In order to keep up to date with current knowledge in the field and maintain professional accreditation each therapist is required to follow a self directed program of professional development. Here is a fairily comprehensive list of workshops and courses I have attended over the years in order to continue to support my work and my clients in the areas that interest me most. Of equal importance, but not listed here for reasons of space, are the novels, poems, plays, music and art exhibitions that I have had the pleasure to read, listen to and see over the years. Where theory brings maps and clarity of thought, arts bring depth, dreamscapes, humanity, imagination and the essential reminder that life and human beings are infinitely richer and more complex that any theory could ever hope to capture.
2022
“Let’s talk about Sex: Sexuality in the Therapeutic Space” - Nscience with Christiane Sanderson
“Understanding Your Eating: Core Training” with Julia Buckroyd
2020/21
Eco Psychotherapy Course -10 Seminars:
“The Well Gardened Mind, ”Sue Stuart Smith
“The Adolescent Brain, Nature and Nurture,” Graham Music
“Let Us Make Sanctuary: Posthuman Ecocriticism, Ecopsychology and the End of Therapy,” Bayo Akomolafe
“Decolonizing Mental Health: Foragers of the Epistemology Pathway,” Karen Carberry
“Intergenerational Mutual Learning,” Nora Bateson
“Nature in Mind: Reimagining our Approach to Nature and Mental Health,” Roger Duncan
“Journeys in Nature: Stories of Homecoming,” Robert Romanyshyn
“Psychocosmology and Ecological Imagination,” Tom Cheetham
“Bringing Rites of Passage Back into the Mainstream,” Arne Rubenstein
2019
Calming the Inner Critic: Working with Punitive Introjects - Nscience with Kathy Steele
Trauma and the Body - Nscience Symposium
The Web of Shame - Nscience with Christiane Sanderson
Sexual Harassment and Rape - Nscience with Christiane Sanderson
Working with Attachment and Dependency in Complex Trauma - Nscience with Kathy Steele
2018
ESTD Conference (European Association for Trauma and Dissociation): Abuse and Neglect: Challenges for Therapy, Prevention and Justice
Managing Power, Control, Boundary and Attachment Dynamics when working with survivors of abuse - Christiane Sanderson (NScience)
Congress: Attachment and Trauma – Personality Development and Psychotherapy ISC International
2017
Exploring the Dynamics of Attachment in Adult Life - Una McCluske
Introduction to Relational Trauma Therapy - Merete Holm Brantjbjerg
The John Bowlby Memorial Conference 2017: “Repetition, Repetition, Repetition: Breaking the Cycle of Attachment Trauma”
Dynamic Emotion Focused Therapy - with Susan Warshow
2016
Working with The dreaming Mind - Confer, 30/01/2016
Engaging Traumatized Clients who Avoid Attachment, Closeness and Painful Feelings - Dr T. Muller for Nscience
Affect Regulation Theory: Clinical Application - Dr Alan Schore for Nscience
Attachment Theory in Clinical Practice Short Course - The Bowlby Centre June 2016
2015
Student Mental Health Wellbeing: Policy Practice and Future Direction - Universities UK
Centre for Anxiety Disorders and Trauma, Coping with Adversity: Applying CBT in Adverse Life Situations
Innovation and Care”, BACP UC Annual Conference
Mental Health First Aid Youth Training Course
2014
Giving Voice - The Gestalt Centre
2013
Supervisors’ Training - The Gestalt Centre
2012
Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy Pre Core Training
Going for Therapeutic Gold: Pathways to Lasting Change - International Experiential Dynamic Therapy association Oxford Conference:
A Sustainable Future: Responding to the Needs of Students, Staff and Counsellors - Association for University and College Counselling Annual Conference
Teaching Clients Mindfullness Skills - Grayrock
2011
Advanced Clinical Training in Somatic Trauma Therapy with Babette Rotschild
2010
Postgraduate Certificate in CBT – Metanoia Institute
Effective Treatment of Anxiety – ISTDP
Back to the Future – AUCC Annual Conference
2009
Counselling and Pastoral Support for Students with ASD – Lighthouse Professional Development
Advanced clinical skills workshop: Trauma Related Structural Dissociation
of the Personality – Ellert Nijenhuis
Always Hurting the Ones we Love: Understanding Relational Violence from an Attachment and Trauma Perspective – Paul Renn
2008
Making Endings with Children - The P2B
Counselling People with Bi-Polar Disorder - WCHM
The Relational Past as Lived in the Interpersonal Present: Using Attachment Theory to Understand Early Trauma and Later Troubled Relationships - Register of Trauma Specialists - Paul Renn
Signing with a Scar: Understanding Self-Harm - Gillian Straker
The Role of Psychotherapy Integration in Today's World: Facing Human Conflict - UKAPI Conference
Shame and Shamelessness - Relational School
Psychological Trauma and the Child - Confer
Innovative Treatment for Eating Disorders - Life Works
2007
Assessment and Risk Training - WHCM
Working with the Relational Unconscious in the Therapeutic Process - Marsha Nodelman - UKAPI
Working with Relational Ruptures - Relational School
The P2B Introductory Counsellor Training
Working with Metaphor - The P2B
Attachment and Loss - The P2B
2006
Challenges in Integrative Practice - UKAPI Conference
Published Work and Research
2014 “Recruiting an Associate: What is the value in working for free?” BACP-UC Journal Spring 2014 (E.Balestra, J.Darougar, A.Rogers and K.Taktak)
2013 Book review for the BACP-UC journal “Eight Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder”
2012 “Challenges in Working with Hard to Reach Students in FE” , AUCC Journal Spring 2012
2002 'Writing Women in 1930s Italy', The Italianist, 2001-2002, n.21-22, pp.60-81
2001'Writing Women, Culture and Society in 1930s Italy', UCL conference paper
1997 ‘Remembering the Father: Traces of Patriarchy and Masquerades of Femininity in Anna Banti’s Artemisia’, Italian Culture, XV, 1997
1997 ‘Cinderella in the US: Italian Feminist Theory at the Margins’, conference paper at New York University
1996 Paper on Anna Banti, AAIS conference, 1996
1994 ‘Sight-Seeing: L’Itinerario Romano nel Marble Faun di Nathaniel Hawthorne’, Il Veltro, 5-6, 1994
1992 ‘Beckett, the Word and the Theatre’, Philosophema, June 1992
1991 ‘Silence and the Poet’, Philosophema, June 1991
Achievements and Awards
1999- 2002 University Research Fellowship, Reading University
1998-99 Oldrini Travelling Fellowship, Columbia University
1996 Departmental nomination for Best Teaching Assistant Award, Columbia University
1996 National Italian American Foundation Fellowship
1993- 97 President’s Fellowship, Columbia University
