UKA4TA
UK Association for
TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS
Sunday Workshops
Sunday Workshops
Workshop Session 4: 10.00 – 12.00
(choose 1 workshop from 7 available)
1. ADHD Masking
How to recognise Masking in sessions or during training
Nea Clark: PTSTA
During this workshop, we will focus on different aspects of masking. This term is widely used or referred to in our fields; therefore, I invite my colleagues to examine it more closely. We will start by exploring the development of masking, followed by learning about different types of masking. During the workshop, we will travel within and recognise our own internal masking, then move out to recognise masking in clients or people around us. We will learn to work gently with masking by connecting it with shame.
Workshop outcomes:
The attendees will gain an understanding of different types of masking and how to work with masking in each field. They will also have a chance to self-reflect and discover their own masking, followed by giving permission to live in a unique way in today's society.
Presenter:
My daughter has been diagnosed with ADHD at age 14. In response, I started to research ADHD and wrote a book on ‘How to work with ADHD clients'. In the process of writing the book, I recognised my own ADHD traits. This took me on the journey of working with ADHD at a deeper level, not just understanding ways of working with it but bringing my personal limitations and experience to the work. I am passionate about sharing this knowledge with colleagues and supporting fellow ADHD-ers to live a fulfilled neurodivergent life.
Nea is a PTSTA psychotherapist, Supervisor, and NLP practitioner. Nea is the author of the book "Travel into the ADHD Mind". She practices in Leeds and regularly holds supervision groups face-to-face/online, webinars, and seminars. Nea is neurodivergent herself and passionate about supporting neurodivergent trainees during their training, colleagues with their practice and raising ADHD awareness in the TA community.
Level of prior experience required: I present at multi levels - This workshop is suitable for trainees as well as TSTA-s
Focus: Education and Training; Counselling and Coaching; Psychotherapy and Clinical; Organisational
Style: Didactic Teaching; Experiential Work
2. Working in Tandem
Surrendering Heart and Mind in Passionate Collaborations
Jane Tillier: PTSTA, Silvia Baba Neal: PTSTA,
Focussing on peer relationships in TA, we will examine the underlying forces that allow such dyads either to flourish and be creatively fertile, or to be pulled apart. We offer companionship in the experience of the uncanny meeting with someone in deep collaboration, including the erotic undercurrents that can accompany deep, pleasurable, playful conversations. Complex behaviour emerges as closeness/distance, confluence/differentiation, and cooperation/competition are negotiated. The marker that sets apart the necessary confluence of a creative dyad from unhealthy symbiosis (Schiff et al. 1975) is the inclusion of all ego states and the flexibility of movement in and out of roles.
Workshop outcomes:
Attendees will be able to formulate a comprehensive self-narrative about who they are as collaborators and what they need from a partnership. They will be able to reflect critically on the advantages and limitations of creative co-working. They will understand the cycle of any collaboration and manage thoughtfully moments of disruption and endings. They will gain a deeper understanding of healthy and unhealthy symbiotic patterns. Lastly, attendees will develop their ability to facilitate creativity, generatively and lively thinking.
Presenters:
As co-presenters, the differing ratios of privilege and disadvantage in our backgrounds form part of the underpinning of the work that we have been wrestling with together around patterns of collaborative engagement. The workshop will draw on our recent TAJ article on working in tandem (forthcoming), where we develop models for generative interplay between and among colleagues that account for, among other things, power and privilege differentials.
Jane has a background in council housing in the south east of England and was the first person in her family to stay on in education beyond the age of 16. Late diagnoses of ADHD and dyslexia have helped her to understand some of the disadvantages that contributed to long periods of poor mental health in the midst of apparent educational and social privilege in her adult life.
Silvia grew up under the communist regime in Romania, which makes her profoundly sceptical about any system of thought that proposes an all-encompassing explanation of the world and human relationships. As an immigrant living in Britain, she is sympathetic about some of the challenges of cultural integration and, by virtue of living in a very rural part of England, she also understands the passion for protecting long-held traditions and patterns of life.
Silvia Baba Neal, PTSTA(P), MSc, is a Senior Academic Lecturer at Metanoia Institute in London, and MSc 2 Module Lead in the Integrative Department. She is a relational transactional analyst and supervisor, working in private practice online and in Hereford. Silvia incorporates neuroscience and chaos theory in her clinical thinking.
