In this issue
Features
Interview
Freedom from the past
Robin Shohet in conversation with听Christina Breene about how we can work听on ourselves to bring about the healing听of others
My story
The straw man and the red ball
Johanna Sartori on working with听metaphor in the therapeutic relationship
My story
On African time
Susan Board went to South Africa to听provide support to carers working with听people living with HIV and Aids and听their families
My inspiration
How I lost my mind and found my soul
Benjamin Fry explains how somatic听experiencing saved his life
Interview
Increasing access, widening choice
Brigid Baker talks to John Daniel about听Get Stable
My practice
Into the deep
Doreen Fleet argues that you need to be听prepared to taste your own fear when听reaching relational depth with a client
Regulars
From the chair
Wendy Halsall: A sense of unity
Articles from this issue are not yet available online. Divisional members and subscribers can download the pdf from the听Private Practice听archive.
From the editor
Reading the articles in this issue听I am humbled by the generosity听of clients who have consented听to their case material being used听for publication here. What our听clients bring of themselves to听therapy is a great gift to us as听therapists because we are in a听constant process of learning and听development, however experienced听and highly qualified we are.
Most importantly, our clients offer us a chance to heal听ourselves. Robin Shohet reminds us of this in Christina听Breene鈥檚 interview with him. Robin argues听that it is not our job to fix our clients, but to work on ourselves听first in order to facilitate their healing. Inverting the usual听paradigm that the therapist鈥檚 role is to heal the client, he听borrows from an ancient Hawaiian healing method called听Ho鈥檕ponopono, to argue that our clients show us what is听unresolved in us and听 that it is our job, therefore, to do deep听work on ourselves. This will, in turn, impact on them.听
This method, which has been applied to a therapy setting听by the Hawaiian therapist Ihaleakala Hew Len, is an ancient听practice of forgiveness and reconciliation. Hew Len works from听the premise that the world is a projection of our state of mind听and that, to help others, we need to start with ourselves. I like听this idea because it reminds me of the need to be continuously听aware of, and take responsibility for, my own perceptions and听to put these aside, as best I can, as I sit with my clients,听so that I can be present with them beyond my conditioned听self. As I write, I鈥檓 mindful of how difficult I find this is to听achieve in practise, and how essential I find supervision and听ongoing personal therapy to support me in this endeavour.
In addition to being humbled by clients鈥� willingness to听share their material with readers, I鈥檓 also moved by what听therapists share of themselves in these pages. I am听particularly proud to be publishing Benjamin Fry鈥檚 account听of his own breakdown and recovery.听As a result of being successfully treated in America, via a听technique to heal trauma called somatic experiencing, he鈥檚听currently training in the technique himself. He hopes in time听to offer access to the 鈥榤iracle鈥� treatment that saved his life听to clients in the UK.
Doreen Fleet also writes about working with trauma in her听article, where she reflects on the way听she worked with a female survivor of sexual violence. She听offers a fascinating account of her thoughts and feelings as听she accompanied her client on a journey into the darkness.听And as her client summoned the courage to speak the听unspoken in therapy. I offer deep thanks and appreciation to听Doreen鈥檚 client for allowing us to learn from her experience,听as I do to all the therapists and clients who have shared听something of their process with us in this issue.
John Daniel
Editor
privatepractice.editorial@bacp.co.uk