Workshop Session 1: 13.30 – 16.30  

(choose 1 workshop from 9 available)

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   1. The Dark and the Light

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Adrienne Lee (She/Her): TSTA / TTA / STA 

Psychotherapy / Clinical     

 

In this workshop I will present a therapeutic process called "Going Through the Shadow" that I devised more than 20 years ago. It is a profound therapeutic technique to fully account the deepest of all human fears and losses and provide an opportunity to transform them into healthy, expansive experiences. The basic assumptions in this work are that the shadow parts of the self, frequently experienced as an abyss, are also a doorway to the soul or spiritual dimension of self, and that there is light beyond the darkness.

I will demonstrate the therapeutic method and relate it to TA theory, particularly Muriel James's work on The Core of the Human Spirit. We will also reflect on the role of the therapist and the nature of the therapeutic relationship.

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I will be presenting this workshop through a Spiritual TA lens that is inclusive and respectful of all humanity.

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Workshop outcomes: 

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To develop confidence in working with the darkest fears in our clients and a reflection on how transformation can be facilitated.​​

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Presenters: 

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Adrienne Lee TSTA (P) is a Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst, a UKCP Registered Psychotherapist, and a Master Practitioner in NLP. She has been practising as psychotherapist and supervisor for over 40 years, and has been centrally involved in the development of TA in the UK from its earliest beginnings, she is the Founder and Director of The Berne Institute.

 

She is a Past President of EATA and has been awarded the EATA Gold Medal and the ITAA Muriel James Living Principles of TA award. She is dedicated to enabling people to become the best that they can be, she loves creative learning and teaching and embraces all the schools and approaches in TA.

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Level of prior experience required: Developing Level - Middle Years of Training​

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Focus: Psychotherapy and Clinical

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Style: Didactic Teaching; Discussion and Small Group and Pairs work; Clinical Demonstration; Experiential Work

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   2. How The Crown Slips: From Prince to Frog via Life Script

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Lisa Mathurin (She/Her): PTSTA; Nathan Bryce (He/Him): 

Psychotherapy / Clinical

        

We are all born with a natural capacity for spontaneity, intimacy, and awareness‚  Berne's 'princes and princesses'. As we grow, early experiences, parental messages, and the subtle pressures of life begin to rewrite our story. Sometimes the crown slips‚ nudged off by these influences. Other times, we decide it's safer to remove it ourselves, exchanging it for the 'frog suit' of limiting beliefs and self-protection.

This workshop explores how these pivotal moments occur and how they shape our adult patterns. Through discussion, reflection, and experiential exercises, we'll examine script formation and the choices that keep us hopping in circles.

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Lisa - I have a deep personal awareness of difference and diversity. I have a dual-heritage adult Autistic daughter and have been actively involved in the disability community for over 30 years, which informs my understanding of accessibility, neurodiversity, and inclusion.

Nathan is a therapist/trainer shaped by his intersectional identity; he is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, hailing from a working-class background and lifelong connection to the South of England. Nathan is an avid academic and theorist. His work as a therapist and trainer is strongly influenced by Relational Transactional Analysis, which informs both his professional practice and personal worldview. 

 

Workshop outcomes:  ​

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To recognise early life influences on script development (e.g., parental messages, experiences, societal/cultural expectations, and experiences of adversity/discrimination

To understand mechanisms of script formation and explain how conscious and unconscious choices shape limiting beliefs and self-protective behaviours.

To enhance relational understanding: Appreciate the role of therapeutic relationships and group dynamics in personal growth.

To engage experientially and participate in exercises that demonstrate the dynamics of script formation and 2nd order ego state structure.

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Presenters:

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Lisa is a psychotherapist, supervisor, and trainer with over 15 years' experience in the counselling and psychotherapy field. Specialising in trauma, she is committed to promoting trauma-informed practice and fostering professional growth. A PTSTA with a Master's in Transactional Analysis Psychotherapy, Lisa combines strong theoretical knowledge with clinical expertise. At the heart of Lisa's approach is a belief in the transformative power of therapeutic relationships and group dynamics. Whether with clients or students, she creates spaces rooted in respect, trust, and confidentiality‚ the essential foundations for growth, healing, and lasting change.

