The sold-out BME Voices conference, which was sponsored by BACP, was held in London on Saturday 20 October. It was open to counsellors, psychotherapists and other mental health practitioners, including students and trainees.
The keynote speaker was Patrick Vernon OBE, a social commentator and Windrush campaigner, who presented on hostile environmental trauma in relation to victims of the Windrush scandal.
Other speakers included BACP governor Myira Khan, founder of the Muslim Counsellor and Psychotherapist Network (MCAPN); Dr Erica Mapule McInnis, chartered clinical psychologist; Dr Dwight Turner, senior lecturer in psychodynamic psychotherapy at University of Brighton; counselling psychologist Dr Yetunde Ade-Serrano and BACP registered accredited counsellor Faisal Mahmood, senior lecturer in counselling and psychotherapy, Newman University, Birmingham.
BACP member Helen George founded BME Voices Talk Mental Health. She said: “All of the speakers were really engaging, we’ve had great feedback, on the day, on email and on social media.
“This is the first of many. My hope is to take it to the north of the country and next year we want to hold a couple of events on trauma and colourism or shadism and have already put out a call for papers and BME presenters.”
The attendees included BACP governor Una Cavanagh. She said: “It was a really good conference. There was lots of energy, lots of connections and the speakers are all experts in their field and were excellent.”
Photo credit: Charlene Fenton Photography