We’re delighted to welcome back our free in-person Making Connections events.

These regular face to face conferences take place throughout the year and give you the chance to network with other members and our divisional executive members.

Programme

Click on the sessions to find out more. If you are viewing this page on a mobile, rotate your screen to view the programme.

10.00am – 10.30am Registration
10.30am – 10:50am Welcome from BACP 
10.50am – 11.35am Presentation to be confirmed
11.35am - 11:45am Comfort break
11:45am – 12.30pm Counselling expatriate clients: shining a light on the challenges and needs of this unique population, presented by Kathy Swords
12.30pm – 1.30pm Light lunch
1.30pm – 1.50pm Local member two-minute platforms
1.50pm – 2.40pm Connecting together
The room will be divided into different areas of interest, for more focused and structured networking. You’ll be encouraged to move around the room and engage with colleagues, volunteers and BACP staff to network, share ideas and meet new people with similar interests. You’ll be able to add a new area of interest if yours isn’t represented.
2.40pm – 3.10pm Refreshments
3.10pm – 3.55pm Presentation to be confirmed
3.55pm - 4.00pm Event close

This programme is subject to change.

Presentation information

Counselling expatriate clients: shining a light on the challenges and needs of this unique
population

11.45am – 12.30pm

In our increasingly mobile world, many people take the opportunity to spend time living and working overseas. While these life experiences can be exciting and engaging, expatriate living can also negatively impact individuals on multiple levels, sometimes leading to significant mental health challenges. It is suggested that frequent mobility, cultural dislocation, high demand for adjustment and adaptation, disrupted attachment and repeated cycles of loss, place expatriates at a higher overall risk for mental health problems. Anxiety and depressed mood play a central role for expatriates experiencing emotional problems. Given this, and the notion that repatriation is one of the most difficult moves a person can undertake, implications for UK based therapists working with expatriate CYP’s and adults may be more pronounced than imagined.

The session will take you through the Ages and Stages of expatriate living to shine a light on how mental health challenges evolve through growing up/living/working overseas. It will serve as an introduction to the key psychological and emotional aspects of expatriate living, provide you with an understanding of the needs of expatriate clients and offer a model designed to support counsellors working with high mobility.

Presentation slides are available here on the day.