Nathan is a Relational TA therapist and trainer working in private practice. He is a CTA(P) Contractual Trainee, working towards an MSc in TA Psychotherapy. His predominant clinical interests include developmental trauma, attachment, and personality. A lover of all things theory-related, he enjoys working with others to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Nathan facilitates introductory and qualifying courses, as well as CPD, at various training establishments in Hampshire and online.

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Level of prior experience required: Developing Level - Middle Years of Training

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Focus: Education and Training; Counselling and Coaching; Psychotherapy and Clinical; Organisational

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Style: Didactic Teaching; Discussion and Small Group and Pairs work; Experiential Work

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   3. What's The Harm In That

Facing the stigma of self-harm

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Abi Giles (She/Her): TA Diploma (UKATA or RTE)

Psychotherapy / Clinical

 

This experiential workshop explores and confronts the stigma surrounding self-harm, inviting participants to safely reflect on their own biases and the fear often felt when working with harm and risk. This workshop offers practical approaches for anyone working with this presentation, alongside accessible insights into the neuroscience of what happens when someone harms. We will explore treatment pathways, therapeutic language, and safer ways of holding risk in clinical work. Although we are dealing with themes like fear, risk and shame, the workshop will be held in a safe, supportive, and even playful way, bringing light to a heavy topic. 

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I am presenting my workshop through the lens of facing adversity. I come from a marginalized background, my identity is massively shaped around my experience of being a single, teenage mother, living most of my life on the breadline and making it through my training with very little to no support financially. My work around self-harm is centered around the fact that this presentation is statistically more likely to present in communities that are marginalized and for people that face adversity. I developed this project when I worked as a youth worker and could clearly see the deficit in support for the marginalized people that used self-harm as their only tool to endure the realities they were facing. 

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Workshop outcomes: 

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I would like attendees to gain more awareness, knowlegde, education and understanding of self-harm while confronting the stigma that surrounds it. I would like attendees to feel more confident in working with this presentation and feel more empowered to impliment treatment plans. 

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Presenters:

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Abi Giles is a UKCP registered psychotherapist (or will be by the time of the workshop! all paperwork has been sent!) and trained at Transactional Analysis Cymru. She is passionate about inclusion and working with the most hard to reach people in society. Her background is in working with disadvantaged children and young people, education and behaviour management. She is also a face painter and special effects make up artist and uses this creativity throughout her work as a psychotherapist in her private practice in coastal West Wales.

 

Abi is a Mum to 3 children (2 not children anymore!) and kinship carer to her niece. Abi probably uses the f word too much and uses humour to connect, but above all aspires to spark inspiration through sharing her lived experiences.      

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Level of prior experience required: This workshop is aimed at any level

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Focus: Education and Training; Counselling and Coaching; Psychotherapy and Clinical; Organisational

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Style: Discussion and Small Group and Pairs work; Experiential Work

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   4. Striving, Surviving, or Thriving?

The Dance of Individuality and Inclusivity, Authenticity and Acceptance 

 

Neil Keenan (He/Him): PTSTA

Psychotherapy / Clinical

        

You're invited to join this exploratory workshop that considers the tensions arising between the desire for autonomy and self-acceptance, and the longing to belong within a community of like-minded practitioners. In this supportive environment, we'll explore how to reconcile 'being your authentic self' with the external expectations of professional values, theories, and philosophies. Together, we'll engage in thought-provoking discussions and activities that encourage self-reflection and shared experiences. We'll celebrate our unique identities while fostering a sense of connection and community. Come and discover how we can thrive together, embracing both individuality and belonging!

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The central thesis of this workshop is acknowledging and accepting difference, in ourselves and in others. I am a white, straight, cis-gendered male, and I recognise the privileges this societal niche brings. While inhabiting this position in the broader community, there are aspects of my self, such as my neurodivergent thinking style, that have created and continue to create significant challenges for me when seeking to belong to and integrate with a group. We all face such challenges, though not always due to an individual's neurology, but through the way others perceive us based on factors such as ethnicity, social status, wealth, educational history, etc. My hope for this workshop is to foster a spirit of welcoming acceptance and celebration of others, and, in particular, those who are new to the TA community, and to avoid prescribing a 'correct' way of being autonomous on our peers.

 

Workshop outcomes:

 

I would like the attendees to develop their awareness of bias in our thinking, both individually and as a community, in how we perceive one another. I would like the attendees to deepen their understanding of how acceptance of difference and, in some cases, error and hurt, is both challenging and essential in building a community.

