is an encouragement to the commitment of all the volunteers and staff and I offer my hopes and best wishes for continued success to the in-coming Executive Committee.

Bernadette DarcyCathaoirleach

From the Cathaoirleach

Bernadette Darcy



IACP Noticeboard

From the National Director

Dear Members,

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place on Saturday 11th April at the Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, between 10:00am and 11:30am.

This year’s meeting will be a straightforward, simple, legal AGM.

The peripheral activities that had become part of the AGM (Social Evening, Official Openings, Guest Speakers, Lunch and the Carl Berkeley Award) will now form part of the exciting new IACP Annual Conference, which will take place at the same venue on the 16th and 17th of October 2015.

Registration starts from 9:00am and the AGM will commence at 10:00am sharp.

AGM Agenda:

• Welcome, Apologies, Approval of 2014 Minutes

• Company Reports

• Motions (none submitted)

• Elections

• Open Forum

• Close

Booking your place: If you plan to attend the 2015 AGM, please register in advance on the IACP website at www.iacp.ie/page/all_events/212

Your participation and support at the AGM is encouraged and valued as it is your main forum, as a Member of the IACP, to express your opinion and to be present when your representatives are being voted onto the Executive Committee. The AGM is a good opportunity for you to ensure that you are fully informed of current policies, standards and activities. It is also a great opportunity to network with colleagues and fellow members.

Full details of the event and directions to the hotel are available on the IACP website: www.iacp.ie

I look forward to seeing you at the Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin on Saturday 11th April 2015.

Naoise Kelly, National Director

Naoise Kelly


IACP Noticeboard


Continuing Professional DevelopmentAn Update from the CPD Committee

CPD is essential for the Counselling/Psychotherapy profession to maintain and preserve the integrity of the Counsellor/Psychotherapist. Continuously educating oneself demonstrates commitment to the profession as a whole.

There is a need for Continuing Professional Development as our profession moves ever closer to Regulation. As Therapists, we have an enormous responsibility for the care of our clients. All too

often we have heard that there are practitioners who do not have the necessary qualifications, which has resulted in much unwanted negative publicity for our profession. For those of us who take the time and spend our money on training and up-skilling ourselves through continuing professional development, this type of publicity is very disappointing to say the least.

The IACP have directed the CPD Committee to review the current CPD policies for their members in conjunction with Annual Re-accreditation in 2016.

The publication of this article is aimed at putting to rest any undue fears that may abound regarding changes in CPD. The CPD Committee have been working hard at producing a Draft Proposal and Log. The committee is developing a user friendly system in accordance with best practice guidelines, which will benefit the Therapist and ultimately the Clients. The CPD policies are being designed so that it does not pose a burden on the Therapist or Supervisor.

CPD is mandatory and its compliance is based on trust. It is the responsibility of the Members to assess their development goals and needs in conjunction with their Supervisor. CPD requirements are common to all professions. CPD is a structured approach to learning to help ensure competence to practice and can involve any relevant verifiable learning activity.

CORU, the body which regulates Health and Social Care Professionals Council states, “the registrants practice must be guided by changes in work methods, in technology, in research, in roles and in legislation”. The Code specifies “that registrants must keep their professional knowledge and skills up to date, be of a high quality and relevant to their practice”.

In September 2013 a Framework for Registration Boards dealing with CPD standards and requirements was published by CORU. www.coru.ie They set out four stages of CPD and the committee are adapting this framework to inform the revised CPD Model for IACP.

Members will be updated on an ongoing basis.

The CPD Committee would like to acknowledge the feedback from a number of IACP Committees for which we are very grateful and are open to receiving suggestions from the membership body as a whole.

IACP First Annual Conference –October 2015The first IACP Annual Conference will take place at the Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin on Friday 16th October and Saturday 17th October 2015. The event will run over 2 days and creates an excellent opportunity for education, inspiration, networking and fun.

Conference Highlights

• Welcome Reception

• High calibre Keynote Speakers (including International speakers)

• Multiple education and workshop sessions throughout

• Gala Dinner & Entertainment on Friday night

• “Meet the Committees” Sessions

• IACP Awards

• Opportunities to reconnect with old friends and to expand your professional network

• Exhibitor/ Display areas/ Book stands

• Fun events

Full details about the Annual Conference will be sent to all Members in due course.


IACP Noticeboard


New Appointments at IACP Head Office

Iwona Blasi has been appointed as

Accreditation Supervisor.

Iwona has worked in various Not-for-Profit

organisations where accreditation was part of

her responsibilities.

She has previously worked for the Irish

Management Institute (a membership

organisation that has pioneered the

development of executive education in Ireland

for sixty years), Clare Local Development

Company where she supported students

with backgrounds of substance abuse and

the long-term unemployed and Anam Cara,

Dublin based charity helping parents after

bereavement.

Clare Kavanagh has been appointed as

Accreditation Officer.

Clare has previously worked for Prometric,

(a multi-national company that provides

test development and delivery solutions to

organisations), where she was responsible for

coordinating and administrating professional

examinations and certifications, plus leading

accreditation processes for clients.

She also has experience of being a Life

Skills Online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Supporter with AWARE.

The Executive Committee, Management & Staff welcome both Iwona and

Clare to the IACP Team.

Both roles are essential in the development of IACP accreditation systems

and procedures.

Reminder – Annual Fees 2015Please be aware that 2015 annual membership fees are now past due.

Any outstanding fees can still be paid using the online payment link that was sent by e-mail to you on 1st December 2014, or, alternatively, you can make payment over the phone by calling us at 01 2303536 or by sending a cheque to the IACP office.

If you are already paying by direct debit you do not need to do anything further.

