How does a supervision group help the therapist to a better understanding of their client or group? Is there something in the relational dynamic in the supervision group when the therapist talks about their client that gives clues to what the therapist needs to know? The speaker will draw attention to these dynamics, giving fictional examples of how the group may be able to help when the work seems to have reached an impasse /or 'seems stuck'. A creative exercise will be offered to help people discuss more about their experience of supervision groups. Margaret Gallop is […]

Philippa Smethurst has been a psychotherapist for 30 years and has a special interest in trauma.  She has worked in General Practice and has been a clinical supervisor for a number of charities. She trained at the Metanoia Institute in Integrative Psychotherapy and has also trained in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. She has also published several articles, particularly on working with […]

It will be the beginning of the Autumn season, a lovely opportunity for us to come together as a group and try to open this huge subject named ‘’Cultural Exchange’’, where we can share our thoughts, experiences, learn from each other and expand our boundaries. If, for example, we focus on what might emerge in […]

The role of unconscious phantasy in everyday life and its origins
Drawing upon the work of Melanie Klein, research from infant observation and the neuroscience literature on early child development, this presentation will examine the role that unconscious phantasy plays in shaping our everyday lives and interactions. Drawing upon clinical material and works of art from the consulting room and beyond, the origins of unconscious phantasy will be examined, considering both the individual and wider social structures that shape the development of our personal subjectivities and identities. Through this consideration of the development of unconscious phantasy, the implications for contemporary clinical practice will also be examined.

I will be discussing how couples therapy is different from individual therapy and some some of the common presentations.   I will offer a number of models and tools I use with couples and two or three case studies to illustrate examples of successes and challenges (and how success might be defined in couple work).  The case study material will not be recorded and will be an opportunity to share and learn with others in the room. 

The Spiritual and Transpersonal modes: Plato, Freud, Jung etc I shall look at the Transpersonal and the Spiritual under four headings: Archetypal Aspects; the Problem of Belief; The Numinous and the Mystical; the Uncanny. We shall explore by way of looking at personal illustrations and respecting individual caution and boundaries and difference. John Heron: Feeling and […]

Come to hear more about the work of the Society during the past year, to encourage the current committee and to vote for new committee members. If you would be willing to stand for the committee, please contact admin@oxfordpsychotherapysociety.org.uk

Our personalities affect the way we interact socially with others and how we manage the boundary of the interpersonal space. Developments in attachment theory have also demonstrated how a secure base in childhood can affect the development of what might be a ‘social mind’. In this talk, I will explore how attachment security influences the development of personality in childhood and adolescences; and the evidence that attachment insecurity can lead to disorganisation of the personality, and those conditions we call ‘personality disorder’. I will discuss what this work means for therapists and the evidence base about interventions for different kinds of personality disorder.