 

To conclude, I would like the attendees to consider possible archaic ego states that might be influencing our relationship with the TA community and the professional development journey of each individual.

 

I will build the workshop around three key points:

1) Unconscious bias, including those that have not received such attention as others (e.g. social status, level of education, wealth, regional accents, standing within the TA community),

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2) The importance of acceptance that we all make mistakes, which will be contrasted with 'forgiveness of error'', the use of which concept runs the risk of reinforcing an I'm-Okay--You're-Not-Okay position, and,

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3) the value of our quite unique training framework and professional community, particularly when we engage with them motivated by curiosity, wonder, passion and joy, rather than seeking to appease internal voices from the past by 'living up' to current standards provided by our profession.

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Presenter:

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Neil is a psychotherapist specialising in working with neurodivergent clients and has written for the TAJ on this subject. In addition to his clinical work as a psychotherapist, he is the Training Director and teaches at The Wyvern Institute RTE in Bristol. Neil identifies prominent attributes of dyspraxia in his thinking, and he spent many years working in Eastern Europe and Central Asia before training as a transactional analyst. His experiences inform his thinking on societal and neurological diversity, and focus his attention on what we can learn from other cultures.

 

Level of prior experience required: This workshop is for everyone interested in the subject

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Focus: Education and Training; Counselling and Coaching; Psychotherapy and Clinical; Organisational

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Style: Didactic Teaching; Discussion and Small Group and Pairs work; Experiential Work

 

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   5. Friends with Benefits

Exploring the resources, challenges and potential close friendships bring to our professional life. How do these deep and intimate connections advance our knowledge, enhance practice and connect our minds? What role they can hold in the ongoing development of our identities and communities?

 

Bev Gibbons (She/Her): TSTA (P); Ronen Stilman TSTA(P) MSc (TA psychotherapy); Beren Aldridge (He/Him): MSc, TSTA (P); Helen Rowland (She/Her): CTA (P) TSTA (P) 

Psychotherapy / Clinical

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As four close friends who are also experienced TA trainers, supervisors, and psychotherapists, we are curious about the boundaries between professional relationships and close personal friendships.
 
In our conversations around tables, on sofas and over Whatsapp we have risked intimacy, experienced it's great rewards and also noticed the somatic, visceral pull to split and project that can emerge.

In this workshop we'd like to explore the risks and rewards of intimacy and how Transactional Analysis theories connect with this

With particular interest in group, role and body/somatic theories, we honour the dynamic and expansive nature of our evolving TA theories.
 
We invite you to join us in this exploration of the experience of full-blooded, loving friendship, that can hold all this brings; and the powerful transformative processes this can bring to our professional and personal relationships and expanding TA theories.

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This workshop aims to dig into the intersectional challenges we meet in the experience of navigating friendship. This inevitably requires participants to reflect deeply on their own sense of identity, values, personal philosophy and biases.

 

Workshop outcomes:

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Account for love and the sensual edge in our professional relationships.

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Navigate conflict & difference, and the visceral pull to split & project that can emerge.
Examine security and vitality.

Explore envy and power; helping us to own our projections.

Consider the challenges of opening our heart and soul to intimacy.​

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Presenters:

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Bev Gibbons: I am a TSTA (Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst) in the field of psychotherapy. I have an MA In TA psychotherapy and BA Hons in integrative counselling.

I live in North Yorkshire, in the UK, and work as a trainer, supervisor and psychotherapist in private practice with individuals, groups and organisations.

Mutuality, curiosity and anti-oppressive practice are central in my way of working. My professional passions include working to make meaning with other/s intersubjectively in the 'space between' and working in ways that draw from all fields of application in TA.

Ronen Stilman: TSTA(P) MSc (TA psychotherapy) is an ITAA, UKCP and COSCA registered psychotherapist, supervisor and trainer, working with individuals, couples and practitioners in his Edinburgh centre practice and in Cyberspace. He has a keen interest in Humans and how they embody, relate and identify in the context of culture, politics and society, integrating his background in technology and organisational change.

Beren Aldridge: MSc, Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst (psychotherapy), is a psychotherapist, supervisor, and trainer in private practice in Kendal, United Kingdom. He is currently cochair of the Training, Standards, and Accreditation Committee for the United Kingdom Association for Transactional Analysis (UKATA) and an editorial board member of the Transactional Analysis Journal.