Only fully paid up members can continue to be members of the IACP.

IACP Jobs & Volunteering InitiativeThe IACP provides a “Jobs and Volunteering” information service which all IACP Members receive via email, regarding jobs and volunteering opportunities for Counsellors / Psychotherapists.

If you have a job vacancy for a Counsellor / Psychotherapist or a volunteering opportunity email the details to Deirdre Browne [email protected] and IACP will advertise it for you Free of Charge.

Clare Kavanagh Accreditation Officer

Iwona BlasiAccreditation Supervisor


IACP Noticeboard


State Introducing Garda Vetting for TherapistsThe Irish Government is introducing Garda vetting for all those who work with children or vulnerable adults. This is in accordance with the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012. IACP is required to facilitate mandatory Garda Vetting for all IACP members (all membership categories - dates to be confirmed).

Membership of the IACP will be dependent on individuals obtaining Garda Vetting (via IACP) which will ensure compliance with this new law once it is commenced.

To facilitate this, the IACP has appointed a new employee to the position of Vetting Compliance Officer.

The IACP Vetting Compliance Officer will be responsible for the facilitation and administration of Garda Vetting plus all aspects of Data Protection compliance.

IACP members are not required to do anything in relation to this at this time. IACP will be in contact with members over the coming months to provide Garda Vetting.

The National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012, provides a statutory basis for the use of Garda criminal records in the vetting of persons applying for employment working with children or vulnerable adults.

The Act also provides for the use of “soft” information, (which is referred to as “specified information” in the Act) in regard to vetting.

This is information other than criminal convictions where such information leads to a bona-fide belief that a person poses a threat to children or vulnerable persons.

Vetting procedures are already a requirement under the Children First National Guidelines.

The primary purpose of the Act is to put the procedures that have been developed to vet these applications into law, to provide for the use of soft information and to ensure those working with children or vulnerable adults are properly vetted.

The Garda Central Vetting Unit will become the National Vetting Bureau under the provisions of this Act and will have a substantially expanded role under new legislation.

The National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 makes it mandatory for persons working with children or vulnerable adults to be vetted, whereas at present, this is done on the basis of a voluntary code.

The Act will also create offences and penalties for persons who fail to comply with its provisions.

The schedule to the Act lists in detail the types of work or activities that require vetting.

These include:

• Childcare services• Schools• Hospitals and health services• Residential services or

accommodation for children or vulnerable persons

• Treatment, therapy or counselling services for children or vulnerable persons

• Provision of leisure, sporting or physical activities to children or vulnerable persons

• Promotion of religious beliefs

The Gardaí have also interpreted the new legislation to apply to any persons whom may have any indirect, potential or possibility of contact with children or vulnerable adults.

This means that any situation where there may be children or vulnerable adults, any persons whom could come into contact with them, no matter how passing, must be vetted by law.

In light of this legal requirement, Garda Vetting will become a requirement for IACP membership.

Following the introduction of Garda Vetting for IACP members, individuals cannot be given membership until after they have received Garda Vetting.

The IACP is currently developing criteria, policies and procedures regarding Garda Vetting and once complete all members will be notified.

Please Note: No action is required by IACP members at this time. IACP will contact members over the coming months.

IACP recommends that all members familiarise themselves with The National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012.

The Act can be viewed on www.irishstatutebook.ie


IACP Noticeboard


Newly Accredited Members’ Social!The fourth Annual IACP Newly Accredited Members’ Social took place in the Clarion Hotel on Friday the 30th of January 2015.

The event was attended by nearly 50 Members who gained their First Time Accreditation in 2014 to acknowledge and celebrate their achievement.

Newly Accredited Members mingled with Members of the

Executive and Accreditation Committees as well as IACP staff while enjoying drinks and refreshments.

Bernie Darcy, Leas Cathaoirleach, gave a welcoming speech to all of the newly accredited members and commended them for their hard work and successful journey to accreditation. David Carrick, Chair of the Accreditation Committee, followed with words of congratulations and

encouragement for the continuing journey of accreditation.

Sheila Haskins, Eileen Finnegan and Eugene McHugh from the Executive Committee and David Carrick, Edwina Fitzpatrick, Martina McNamara, and Chris Murphy from the Accreditation Committee also attended. All IACP Members who received their First Time Accreditation between January 2014 and December 2014 were invited.

L-R: Ita O’Shaughnessy, David Carrick (Accreditation Chairperson), Bernie Darcy (Cathaoirleach), Loretta Tyndall, Sheila Haskins (Executive Board Member) Eugene McHugh (Executive Board Member) and Cathy Bushe

Gary Boyle and Helen Browne

L-R Iwona Blasi (Accreditation Supervisor), David Carrick (Accreditation Chairperson), Martina McNamara (Accreditation Committee), Chris Murphy (Accreditation Committee), Edwina Fitzpatrick (Accreditation Committee)

L-R: Loredana Chiuaru, Lisa Lennon and Antonella Riciniello

L-R: Philip Bourke, Philip Cahill and Chris Murphy (Accreditation Committee)

