Welcome to UKCP Bulletin 14
These Bulletins are a quick and effective way for the Chair and Chief Executive to report on important current items. As this is the last bulletin before the traditional summer break, we thought we would take the opportunity to pause and reflect on recent UKCP developments. There are no frightening new policy developments in this bulletin! Relax and read on...
Andrew Samuels, UKCP Chair and David Pink, UKCP Chief Executive
First, we'd like to briefly congratulate our new trustees. The elections were more drawn out than we anticipated because of the constitutional issues which the process revealed. We want to thank our all candidates for sticking with it. About 10 per cent of those eligible to vote did so. We are told this is a reasonable turn out for an election of this kind. You will have been sent the announcement of the election results. But in case you missed it, you can find it on our website here: www.psychotherapy.org.uk/elections.
We like to think that we have improved our communications over the last year - we are beginning to get a sense, from the responses that we receive, that more of you are getting opportunities to join debates. We hope we will be able to convert your interest into active engagement with UKCP's work.
We'd like to particularly thank those of you who engaged with our NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) campaign which we wrote about in Bulletin 13 (www.psychotherapy.org.uk/bulletin13). Many of you have shared with us the letters written to your MPs and responses received. This has led to some written questions in the House. We will be doing much more in connection with this campaign. However, Parliament is now in recess so we will pick up this work in the autumn. We plan a very significant round table meeting of all the key players in connection with NICE.
Trying new things
Part of improved communication means trying new things - one of which was the live online broadcasting of our open forum on the recognition and regulation of psychotherapy on 9 July. Those who could not be present at the venue were able to participate over the internet, including putting questions to the panel. And it was not just a technological risk to use 'webcasting'. UKCP officers were asked to give an honest accounting to members after a very difficult year.
The event itself was a huge success and the broadcast went much better than any of us could have anticipated. Feedback has been extremely positive. If you were not able to be there, you can judge for yourself by watching the recording:
http://view6.workcast.net/AuditoriumUsher.aspx?pak=9836419884291946&cpak=5536401126315456
Save the date for the next members' forum: Saturday, 25 February 2012.
Support groups and networks
Another new initiative has been a telephone support network for people with disabilities and seniors which held its first meeting at the beginning of this month. This is another support group arising from our diversity, equalities and social responsibility work. It adds to our existing support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender identified UKCP members, and the groups in London, Sheffield and Newcastle for Black and Asian members. Details of meetings are published in the events section of our website as and when details are received. If you are interested in these groups, look out for future meetings on www.psychotherapy.org.uk/events.
A further support initiative was the informal discussion evening for current and prospective authors. The volume of interest in this idea, and the success of the meeting itself, should be a springboard to consider further networking, workshops and training days. In the meantime, potential authors wishing to share ideas and experiences might want to log on to the UKCP website and kick off discussion there (www.psychotherapy.org.uk/forum).
Conferences and events
We also held two major conferences in June: our fifth annual supervision conference and our second annual research conference. The supervision conference considered issues arising from working with patients/clients with intellectual disabilities, and from working with and within erotic transference dynamics. Both of these themes generated much interest and lively discussion. Our research conference included prestigious national and international speakers who gave presentations on the topical issue of the effectiveness of psychotherapy.
As we write, we are looking forward to another new venture - Project 20:20's inaugural event, 'Black men on the couch'. This event, at the Theatre Royal in Stratford, features a therapist in conversation with poet Lemn Sissay about his challenges and successes. We see the event as part of our attempt to open up psychotherapy and counselling to people from the Black community who would previously have never considered it, either for themselves or as a profession. We have been very encouraged by the level of interest and all the tickets have been sold.
Tell us what you think
We welcome your feedback. So, if you are a full individual member, you will have received our new online survey. Your input will help us ensure that we are better able to meet your needs in the future. You should have received an invitation from the independent research organisation we commissioned to conduct this survey, Public Perspectives (their email will come from ukcp@publicperspectives.co.uk).
Whether you are having a break or not, we hope that you have a great summer. If you are interested in some holiday reading material, don't forget the excellent titles in the UKCP book series www.psychotherapy.org.uk/UKCPbookseries.
David and Andrew
UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
2nd Floor, Edward House, 2 Wakley Street, London EC1V 7LT
E:
W: www.ukcp.org.uk
Forthcoming events
30 July 2011 - Black men on the couch (London)
17 September 2011 - Support group for Black and Asian UKCP members (London)
5 November 2011 - Faculty for the Psychological Health of Children launch day (Leeds)
26 November 2011 - Dissertation to publication training day (London)
For further details of these and other UKCP events please refer to www.ukcp.org.uk/events or contact
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