Jane Tillier, PTSTA-(P), BA, MSc, PhD is a retired Church of England priest and a UKCP-registered psychotherapist with a private practice in North Staffordshire. She is currently a primary tutor at The Link Centre. A background in the study of languages, literature and theology combines with her passionate interest in the interplay between spirituality and relational dynamics to underpin her work as psychotherapist, trainer, consultant and supervisor.
Level of prior experience required: Advanced Level - Towards CTA and beyond
Focus: Education and Training; Counselling and Coaching; Psychotherapy and Clinical; Organisational
Style: Discussion and Small Group and Pairs work; Experiential Work
3. Transformational Team Coaching with TA
Sari van Poelje (Dr): TSTA / TTA / STA
The ability to create a coherent team out of a group of individuals is one of the core competencies of managers, HRO, coaches, and consultants.
We will present the four levels of TA team coaching and use these to better understand what interventions are needed to create a high-performance team.
We will give best practice examples of the four levels of intervention: purpose, structure, dynamics, and cultural interventions.
Workshop outcomes:
At the end of the workshop participants will be able to diagnose, define the key issues and create an action plan to create a high-performance team using TA systemic concepts.
Presenter:
Drs Sari van Poelje is an international executive and team coach and an expert on agile business innovation with 40 years of experience. Sari is the director of Intact Academy, giving EMCC senior coach accredited TA training to coaches and consultants in 10 different countries. Sari was also a director in various multinationals like Shell, Emi music, KLM and ASML for 23 years. Sari usually works for multinationals, family business and start-ups in a wide range of industries. She coaches leadership teams to create inspiring leadership, cooperative cultures, and agile innovation processes. She is an accredited EMCC master coach, team coach and supervisor, Msc systemic team coach, Msc supervisor, TSTA Teaching and supervising transactional analyst, PCM coach trainer. Sari has published 34 articles and 5 books on leadership, coaching and organizational change.
Level of prior experience required: None
Focus: Education and Training; Counselling and Coaching; Organisational
Style: Discussion and Small Group and Pairs work
4. The Auxiliary Parent
A New Concept of Working Practice with Autistic People‚'
Cathie Long (She/Her): TA Diploma (UKATA or RTE), Neil Keenan (He/Him): PTSTA
Cathie and Neil will present a new approach for practitioners across all fields of TA to support people who have an autistic thinking style. Inspired by the concept of the Auxiliary Adult, Cathie developed the idea of the Auxiliary Parent, a sociocultural analogue to a guide dog for autistic people. Cathie's co-creative approach promotes a healthy functional symbiosis between the practitioner and client, wherein their differing neurological strengths complement each other. This mutually complimentary relationship emerges when the client feels safe to check out with the practitioner their social referencing and interpretation of day-to-day events from an OK-OK life position.
Workshop outcomes:
Learning the new model of the Auxiliary Parent
Learning how to apply the Auxiliary Parent model across all fields of psychotherapy
Presenters:
The entire workshop hinges on differences in identity, and it seeks to meet the needs of often marginalised neurological groups, who can struggle to operate and flourish in a world designed for the neurologically typical majority. Accounting for neurological difference is particularly important for TA practitioners, because they might hold power in a relationship with a person of a different neurological population, or be perceived as holding power.
Cathie Long is a psychotherapist in advanced clinical training and a highly acclaimed independent social worker with numerous awards including Social Work Expert Witness of the Year (2024) Wales. With an MA in Autism, Cathie is working towards achieving a PhD by publication, working alongside renowned autism researchers with recent contributions in the British Journal of Social Work, British Journal of General Practice, and Lancet Psychiatry. As an autistic woman with attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder (ADHD), Cathie works predominantly with autistic clients who have experienced stigma, discrimination, and trauma within a society where the messages they internalise are, "Don't Be You".
Neil Keenan is Director of Training at The Wyvern Institute RTE just north of Bristol. After qualifying as a psychotherapist, Neil completed further Level-7 training in counselling for children and young people, and he currently supervise counsellors and pastoral teams at local secondary schools. Neil has a special interest in working with clients who have high-functioning autism and other variances in thinking style. Most of his clinical work is with this client group, many of whom are senior leaders in organisations.
Level of prior experience required: Developing Level - Middle Years of Training
Focus: Education and Training; Counselling and Coaching; Psychotherapy and Clinical; Organisational
Style: Discussion and Small Group and Pairs work; Experiential Work
5. Queering the couch
Gender, sexuality and relationship diversity
Cristina Tosti (She/Her): TA Trainee registered with an RTE
The workshop will focus on how to be inclusive and take responsibility when working with gender, sexuality and relationship diversity. Aiming to create an engaging and thought-provoking space, with freedom to explore the complexities of working with clients that sit outside of social norms. Offering gentle permissions to ask the many questions you may have around this subject area.