L-R: Barrie McEntee and Donal Power

IACP Accreditations



Adrienne O’Malley Dublin 7

Alice Browne Co. Louth

Anna Moore Dublin 9

Anne Kavanagh Co. Carlow

Annette Duggan Co. Kildare

Barry Kavanagh Co. Westmeath

Bernadette Lacey Co. Wexford

Bernadette McCartan Galway

Bobbi Grogan Co. Kildare

Caroline Rock Co. Meath

Catherine Hayden Co. Carlow

Cecilia Garrigan Co. Dublin

Chris Jackson Co. Sligo

Elizabeth McNamara Co. Laois

Emma McCormack Co. Kildare

Eva Currid Dublin

Fiona Moriarty Co. cork

Gill Cormack Cork

Jannah Walshe Co. Mayo

Jean Lawlor Co. Dublin

Jessica Du Bois Co. Wexford

John Byrne Co. Wicklow

John Hartnett Dublin 9

Joseph Murphy Co. Galway

Kate Bennett Co. Cork

Marco Rudlof Nesler Dublin 15

Marie Boland Co. Meath

Maureen Giblin Co. Kildare

Michael Griffin Co. Limerick

Michael McGuinness Dublin 24

Nancy St. John Co. Offaly

Nicola Hurley Co. Tipperary

Noreen Coomey Co. Cork

Nyasha Zvikacamba Co. Dublin

Patricia Blighe Co. Westmeath

Patricia McGuirk Co. Tyrone

Patrick Deane Dublin 7

Paula Mary Finnie Dublin 4

Robert Lewis Dublin 6W

Roger Earl Cork

Sinead Tumulty Co. Roscommon

Teresa Elliott Co. Donegal

Timothy Murphy Co. Cork

Please be advised of the following error which appeared in our Winter issue.

Ms Pauline Brennan’s location should have read Co Wicklow and not Co Antrim.

