One of the most rewarding aspects of this role is making connections with members. Often it starts with an email, like the one from Abigail Denny, which contained a simple challenge 鈥� 鈥榃hy don鈥檛 you have any disabled therapists in articles?鈥� She pointed out that our coverage of disability issues was client focused and there was little representation of disabled people working within the profession.
鈥楢re we not part of the community?鈥� she asked. Our subsequent email exchange led to Abigail鈥檚 鈥楨xperience鈥� article in this issue in which she describes training as a therapist after surviving a brain haemorrhage that affected her speech and mobility. Abigail had to overcome being stared at and talked over in her therapy training, then asked by her first therapist why she chose to train in a talking therapy. It seems our acceptance and non-judgment as a profession has limits. Callum Jones describes his neurodivergence being treated with 鈥榓pprehension and confusion鈥� during his training: 鈥楾here seemed to be an unspoken message that this was not a place for a neurodivergent, as those with autism are unable to recognise emotional and social cues (a myth).鈥� As a wheelchair user, Craig Johnson says that without the post-pandemic opening up of online work, he couldn鈥檛 have accessed the therapy or supervision required to complete his training. As he puts it: 鈥業t strikes me as odd that so many of those in private practice seem to work from inaccessible spaces, almost as if they personally don鈥檛 expect to have to consider client access, even when they are apologetic, empathic and understanding of the issue.鈥�
Under the 2010 Equality Act, anyone offering a service has a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments for neurodivergent people and clients with disabilities so that the service is accessible to them. This includes those in private practice 鈥� it鈥檚 not just something that can be left to 鈥榮pecialist services鈥�. Our first 鈥楢ccessibility issue鈥� was inspired by the publication of a new 香港六合彩精准资料 Good Practice in Action resource that addresses this issue and advises private practitioners on what 鈥榬easonable adjustments鈥� look like in terms of advertising, contracting and delivery of services.听
"Anyone offering a service has a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments for neurodivergent people and clients with disabilities so that the service is accessible to them"
We have more compelling stories elsewhere in this issue. Don鈥檛 miss Sharon Watt鈥檚 account of the course of action she followed when her very first placement client alerted her to a possible terrorism risk. Jenny England meanwhile shares insights from working with clients with life-limiting diagnoses, and Francis Norton describes how training as a therapist helped him piece together the factors that triggered his previous career burnout, which then inspired his specialism. As ever, I am grateful to all the practitioners who have taken the time to share the benefit of their experiences with their fellow members.
If you have a story to tell, do drop us a line at therapytoday@thinkpublishing.co.uk
Sally Brown, Editor
