In this issue
Here and now:
In focus: Caught in the Net (open article)
Sally Brown explores the impact of social media on girls’ mental health
The big issues:
In practice
Sally Brown addresses outcomes measures and client feedback.
Ordinary helping
Mia Zielinska argues for the benefits of casual chats in community settings.
The road to separation
Brian Appleby outlines his ‘good divorce road map’.
In sickness and in health
Rachel Ellis explores how illness can affect a couple’s relationship.
A is for Appreciation
Robin and Joan Shohet offer an alternative approach to assessment.
Regulars:
Turning point
Emma Brand draws wisdom from experience
It changed my life
‘Counselling didn’t cure me of my personal demons, but it did give me the tools to work through the obstacles in my way’
Talking point: Time off or time out
How do you respond if a client wants a break from therapy?
Dilemmas
Sharing records
Questions and answers
How do I keep myself safe at work?
Analyse me
Juliet Rosenfeld speaks for herself
Members and subscribers can download the pdf of this issue from the Therapy Today archive.
Welcome
I’d like to start by offering my good wishes to all of you in this first issue of 2020. I’m very excited to be launching this year with our new strategy that firmly puts you at the heart of our work.
Your feedback has been instrumental in helping us formulate this clear vision for the Association over the next few years, so thank you. We’re committed to listening to you and learning from you, equipping you for future challenges, being your professional home of choice, upholding professional and ethical standards, and campaigning for you.
I know that the staff team here at BACP and the Board are really looking forward to working with you to achieve these goals.
Now to this month’s issue, which as always seeks to reach across a breadth of interests. The In Focus feature by Sally Brown highlights a massively growing concern that girls and young women are suffering disproportionately from the downsides of social media. The stories in the feature illustrate how girls can be helped to combat some of these pressures. We also have two features looking at either side of marital breakdown – coping with separation and surviving illness together. Then, Robin and Joan Shohet, who have pioneered the expansion of supervision across the helping professions, offer a radical approach to assessment. And no less controversial is Mia Zielinska’s article about the transforming power of ‘casual chat’. She challenges counsellors to work within communities to promote more ‘ordinary talking’ between people, alongside the expert help we can offer in the counselling room.
I hope you enjoy the issue as much as I have!
Hadyn Williams
BACP CEO
As therapists, we work across different modalities, specialise in many different settings, and work with clients from diverse cultures and backgrounds.
The variety of ways in which we work means making decisions about how we work and the best practice we need to consider when keeping ourselves and our clients safe.
Lone working is a big topic for those who work in private practice. Working alone can make us feel vulnerable and isolated. However, there are many steps we can put in place to mitigate the risks, plan our safety and act on concerns we might have.
I’m very pleased to say there’s a Q&A on this subject in this issue. In addition, we’ve recently developed some lone-working guides with the Suzy Lamplugh Trust to support members who work alone. It’s really important these conversations are happening, and I hope these tools help members feel better equipped when carrying out their valuable work.
Natalie Bailey
BACP Chair