First Time Accreditation


IACP Accreditations


Agnes Fitzgerald Co. Limerick

Ann O’Farrell Co. Waterford

Anne Brennan Co. Westmeath

Anne Feeney Dublin 15

Anne Francis Hatton Co. Louth

Anne O’Connor Co. Kilkenny

Antoinette Aherne Breslin Dublin 16

Bernadette Staunton-Collins Co. Kilkenny

Caroline O’Donovan Co. Cork

Cathal Kearney Co. Mayo

Catherine Murphy Wexford

Catherine Quinn Co. Meath

Catherine Sheahan Co. Cork

Catríona Mc Cormack Co. Westmeath

Celine O’Driscoll Co. Dublin

Christina Flood Dublin 16

Ciara Mangan Dublin 13

Colleen Bresnihan Co. Sligo

Connie Masterson Co. Galway

Declan Sheerin Dublin 16

Elizabeth (Betty) O’Brien Co. Cork

Elizabeth Curley Co. Limerick

Eoin Galavan Dublin 13

Fiona Thomas Co. Mayo

George Nagle Co. Cork

Geraldine Ryan Co. Mayo

Gerda Millar Dublin 18

Gerry Farrell Sligo

Gerry Guinnane Galway

Hilary Somerville Dublin 24

Imogen O’Connor Co. Sligo

Ingrid Wallace Co. Limerick

Josephine Devlin Co. Cavan

Judy O’Grady Dublin 16

Kathleen Fitzgerald Galway

Kevin Deering Co. Wicklow

Kevin Gallagher Dublin

Linda Wilson Long Co. Dublin

Majella Healy Co. Wexford

Maria Costello Co. Westmeath

Marian Burke Co. Dublin

Marian Given Co. Mayo

Marie Irwin MacNamara Co. Kerry

Marie McDonagh Co. Galway

Martin Buckley Dublin 3

Mary (Mai) O’Neill Co. Mayo

Mary Carmel O’Keeffe Moloney Co. Cork

Mary Kilcoyne Co. Mayo

Mary Kingston Co. Wexford

Mary Ryan Co. Galway

Mary Teresa Kavanagh Co. Tipperary

Noel Linehan Co. Cork

Noelle Carroll Dublin

Noelle O’Connell Co. Kerry

Noreen Sweeney Dublin 16

Orla Murphy Co. Dublin

Patrick Dermody Co. Cork

Rita Geoghegan Furlong Co. Dublin

Rita Nolan Dublin 6W

Sally Griffiths Co. Wexford

Sean Linehan Co. Cork

Sylvia Helen Co. Cork

Thomas McCarthy Co. Waterford

Una Smith Dublin 5

Ursula Kirwan Co. Dublin

5 Year Renewal of Accreditation

IACP Accreditations



Newly Accredited Supervisors

Renewal of Supervisors

Barbara Dowds Co. Wicklow

Caroline Pedley Co. Kildare

Carolyn Sinnott Co. Dublin

Catherine Duff Dublin 9

Charlotte Chaney Dublin 24

Colm Stanley Dublin 15

Ellen O’Neal Co Clare

Gael Kilduff Co. Westmeath

Geraldine Byrne Co. Wicklow

Liam Neville Co. Leitrim

Maura Callaghan Co. Roscommon

Margaret Nolan Co. Kildare

Mary Breen Dublin 11

Mary Cafferkey Co. Mayo

Mary Emelion Murray Co. Cork

Sheelagh Garvey Co. Galway

Siobhan Creighton Co. Kildare

Therese Cleary Co. Dublin

Yvonne Duggan Dublin 20

Aelish McDonough Co. Laois

Ann Moore Co. Louth

Anne Brennan Co. Westmeath

Anne Rowe Monaghan Co. Dublin

Berna Brennan Dublin 16

Catherine Clements Dublin 9

Catherine Dunne Co. Cork

Catherine Mary Fogarty Co. Kildare

Christine Moran Co. Westmeath

Claire Counihan Dublin 2

Dolores Tierney Dublin 22

Elizabeth Tynan Co. Meath

Eoin Stephens Co. Laois

Gillford D’Souza Co. Kildare

Helen Marie O’Malley Co. Cork

Jacqueline Farrelly Greene Co. Longford

James Donnan Co. Meath

Joanne Saunders Co. Dublin

John Hartley Co. Clare

Karen Shorten Dublin 24

Karen Ward Dublin 7

Kaye Heal Dublin 22

Liam McGrath Dublin 12

Liam Nicholson Dublin 6W

Lillian Farrell Co. Dublin

Maeve Douglas Dublin 6

Margaret Long Co. Dublin

Maria Huss Co. Cork

Maria O’Toole Co. Galway

Marie Richards Co. Kilkenny

Mary Cafferkey Co. Mayo

Mary Sheill Co. Carlow

Maura Callaghan Co. Roscommon

Maura Dunne Co. Dublin

Niamh Jackson Co. Kildare

Padraig O’Morain Dublin 8

Pamela Fitzgerald Dublin 18

Patricia Kennefick Co. Cork

Peter Ledden Dublin 11

Rachel Mooney Dublin 9

Ray Henry Co. Offaly

Rita O’Quiglay Co. Carlow

Seamus Mulcahy Limerick

Shari Masterson Co. Mayo

Sibeal Branagan Co. Dublin

Tom Moran Co. Westmeath

Valerie Kilkenny Dublin 4

Accredited Supervisors - Dates for Your Diary!!



Location: CORK

Date: Saturday 12th March 2015

Venue: Gresham Metropole Hotel, Cork

Faciltators: Helen Crilly and Pat Coughlan

Location: WEXFORD

Date: Saturday 25th April 2015

Venue: Brandon House Hotel

Faciltator: Damian Davy

Location: ENNIS, CO CLARE

Date: 18th April, 2015

Venue: West County Hotel, Ennis

Faciltator: to be confirmed

Location: BOYLE, CO. ROSCOMMON

Date: 9th May 2015

Venue: Family Life Centre, Boyle

Faciltator: be confirmed

Location: DUBLIN – NATIONAL SUPERVISOR FORUM

Date: Saturday 23rd May 2015 Check in – 10.00 a.m. - 10.45 a.m.

Venue: Aisling Hotel, Parkgate Street, Dublin

Faciltator: Joan McKenna

Presenter: Una McCluskey

Supervisor Forum Meetings 2015

Please note: Bookings for Supervisor Forums must be done online. Please click on this link to book your place for Supervisor Forums www.iacp.ie/events

Unless otherwise stated - meetings will begin at 10.30am and finish at 3.30pm.

Registrations from 9.30am (Tea/Coffee & Biscuits will be served from 9:45am).

CPD certificates will be sent out to participants after attendance at the Forums.

Please refer to the IACP Web Page under “Events” for the updated list of all Supervisor Forums. This is updated weekly and all forthcoming Supervisor Forums will be listed thereon.

The Supervision Sub-Committee are currently seeking VolunteersIf you are interested in Volunteering for the Supervision sub-Committee please download and fill in the “Volunteering with IACP” form which is available at www.iapc.ie and forward the completed volunteer form to Liz Gannon at [email protected]

1. The purpose of the Supervision Sub-Committee is to assess applications for supervisor accreditation and to recommend criteria for supervisor accreditation or any other issues pertaining to supervision.

2. With the exception of one member (point 3) all members of the Supervision Sub-Committee must be Accredited Supervisors of IACP.

3. A committee place for 1 accredited member who is not an Accredited Supervisor (to serve one 3 year term only)

4. A committee place for up to 2 retired supervisor members (to serve one 3 year term only)

5. For all other supervision committee members, membership shall be for a minimum of 2 years and a maximum of 2 consecutive terms (6yrs)

6. The Committee meet monthly.

Complaints Clearance and Ratification Your completed application will be forwarded to the Supervision Committee. Some Sub-Committees may require additional information (e.g. a C.V.) and will request this before proceeding. When your application is approved you name will then be sent to the Complaints Committee for clearance

Subject to clearance, your application is then forwarded to the Executive Committee for ratification.

Once ratified the Supervision Committee is notified after which time the Committee will contact you directly. This procedure can take up to 8 weeks.


IACP presents Workshops

ALL places must be booked (and paid for, if fee applies) online at www.iacp.ie/events.In the event of an attendee cancelling their participation of a Workshop/Seminar the following cancellation fee policy applies:

1 month’s notice — full refund; 1 to 4 weeks’ notice — 50% refund; less than 7 days’ notice — no refund


Committee: MIDLANDS REGIONAL COMMITTEE

Event Title: Counselling & Psychotherapy for clients with a Psychiatric Diagnosis or with Co-Morbidity.

Date: Saturday 21st March 2015

Presenter/s: Gerry Farrell

Venue: Tuar Ard, Moate, Co. Westmeath

Time: 10:00am - 16:30pm, Registration: 9:30am

Cost: €80 members, €100 non-members, €50 Students - limited to 5 IACP Students.

Places: 25

CPD Hours: 6.5

Committee: MIDLANDS REGIONAL COMMITTEE

Event Title: The Use of Supervision - For the Supervisee and Supervisor

Date: Saturday, 26th September 2015

Presenter/s: Dr Bobby Moore

Training Level: Intermediate

Venue: Tuar Ard, Moate, Co. Westmeath



Places: 26

CPD Hours: 6.5

Committee: WEST/NORTHWEST COMMITTEE

Event Title: Complex Family Configurations: Meaning-Making & Identity Formation for the Adolescent

Date: Saturday, June 27th 2015

Presenter/s: Bronagh Starrs

Training Level: Beginner and Intermediate

Venue: St. Michael’s Family Life Centre, Church Hillo, Sligo



Places: 12

CPD Hours: 6.5

Full details of all Workshops are availabe at www.iacp.ie

The appearance of an advertisement in this publication does not necessarily indicate approval by the IACP for the product or service advertised. 34

*

Annual Membership rates from€68 To receive information when your insurance renewal

is next due, visit;www.ppstrust.org/contactme*Price valid for new memberships starting before 31/12/2015

Ps

ychologists Protection Society

PPS EST. 1974

Protecting counsellors and psychotherapists for over 40 years ...