Helen Rowland: CTA (P) TSTA (P) is a psychotherapist, supervisor, and trainer in private practice in Scotland and online. She is a core tutor for Physis Scotland and a coeditor of the Transactional Analysis Journal.
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Level of prior experience required: This workshop is for everyone interested in the subject

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Focus: Education and Training; Counselling and Coaching; Psychotherapy and Clinical; Organisational 

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Style: Discussion and Small Group and Pairs work; Experiential Work

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   6. Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Finding our Self, Soul and Shadow, in the other.

 

Barbara Clarkson (She/Her): TSTA / TTA / STA

Psychotherapy / Clinical

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Bringing a transpersonal perspective to Bollas's idea of looking for the client within ourselves, we will explore the metaphor of the mirror in therapeutic work: how we offer reparative mirroring to clients and supervisees, and in particular how we can learn to look in the mirror of the other to find and integrate "shadow" parts of ourselves.

 

We will draw on imagery and symbol from stories and myths, and lean into writings about spirituality in the psychotherapeutic context, broadening our understanding and opening our thinking to new possibilities for growth and becoming: Advancing Knowledge, Enhancing Practice, Connecting Minds and Souls.

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This workshop offers an exploration of how our work as psychotherapists and/or supervisors shows us aspects of ourselves that challenge our sense of OK ness and require us to expand our understanding of our intersectional identity. 

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Workshop outcomes:

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Participants will gain an experiential insight into the personal unconscious material that may surface in their work. They will explore tools and resources for working with these unconscious themes, and gain insight into ways of integrating a spiritual perspective into their practice. As a result of the workshop, participants will have increased their capacity to work at depth and with the transpersonal dimensions of human experience.

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Presenter:

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Barbara is a TSTA with specific interests in spirituality in psychotherapy, and in working with story, metaphor and archetype to deepen the therapeutic experience. She has written about spirituality in TA psychotherapy in the TAJ and elsewhere, and is currently exploring the value of a transpersonal apporach to both clincial and supervision work.

 

Level of prior experience required: Advanced Level - Towards CTA and beyond

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Focus: Counselling and Coaching; Psychotherapy and Clinical

                 

Style: Didactic Teaching; Discussion and Small Group and Pairs work; Experiential Work

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    7. Transference with a transgenerational twist

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Enid Welford (She/Her): TSTA

Psychotherapy / Clinical

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We normally consider transference as stemming from unfinished business in our experience or that of our clients.   It is seen as something that interrupts the smooth running of communication, and we tend to assume that what we transfer into our present relationships is familiar and its source can be identified.

However, our family systems also have a great deal of unfinished business, and those who come onto the stage of our lives through transference may never have been known to us, even though they cast a long shadow. In the workshop we will experiment with different ways of seeing time, play with theories about transference, and consider ways to release ourselves and our clients from intrusion from the past.

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A focus of this workshop will be how our culture and history shapes our lives, and the impact of different cultures. I will be encouraging participants to look at their own history and how this shapes transference between them and their clients.   

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Workshop outcomes:

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To expand their understanding of transference. 

To have ways to identify and resolve transference which relates to historical issues.

To own their own issues that could impact relationships in their work environment.

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Presenter:

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Enid Welford is a TSTA who specialises in accounting the family system in her training, supervision and therapy practice. She has a very diverse family and is passionate about accounting her clients' unique history and how this shapes us and impacts our decisions.

 

Level of prior experience required: Early Level - TA101, Foundation, Year 1

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Focus: Education and Training; Counselling and Coaching; Psychotherapy and Clinical; Organisational

                 

Style: Didactic Teaching; Discussion and Small Group and Pairs work; Experiential Work

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   8. Demystifying Outcome Measure Use in TA Counselling and Psychotherapy

How to enhance your knowledge, clinical practice and therapeutic relationships.

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​Carol Remfrey Foote (She/Her)

Psychotherapy / Clinical

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Transactional Analysis (TA) research has focused on the theory and practice of using Outcome Measures (OMs) with individuals experiencing mood disorders to strengthen the evidence base for TA's effectiveness. Clinically, OMs are employed to monitor whether clients show improvement, stagnation, or deterioration during therapy. This workshop presents recent research involving the interpretations of 12 TA practitioners regarding OM data and its influence on their clinical decision-making in private practice.

