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Welcome from the editor

Since my last editorial in the Winter Issue ofÌýThresholds, things have moved on apace here inÌýMachynlleth. We still have the police searching; thisÌýweek there were 125 of them from different forcesÌýacross the UK, plus a mountain search team from Scotland,Ìýand as this journal goes to print we await the trial of a localÌýman for murder. It seems a very dark time for this littleÌýWelsh market town.

Small threads of hope emerge, however. Small miracles.ÌýChildren play in the snow – it has been several monthsÌýsince the sound of children playing filled the local park.ÌýBulbs planted by local school children in memory of AprilÌýstart to send up small green shoots. Several communityÌýprojects emerge, including a new young people’s choir.ÌýA small charity, CCSW,* has set up a ‘listening service’ toÌýsupport local people trying to make sense of the traumaticÌýhappenings. Local people have been organising manyÌýcommunity events to support the April Appeal and, asÌýwe talk and sing together, we begin tentatively to rebuildÌýcommunity and move forward in our grieving process.ÌýIn the back of our minds, however, lurks a dark chasm:Ìýso much lost and so many unanswered questions.

As the community moves forward, I have been wondering,Ìýhowever, how as a family do you recover from losing aÌýchild? How can we as counsellors, psychotherapists andÌýpastoral carers best support parents who are bereaved?Ìý

In this issue of Thresholds Philippa Skinner courageouslyÌýshares and explores her own grief at losing her son to aÌýheroin overdose at the age of 21 and how counsellingÌýtraining, concurrent spiritual reading and living with thisÌýloss enabled some level of healing. This, alongside an articleÌýfrom Peter Hillen that reflects on the role of spirituality inÌýrecovery from substance use, and Mervyn Wynne Jones’sÌýarticle about the experiences of chaplains in the armedÌýforces, where so many young service men and womenÌýhave died, helps me recognise that counselling andÌýpsychotherapy are useful tools, but it seems to me that theyÌýare especially helpful when they are located firmly withinÌýthe spiritual, whatever that spirituality may be; then theyÌýbegin to take on an added dimension.

On the subject of integration, Penelope Brown sharesÌýher research with counsellors on how they are bothÌýcounsellors and, at the same time, spiritual beings, andÌýDuncan Coppock looks at how he integrates coachingÌýwith spirituality.

Many of you have written in response to articles in bothÌýthe Autumn and Winter 2012 issues of Thresholds, sayingÌýhow much you value the diversity of the articles and thatÌýyou would also appreciate more input from Muslim,Ìýtranspersonal and humanistic perspectives. If you areÌýworking in or are interested in these areas, then pleaseÌýdo share your work with us.

Thank you for all your letters and feedback. It is important,ÌýI feel, that that the division, and indeed Thresholds, remainsÌýrelevant to your work. I would encourage you to becomeÌýinvolved in the forthcoming elections to the Executive, and also to continue to send your ideas for articlesÌýand feedback to authors that you would like published toÌýthresholds.editorial@bacp.co.uk. If you would like to seeÌýchange, then this will only come from within and fromÌýyou, the members.

Finally, Aabira, who wrote with me in the Autumn 2012Ìýissue of Thresholds, sends a message in response to supportÌýand feedback from readers:

Writing together,
hearing my voice through others’ eyes,
it is like a miracle;
small silver hands of hope
that gather me, and fold me, in love.
A love that stretches across beliefs and cultures
and encourages me onwards.
Thank you.
Aabira

Dr Susan Dale
Editor
thresholds.editorial@bacp.co.uk

* CCSW has set up a project in Machynlleth providing free counselling,Ìýan informal drop-in centre and a telephone helpline.Ìý

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