Run by therapists, for therapists, we’ve got you covered.

Here when you need us, we’re a not-for-profit organisation run purely for the benefit of our members. PPS Members benefit from:

• Quality, competitive Professional Protection & Public Liability Insurance• Access to our Discretionary Trust Fund for when unforseen circumstances arise• FREE therapy-specific advice & support from experienced fellow professionals• FREE legal helpline• FREE CPD events

Psychologists Protection Society and PPS are the trading names for the Psychologists Protection Society Trust (PPST) which is an Introducer Appointed Representative of SWIM Ltd. All insurance policies are arranged and administered by Psychologists Protection Services Ltd (PPS Ltd) which is an Appointed Representative of SWIM Ltd. SWIM Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Psychologists Protection Services Ltd is registered in Scotland No. SC379274. Registered Office: The eCentre, Cooperage Way, Alloa, FK10 3LP.

Elite Insurance Company Ltd is registered in Gibraltar, number 91111, and is licensed and regulated by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission under the Insurance Companies Act 1987 of Gibraltar and is a member of the UK’s Financial Services Compensation Scheme, Financial Ombudsman Service and the Association of British Insurers (ABI).

Elite Insurance Company Limited are authorised by the Financial Services Commission in Gibraltar and authorised and subject to limited regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority. Details about the extent of our authorisation and regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority are available from us on request.

Don’t risk facing complaints alone. To find out how we can protect you as you practice, contact us to request a no obligation callback.

T: 00 44 333 320 8074 E: [email protected] W: www.ppstrust.org

35The appearance of an advertisement in this publication does not necessarily indicate approval by the IACP for the product or service advertised.

10 Week Part-Time Certificate Course in CBT Covering:• Theory• Assessment of Presenting Problems• Disputation of Irrational Beliefs• Homework

Dates:Tuesday Evenings 7:00—10:00pm24th March - 2nd June 2015 (Easter break 7th April 2015)Award:Practitioners Certificate in Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCDP Hours: 30Venue:IICP Education and Training, Killinarden Enterprise Park, Dublin 24.Cost: €490.00Reduced rate for IICP Students/Alumni and VCS Counsellors €420.00

For more information contact Triona KearnsTel: 014664205 / 086 0499154 E-mail: [email protected]

www.iicp.ie

Practitioners Certificate in Cognitive Behavioural

Therapy (CBT)

The Irish Institute for Integrative Psychotherapy

An Integrative Approach to Group Supervision

• Fortnightly and monthly supervision groups

Venue: Monkstown Therapy Centre, 26 Longford Terrace,

Monkstown, County Dublin

Facilitator: Patrick Nolan (Msc. Psych.)

For further information: contact Patrick or Antoinette at

T: 01-2809313 E: [email protected]

W: www.monkstowntherapycentre.ie

DIPLOMA IN COUNSELLOR SUPERVISIONwith Vicky McEvoy and Andrea Wigglesworth

100 hours over 1 year part timeThe Cyclical Model

Wednesday 19th August - Sat 22nd AugustThe Process Model

Friday 23rd and Sat 24th OctoberGroup Supervision

Friday 20th and Sat 21st NovemberCreative Supervision

Friday 19th and Saturday 20th February ’16Ethics and Practice Issues

Friday 20th and Saturday 21st May ’16€1,500 (Early bird €1,400 book before 1st May)

Booking forms on line @www.vitalconnexions.net


Therapy rooms available to rent in Rathgar Consultancy Centre

in the heart of Rathgar

The rooms are tastefully decorated with soft furnishings, with reasonable terms, conditions

and prices.

Contact 0rla McHugh on 086 021 7072

Jungian Perspectives in Counselling and PsychotherapyA one-year (Certificate) or two-year (Diploma) Course which aims to give participants insights into both classical and contemporary Jungian theories, looking at how these may be incorporated into both practice and ordinary everyday life.

It will be of interest not only to those already working as counsellors or psychotherapists and others in the helping professions, but also those in the areas of education, health, community and voluntary organisations, personnel and human resources. Areas covered will include personality types, dreams, sexualities, feminism, meaning and symbolism, alienation, loss.

(Each course year carries 58 ICP-approved CPD points)

This is a Dublin-based CourseTime: 10am – 4pm on eleven Saturdays throughout

the academic year beginning in September.Fee: €1,095 per year. Early application advised.

Application forms: jungstudies, 22 Fairyhill, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Tel 01-278 3369

or www.jungianstudies.com

Starting

Accredited Training in EMDR Therapydelivered by Dr Michael Paterson

selected and trained by founder, Francine Shapiro PhD

Three part evidence-based trainingIn the treatment guidelines for 9 countriesRecommended by WHO for treating PTSD

More information and booking formwww.emdrmasterclass.com

[email protected] 9066 1110

Belfast 14-16 May 2015Dublin 3-5 September 2015Manchester 8-10 October 2015Manchester 28-30 January 2016

Other training levels through the year

In-house training - details on request

This book is both comforting and spiritually nourishing. It gently and powerfully takes the reader to personal

dreamwork where our dreams give voice to the many aspects of our Psyche. It is full of healing from the Higher Self and insight to the power of our own creativity. It is

about wisdom and guidance coming from the unconscious to the conscious. It can be a tool in our personal growth and in

our practice as Psychotherapists.