 

Participants will receive practical guidance on how to incorporate OM data into their clinical decision-making with clients, thereby enhancing the working alliance, managing the risk of self-harm, supporting diagnosis, effective contracting, strengthening the treatment plan, determining when to conclude therapy, reducing drop-out rates, communicating with colleagues, and focusing clinical supervision.​
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Workshop outcomes:

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Overall Aim

That attendees gain an understanding of how to effectively integrate OMs into their clinical practice.

Objectives

Attendees can learn how to utilise the client's OM responses to develop a TA contract, diagnosis, and treatment plan, as well as monitor the client's response to therapy.

Attendees can explore how OMs help facilitate the working alliance and therapeutic relationship.

Attendees can learn how to identify and select the relevant OM based on the client's characteristics, presenting issues, and goals.

Attendees will grasp the ethical issues related to the use of OMs with clients.

Attendees can begin to explore how OMs can support the identification and management of clients' thinking or planning self-harm.

Attendees can learn how OMs can support clinical supervision.

Attendees can understand how OMs support clinical decision-making and help reduce biases.

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Presenter:

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I am a CTA(P) living in Scotland with my online private practice in a chalet surrounded by trees, birds, hares and wild creatures. For 30 years, I worked as a nurse, health visitor, and latterly as professional nursing lead for Dundee's Community Nursing Service, leading a team of 280 nurses with 24-hour responsibility, developing training, and clinical supervision. I made the decision not to pursue the PTSTA route, but to indulge my passion for research, and I am now in the closing stages of a PhD, writing up my thesis. I have published three articles in the IJTARP related to my research.

1. Remfrey Foote, C. (2024). How Do Transactional Analysis Counsellors and Psychotherapists Use Outcome Measures in TA Diagnosis, Contracting and Treatment Planning: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of a Single Case Study - 'Joe'. International Journal of Transactional Analysis Research & Practice, 15(2). https://doi.org/10.29044/v15i2p3
2. Remfrey Foote, C. (2024). Outcome Measures in Transactional Analysis Clinical Practice: Presentation of Research Methodology . International Journal of Transactional Analysis Research & Practice, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.29044/v15i1p39
3. Remfrey Foote, C. (2023). How Outcome Measures Could Support Transactional Analysts in Clinical Practice to Improve Treatment Trajectories, Manage Risk, Minimise Client Drop-Out Rates and Support Clinical Supervision . International Journal of Transactional Analysis Research & Practice, 14(2), 3-16. https://doi.org/10.29044/v14i2p3

 

Level of prior experience required: All levels of experience from trainees to TSTA

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Focus: Education and Training; Counselling and Coaching; Psychotherapy and Clinical

                 

Style: Discussion and Small Group and Pairs work; Clinical Demonstration; Experiential Work

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   9. A Deep Dive into Stage 5

Deconstructing and Re-Constructing Script

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Will Daniel-Braham (He/They): PTSTA;CTA

Psychotherapy / Clinical

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Considering Richard Erskine's 5th Stage of Treatment - Taking Responsibility, this workshop aims to explore the intricate relationship between responsibility, identity, and script through the lens of Transactional Analysis (TA).

Participants will engage in an interactive and reflective experience, examining how
early life decisions and unconscious scripts shape their sense of identity and responsibility. By leveraging key TA concepts, the workshop will provide practical tools for understanding and rewriting personal scripts to foster healthier relationships and a more authentic sense of self.

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My intersectional lens are being a neurodivergent, queer man of colour from a working class background. 

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Workshop outcomes:

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1. To deepen understanding of how scripts influence identity and sense of responsibility.
2. To explore the role of early life decisions in forming personal scripts.
3. To provide participants with practical tools for script analysis and redecision work.
4. To foster a collaborative environment for sharing insights and experiences related to script work.

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Presenter:

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Will is a Provisional Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst. With over 25 years of experience in the field, Will has facilitated numerous workshops and training sessions at various TA training Institutes and worked globally in the field of transformation and leadership. He has been featured on Channel 4 as a Transformational Coach and Channel 5 as a 'Happiness Guru'.

He specialises in script analysis, redecision work, and identity development. For the past 10 years his focus has been specialising on trauma informed practise. His engaging teaching style and deep expertise in TA make him a sought-after speaker and trainer.

 

Level of prior experience required: Advanced Level - Towards CTA and beyond

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Focus: Counselling and Coaching; Psychotherapy and Clinical

                 

Style: Experiential Work