Who’s that girl? Who’s that boy?
Facilitated by Steven B Smith

Aim:
The purpose of the weekend is to explore the dynamics of gender, sexuality and culture as they emerge in the therapeutic relationship.  How do we conceptualise these aspects of identity and more importantly how do we work with Erotic transference and counter-transference, gender identity and cultural and counter-cultural claims of what constitutes being a boy or a girl, and indeed a man or a woman?

Focus:
During this weekend we will explore the developmental building blocks that need to be established between the baby and care-giver in order for the evolving child, adolescent and adult to feel desirable, loveable and acceptable.   What happens when these building blocks are incomplete or wobbly?   How will this materialise and re-surface in the consulting room?   As therapists how do we need to respond and intervene to resuscitate the client’s ‘Erotic thread’ to enable them to deal with the triumphs and defeats in the ‘game of love’?

We will be drawing upon a number of humanistic and psychoanalytic lenses such as TA, Relational Psychoanalysis, Jungian Analysis, and other sources of knowledge like neurobiology, Daniel Stern and Queer theory to address the most delicate and intricate part of what makes us a boy or a girl, and a man or a woman.

Learning Style:
The weekend will be a mixture of theoretical input and experiential learning.   Attendees are warmly invited to bring their own experiences and examples from their clinical practice to enliven the theory, and relate theory to practice.

About the Facilitator:
Steven Smith: BA (Hons) Applied Social Sciences - Psychology & Sociology (1982); BA (Hons) Theology & World Religions (1986); MSc Integrative Psychotherapy (2002); MA Jungian and Post-Jungian Studies (2008).   Steven is a UKCP Registered Integrative Psychotherapist, Clinical Supervisor and Primary Tutor/Lecturer in Psychotherapy with The Metanoia Institute in London.   He is also a visiting trainer for a number of institutes.   He works with clients and supervisees in his practice at the heart of Fulham, SW6. 

Publications:
Smith, S. B. (2005) “The Transpersonal: from ‘subjective knowing’ to neurobiology” United Kingdom Association of Psychotherapy Integration (UKAPI): London

Kearns, A &   “Love & Hate in the In-between” in Kearns, A (ed) The Mirror Crack’d
Smith, S B   (2007)  Karnac: London

Dates
27th & 28th November 2010
Starting at 9.30am and ending at 5.30pm each day

Venue
TACT, 44 Newcomen Tce, Redcar, Cleveland TS10 4NL

Cost
£130 with a £30 deposit payable on booking and the remainder to be paid 2 weeks prior to the training.