See details of launch by an Taoiseach Enda Kenny at irishtv.ie - Mayo County Matters -

Available at: www.awakentoyourdreams.com and on Amazon


66 Lower Leeson StreetDublin 2, IrelandTel: 01 6619231

www.gestalt.ie email: [email protected]

Working With The Gestalt ProcessOctober 2015– June 2016

A certificate course starting with a weekend in October 2015 plus seven Saturdays monthly to June 2016. This is a well-established experiential course which highlights the therapists own process in the therapeutic relationship. No previous

knowledge of Gestalt Therapy is necessary. A core training in Counselling/Psychotherapy, Social Work or Psychology is required.Facilitators: Claire Counihan and Bridann Reidy

Max number of participants:10

Diploma in Relational Gestalt Therapy Intensive CourseMax 12 People

The Intensive Diploma has a new format for 2015. It will run over two years. Part 1 will consist of Four 2 day workshops from September 2015 to December 2015 and

Part 2 will run September 2016 to December 2016 and consist of three 2 day workshops, there will be a linking two day workshop in Spring 2016.

The first part will aim to train therapists in the core concepts of the relational model and part two will introduce themes such as working with the body in relationship and working with creative processes in therapy. The course is experiential and includes

both theory and practice sessions.A core training in Counselling/Psychotherapy, Social Work or Psychology is required. A strong commitment to working with

personal process and emerging relational process in the group is necessary.Facilitators: Kay Ferriter and Claire Counihan

For all details of courses including costs and dates: www.gestalt.ie / 01-6619231Partners: Claire Counihan, Kay Ferriter and Bridann Reidy.

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For all therapists wishing to increase confidence &knowledge of human sexuality and diversity

INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOSEXUAL THERAPYWITH GENDER & SEXUAL DIVERSITIES

This is the information our tutors never taught us about!

Access to extensive Pre & Post course resources

25-26 APRIL 2015CENTRAL DUBLIN

€280www.tinyurl.com/n8q8xen

Sexuality: Let’s TalkWith Karen Ward & Gillford D’Souza

A Day Seminar for therapists exploring our attitudes and beliefs around sexuality that influence how we support others in the exploration of their sexuality. Date: Friday 20th March 2015Time: 10 a.m. to 5.00 pmVenue: AvilaCentre,BloomfieldAve,MorehamptonRoad,Dublin4Cost: €75 A Continuous Professional Development Certificate of Attendance issued.

FORFURTHERINFORMATIONORTOREGISTER:Gillford D’Souza Ph:01 4920122 / Karen Ward Ph: 087 2399571.

[email protected] or [email protected]

Georgia O’KeeffePostgraduate Diploma In Play Therapy (LeveL 9 NQAI)Post-qualifying training for therapists to practise competently with

children and adolescentsAcademically and Professionally Validated

MA Humanistic & Integrative Psychotherapy and Play Therapy (LeveL 9 NQAI)

Ireland’s ONLY Complete Play Therapy & Psychotherapy TrainingLevel 6 blended learning programmes

Limerick, Kerry, Dublin, Claremorris, Mountmellick, Westmeath, Galway & more: Spring and Summer 15

Play and Creativity Studies Certificate (30 credits)Therapeutic Play Skills Certificate (15 credits)

Child Development Certificate (15 credits)Creative Studies for Special Needs (15 credits)

Principles of Art Therapy Certificate (Dublin) CTC and CIT Crawford College of Art & Design

3 - 5 Day Intensive CPD Training Workshops Responding Therapeutically to Child Sexual Abuse 16th- 20th March 15

A Natural Space for Healing (Maggie Fearn): 30th Mar -1st Apr 15Play and the Expressive Arts: 14th – 17th July 2015

Therapeutic Work with Children: Power of Play 24th – 28th Aug 15Creative Therapy with Adolescents & Adults 21st – 25th Sept 15

http://on.fb.me/CTC-facebook www.childrenstherapycentre.ieEileen Prendiville: 087 6488149 [email protected]

QQI Awards International Recognition APT Approved Provider 11-294

CHILD & ADOLESCENT

PSYCHOTHERAPY

in conjunction with Dundalk Counselling Centre

2-Year Post-Qualifying Diploma Gestalt Adolescent Psychotherapy

Commencing September 2015 Course Director: Bronagh Starrs MIAHIP

Course Consultant & Guest Faculty: Mark McConville Ph.D.Venue: Dundalk, Ireland

Full course description and application forms are available by visiting our website www.blackfortinstitute.ie

or by emailing Bronagh directly: [email protected]


International Guests 2015Will Parfitt, UK, author, from the London Institute of

Psychosynthesis will deliver an Advanced Certificate in Psychosynthesis for Professionals,

30 hour module, 22nd - 26th April 2015 at ICPPD, Athlone.

Dr Diane Barrett, USA, presents a CPD workshop at ICPPD, Athlone on Friday 1st May 2015

“From River to Sea: Navigating through Life with Imagery.”

