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Editor’s welcome

Sometimes, it seems as if the articles in this journal are aimedÌýat me. Not that I’m paranoid or anything. For instance, theÌýidea of parallel processes is one we often ignore, and toÌýwhich Phyllis Coulter draws our attention. Once we get into theÌýworld of serendipity, coincidence, intuition and synchronicity, weÌýdo open ourselves to possible accusations of weirdness, fluffinessÌýand woo-woo. Yet we are dealing with minds, and minds don’tÌýalways answer to conscious reason.

And here’s the thing: I made aÌýslightly urgent call to my supervisor recently to check somethingÌýout, and this accurately paralleled the call made to me a shortÌýwhile later by the distraught parents, just before they were aboutÌýto put into action our agreed plan to sort out the chaos at home.ÌýWas I nervous I was doing the right thing? Handling it correctly?ÌýWere they? I must have needed reassuring. Maybe they did.ÌýI understood their sudden doubts. I therefore knew what wasÌýneeded – a good look in the cupboard to find some containment!ÌýWhich I offered. As did my supervisor. And so the parallel processesÌýmarch on. The implications stretch into all areas of our work andÌýlives. Have a read and see what you think.

Having become involved in the Coach in Every UK City projectÌýfor the Youth Coaching Academy (YCA), I’ve been reminded yetÌýagain how solution-focused therapy (SFT) is very much at theÌýboundary of counselling and coaching – one of several modelsÌýthat look for workable solutions in preference to analysing whatÌýthe problem has been. Our article by Judith Milner and JackieÌýBateman concentrates on ways to communicate effectively withÌýyoung people on their own terms and in their best interests, inÌýsearch of a workable solution. The belief is that the youngÌýpeople have the seminal resources they need inside themselves,Ìýif we choose to hunt them down. I witnessed this in BathÌýrecently, when I worked alongside girls from 11 to 15 years whoÌýare coaching their own peers, as certificated youth life coaches,Ìýtrained by the YCA. When you see this resourcefulness in action,Ìýyou know without doubt that the work we do – from the mostÌýdifficult and complex counselling to the most future-focusedÌýand envisioned coaching – is absolutely crucial to the nation’sÌýhealth.

Finally, some of you will know that the seven divisional journalsÌýare in the process of being redesigned. As the journals move toÌýa big design firm, I would like to honour Fran Shall, who hasÌýworked on them, and on ours in particular, for much longer thanÌýI have been editor. She has been wonderful to collaborate with,Ìýunfailingly helpful, watchful for my omissions and willing toÌýaccommodate my frequent requests for a special page layout.ÌýWe have delighted and laughed together over this journal. AsÌýthey say in book dedications, the good stuff is all hers, the errorsÌýare mine! But I’ve received many emails of congratulations forÌýthe journal in our time together and will miss her hugely. TheÌýexecutive joins with me in saying thank you, Fran. We shall appearÌýin our new finery in June. If I don’t mess up. Not that I’mÌýparanoid or anything.

Eleanor Patrick
Editor

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