In considering the impact of heteronormativity on LGBTQ, Kink or consensually non-monogamous relationships. How can we, as therapists, understand our conscious, and unconscious bias inherent in GSRD, the diversity therein and promote a more socially responsible approach to our practice.
Workshop outcomes:
I would like attendees to experience a safe inclusive workshop that has raised awareness in how clients are deeply impacted by inherent inequality in society. Where they have gained knowledge, skills and tools to inform their practice, support their clients and ultimately change in a very real way the experience many people have of counselling.
Presenter:
Alongside my busy private practice I am also a mentor for Pink Therapy and on the Social Responsibility Committee at The Link Centre. In recent years I have been Trustee Chair for YWMP, an inclusive music project young women & those outside the gender norm, co-ordinated the Oxford Friend LGBTQIA+ Support Service and served as a trustee on the Oxford Pride Committee.
I have I have over 25 years experience working and supervising in Social Care, both in statutory and voluntary sectors, supporting adults with diverse and complex needs including mental health, domestic abuse, marginalisation, homelessness and addiction. My aim is to be inclusive and affirming in all areas of my life, I striving to empower and support people to live life according to their own needs, desires and interests, holding as a core belief that difference and diversity are beautiful things to be nurtured.
Level of prior experience required: None
Focus: Counselling and Coaching
Style: Discussion and Small Group and Pairs work
6. Exploring the Universe Of Neurodivergence
Hazel Stilgoe-McCombe (She/Her): Cert.Ed, BSc (Hons) Psych, CTA (P), MSC TA
Commencing with a neurological practical interactive activity to explore brain wiring and variations in Neurodivergent processing. We will look in a practically demonstrated way of how the ND brain is thought to process and why it differs from the Neurotypical. This will be an interactive process. Followed by some examples of how ND reactions are displayed.
We will then consider were ND sits in relation to the development of the Ego States against the core self based on Aldridge and Stilman's work
An exploration of encounters of ND in our work with clients and how best to offer ND clients to get the best out of an encounter with us.
Workshop outcomes:
A greater understanding of the ND client in the therapy room- ways to help the ND client access therapy- myth busting around what is and isn't a certain ND label- Understanding of the neurology of the NT and ND brain. Practical ways of being a therapist to the ND client.
Presenter:
Recently qualified CTA Hazel Stilgoe-McCombe runs a private practice in rural Lincolnshire. She has lived experience of Neurodivergence and champions acceptance and inclusion in many areas of her life. A mum to 3 ND children she is no stranger to the challenge of being ND in a NT world. In this workshop she combines two of her passions TA and Inclusivity.
Level of prior experience required: None
Focus: Psychotherapy and Clinical
Style: Didactic Teaching; Discussion and Small Group and Pairs work
7. Let me get to know you...
Suna Guven (She/Her): PTSTA
In this two-hour workshop we will look at our cultural identity and what makes us unique and different from others. Holding onto our uniqueness and meeting others’ uniqueness can be challenging and present a dilemma of remaining an individual and being part of a group. Using concepts, such as, Frame of Reference (Schiff, et al. 1975), The OK Corral (Ernst, 1971), Target and Non-Target Groups (Valerie Batts), Acculturation (Berry, 1980) we will explore how we can understand and celebrate difference, challenge the restrictions of inequality, work towards equity, inclusion and belonging.
Workshop outcomes:
The workshop is an invitation to get a better understanding of our and others' cultural identities with a view to get known and get to know the other.
Presenter:
Suna has provided counselling and psychotherapy since 2000. Between 2004-2014, she worked as a bi-lingual counsellor to provide individual counselling and group psychotherapy to Turkish and Kurdish immigrants. Since 2014, she has been working in a fertility clinic and has had a private practice in London. She has also been teaching TA at The Link Centre since 2020.
Being a teacher in her previous career, Suna has a strong interest in delivering psycho-educational trainings with a view to alleviate stress and empower people. In an ever-migrating world Suna has always had a firm interest in diversity and cross-cultural work.
Level of prior experience required: None
Focus: Psychotherapy and Clinical
Style: Didactic Teaching; Discussion and Small Group and Pairs work