B.A. in Holistic Counselling and Psychotherapy in Athlone and Galway, September 2015

Diploma in Holistic Counselling and Psychotherapy in Dublin 2015

Certificate in Mindfulness - A Personal and Professional Resource - 3 Day, in Athlone, commencing May 2015

Inner Child Workshop

18th and 19th April 2015 - Booking is essential

Online CPD short Certificate programmes

From home, at your own pace

• Bereavement and Loss (6 month)

• Mindfulness and Mindful-Living (8 week)

• Self-Discovery through the Chakras

(14 week)

• Personal Development (6 week)

• Reflection and Retreat in Nature

(4 week)

SOLE BACP ACCREDITED COURSE IN IRELAND

NB: BACP and IACP hold Reciprocal Counsellor Accreditation Agreement

2 Year P/T Postgrad Diploma in CBT

Closing Date for Applications: 31 July Interviews: 3-7 Aug

Scholarship Offered to One Voluntary Worker From RoI

for the

13 Week Certificate In CBT Begins 12 September

For Details

www.belfastctcentre.com


IGSCW 2015Formerly

The Bert Hellinger Institute of Ireland

Continuing Professional Development, Cork

For participants familiar with constellation work We welcome back

April 18/19: Philippa LubbockMay 30/31: Dr Stephan Hausner

July 17/18: Prof Franz Ruppert (Fri/Sat)

Venue: Scala Blackrock Road Cork

Priced individually at €3002 workshops: €550. All 3 workshops: €825

Bursaries are available. Limited group sizes

Contact: Carmel O’Connor Information and booking 086 226 0237

[email protected] / [email protected]

Professor Robert Bor

Working Successfully in Private Practice

April 10th (UCC) and 11th 2015 (TCD)

A two-date workshop + book event jointly presented by:

Division of Counselling Psychology, Psychological Society of Ireland, Doctorate in Counselling

Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, and School of Applied Psychology, University College Cork

April 10th: School of Applied Psychology, UCC, Enterprise Centre, North Mall, Cork (CEC 7 & 8)

April 11th: Trinity College Dublin Arts Block, Dublin 2 (Swift Theatre)

Professor Bor will deliver the same one day workshop on each date from 10 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.

The registration desk will begin on each day at 9.30 a.m.

Who should attend?

This workshop will appeal to those psychologists, counsellors and psychotherapists already working in private practice who wish to gain more advanced insights and skills relating to private practice, as

well as trainees and those who aim to set up in private practice.

Further information, payment and registration can be accessed through:

www.psychologicalsociety.ie/page/all_events

¤75 general admission

¤65 for members of PSI

¤60 for students/unwaged/DCoP members

Payment will not be accepted in cash or on the day of the events.

All attendees who book before March 16th 2015 will receive a complimentary copy of Bor and Stokes (2011) Setting up in Independent Practice: A Handbook for Counsellors, Therapists and Psychologists.

Places will be limited. Registration is on a first come first served basis. No refund will be given without one week’s notice of cancellation. Enquiries can be directed to:

[email protected]

Excellent COUNSELLING/THERAPY ROOMS available to rent in Rathgar, Dublin 6.

Quiet, purpose-built rooms in professional, serviced office setting, decorated to very high

standard with privacy and confidentiality assured; available seven-days for hourly, daily,

weekly or sessional rental. Reasonable rates.

Referral work may also be provided by centre.

All enquiries to Elaine by email([email protected]) for further details.

Eoin StephensMA, MIACP, MACI

SupervisionBased in Dublin 2 & Dublin 22,

Eoin is currently available to take on supervisees,especially those who are interested in integrating

a CBT approach into their client work

Phone: 086 3814366 Email: [email protected]: www.eoinstephens.com

is currently available to take on supervisees,interested in integrating

into their client work.

[email protected]


Full 28 page course brochure and application forms from: Penny Milne – Course AdministratorAPAC - The Coach House - Belmont Road – Uckfield - TN22 1BP UK

+44 (0)1825 761143 email: [email protected] www.playtherapy.ie www.playtherapy.org.uk

The APAC courses are the only ones to meet the Register standards. Run at Marino College, Dublin,Ennismore Retreat Cork, each with two intakes a year and at a Summer School in Galway. Academicawards by NUI Galway. Professional certification by Play Therapy UK, on behalf of Play Therapy Ireland.

Working therapeutically with children requires special skills!In many cases children with emotional, behaviour and mental health problemscan’t or don’t want to talk about them. Extensive research, based on over 90,000sessions, shows that, when children are given a choice, only 7% of the time isspent on talking. An alternative to talking therapies is needed.

Become a Registered Certified Play TherapistRegistration is very important. The Play Therapy UK Accredited Voluntary Register of Play and CreativeArts Therapists fully meets the standards of the Professional Standards Authority. Join the many PlayTherapy Ireland practitioners, who are already included in this Register, it will add to yourcredibility with clients and employers. www.playtherapyregister.org.uk

PG Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills: NEW Venue, Cork,9th July 2015 and Dublin 25th September 2015


Introductory WeekendThe Body within the Therapeutic RelationshipIntroductory weekend – Here you will meet the facilitators and other therapists interested in developing and exploring a reliable theory & skills approach to inclusion of the body within the therapy relationship.You will be introduced to the ideas of Wilhelm Reich – commonly recognised as the forerunner of most modern body work approaches, and those of Alexander Lowen whose development of Reich’s theories has spread throughout the world as Bioenergetics. You will be challenged to look differently at your client’s physical form and learn how to make sense of what you are seeing and experiencing.You will be given an opportunity, in an experiential framework, to explore what you are discovering and share this in discussion with others.You may experience a range of responses over the two days including surprise, suspense, recognition, discovery, excitement, connection and most importantly humour.You will have the time to ask any questions about developing further and be introduced to the five weekend Skills & Theory Development course we are making available later in the year for which completion of the Introductory Weekend is required.

Dates: Introductory weekends will be available in 2015 on April 18/19th.and on May 23/24th.

Cost for weekend: €175.00 Light refreshments are available.Full details of the introductory weekend and the weekend course are

available now on the IPP website. Facilitators: Paddy Logan, Deirdre Collins

Website: ippireland.com Email: [email protected]

143 UPPER RATHMINES ROAD, DUBLIN 6 Tel: 01 4982408Person Centred Approaches

INTEGRATIVE PSYCHOTHERAPY PRACTICE

7 Father Mathew Street, Cork City. [email protected] Phone: 021 4274951

1 year full-time or 2 years part-time Full-Time: €4,200 including University Registration Fee. Part-Time: Pro-rata.

Cork Counselling Centre

Training Institute

As a Degree student, you will train in a supportive environment which offers:• Over 30 years of experience in training and in counselling practice• The opportunity to upgrade your qualifications in preparation for future statutory regulation of the profession• The opportunity to achieve your Degree while continuing to accrue hours towards professional accreditation• Unique in-house placement opportunities including access to clients with a wide range of counselling issues• Flexible study time which provides the option of - enhancing your qualifications while continuing to work, or - dedicating yourself full-time to the Degree and completing sooner• An experiential and applied approach enhancing academic learning• Highly qualified trainers both from Ireland and abroad providing inclusive and internationally relevant practice

ALSO ENROLLINGPart-time Diploma in Counselling (IACP-accredited)

Part-time Foundation in Counselling SkillsEnquiries and application forms: Email: [email protected] Phone: 021 4274951

B.Sc. (Hons) Counselling & Psychotherapy

(Top-Up Programme)

Validated by

Providing quality personal & professional development since 19862015 PROGRAMMES:International Programme: continuing our popular series of advanced workshops led by renowned European Gestalt therapists and theorists. Facilitator: Margherita Spagnuolo Lobb, author of The Now-for-Next in Psychotherapy (2013) and major contributor to ‘Gestalt Therapy in Clinical Practice (2013) to which she contributed a major essay on working with Borderline experience. Venue: This two day workshop will take place in Oakland House Creative Centre, Blessington, Co. Wicklow on Friday and Saturday, April 24th and 25th, 2015. Interest in this workshop is high so early booking is advisable. Cost: €350.00

A Gestalt Approach to Working with Dreams: a masterclass with IGC Founder Hank O’Mahony BA,MA,MIAHIPVenue: All Hallows College, Drumcondra, Dublin, May 16th 2015. Cost : €100.00 /Early Bird Rate €90 pay in full by 01st March 2015Diploma In Gestalt Therapy: a four year part-time training in Gestalt Psychotherapy accredited by IACP since 1996. Full details and graduate reviews of the course can be found on our website. Course leader: Tricia Norris BA, Dip IGC, MA, MIAHIP, MBACP

Personal Development Programme: This one-year residential programme is open to anyone interested in self awareness and personal growth. It is highly recommended as a foundation year for the Diploma course and is particularly useful if you wish to enhance your workplace facilitation skills. Course leader: Karen Shorten Dip IGC, MIAHIP, MIACP, MICP, MEAU

A Gestalt Approach to Clinical Practice: this four-module certificate is for qualified practitioners wishing to extend and develop their knowledge of the Gestalt approach. Course leader: Tricia Norris BA, Dip IGC, MA, MIAHIP, MBACP

If you would like more details please contact Máire McDonagh:Tel: 091-452013/087-3397080

Email: [email protected] Website: www.irishgestaltcentre

The appearance of an advertisement in this publication does not necessarily indicate approval by the IACP for the product or service advertised.

The appearance of an advertisement in this publication does not necessarily indicate approval by the IACP for the product or service advertised.

Advanced Post-Qualifying Diploma in Biosynthesis Somatic and Depth Psychology Oriented Psychotherapy

September 2015 – 2017 Course Duration 2 Years

Course Directors Attracta Gill MA MIACP MIAHIP SIACP SIAHIP MIIBS ECP

and Austin Breslin BSc MIACP MIIBS MIAHIP ECP in partnership with Dr. David Boadella and the International Institute for Biosynthesis in Switzerland www.biosynthesis.org

Biosynthesis represents a new approach in Somatic Psychotherapy. Founder of Biosynthesis, Dr. David Boadella is one of the pioneers and leading representatives of work with the Body in Psychotherapy. Many aspects of Biosynthesis theories and Structure Work have close parallels in recent Neuroscience findings about mirror neurons, empathy, Developmental Trauma and self-‐regulation of the autonomic nervous

system. His method has been developed with his wife Dr. Silvia Specht Boadella over the last 40 years and currently continues to expand its range of practical applications. In Brussels in October 1998, Biosynthesis was

the first Body Psychotherapy method to receive scientific recognition from the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP).

The Advanced Post Qualifying Diploma in Biosynthesis Somatic and Depth Psychology Oriented Psychotherapy will be awarded by the International Institute for Biosynthesis in Switzerland IIBS.

_____________________________________________________________________________

3-Day Introductory Workshop to Biosynthesis Body Psychotherapy

‘Strategies of empowerment:

Over-‐coming the inhibition of action, which is central to the disempowerment created by trauma.’

The Irish Institute for Biosynthesis are delighted to welcome our International Senior Trainers

Dr. Joke van de belt ECP and Gabriele Hoppe ECP. Both have co-‐facilitated EAP Biosynthesis Trainings with founder Dr. David Boadella for over 30 years collectively.

22nd-24th May 2015 €300

Full Course Descriptions, Application Forms and Bookings are available from www.biosynthesisireland.ie

or by emailing Attracta directly: [email protected]

Venue: Oaklands House Creative Centre , Baltyboys, Blessington, Co. Wicklow.

BIOSYNTHESIS®

ASSOCIATED TOINTERNATIONAL FOUNDATIONFOR BIOSYNTHESIS IFB

Volume 15 l Issue 1

l Spring 2015The Irish Journal of C

ounselling and Psychotherapy

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