Making Connections Sheffield 18.03.26 - BACP - British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy

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	Understanding the biology of fear and trauma, and how to start to heal, presented by Karen Woods
11.35am - 11.45am	Comfort break
11.45am – 12.30pm	Male-Friendly Therapy, presented by Phil Mitchell
12.30pm – 1.30pm	Light lunch
1.30pm – 1.50 pm	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	Regulate to engage, presented by Sarah Bryan
3.55pm - 4.00pm	Event close

This programme is subject to change.

Understanding the biology of fear and trauma, and how to start to heal

10.50am – 11.35am

In this session, Karen aims to offer an understanding of what trauma is, looking at developmental stages at the time of the event, context, social support considerations and how each individual assigns meaning to the experience.

Karen aims to discuss the different types of trauma, and the impact on the brain and body.

Using neuroscience and the nervous system to highlight the complex biological responses that are activated leading to disruption of normal biological functions and emotional regulation.

Karen Woods is a qualified counsellor, clinical supervisor and clinically supervised and accredited member of the BACP. The work is carried out in accordance with the BACP code of ethics.

She is trained in several counselling approaches, including Transactional Analysis (four years of Advanced Clinical Training), DBT, breath work, and creative therapy, which brings together the integration of seven art forms with the spoken word. Her other specialist qualifications include trauma focused therapy, online and telephone counselling, and working with couples.

Before training as a counsellor, Karen was a full time artist; working in the community and in the public and private sector. She delivered talks and training on understanding physical, mental, and social health benefits of the arts and arts therapies, exploring how aesthetic experiences can inspire care and human thriving through life.

Karen is an identical twin, with patterns of neurodiversity in her family makeup.

Male-Friendly Therapy

11.45am - 12.30pm

The aim of the session is to increase therapist’s ability to appropriately and effectively engage with male clients by making practice more inclusive of, and accessible to boys and men. The session will highlight how boys and men are often demonised and neglected by society, and it will highlight how the prevailing anti-male narrative alienates boys and men, and focuses on their perpetration whilst ignoring their victimhood.

The session will provide often-ignored data around male victims of various forms of abuse and reference literature and research from the world of male psychology, examining how elements of masculinity can be utilised to help boys and men engage with and benefit from therapy. Real life anonymised case studies will be used, and some audience members may find that certain beliefs they hold may be challenged.

Phil Mitchell is a senior accredited counsellor and psychotherapist specialising in working with boys and men who have experienced recent and/or historic abuse in all its forms. Since 2004 Phil has worked therapeutically with males affected by rape, sexual abuse, sexual violence, and sexual exploitation.

Phil is an experienced public speaker and has trained thousands of professionals across the country on male sexual abuse/exploitation addressing how elements of masculinity can help boys and men in dealing with abuse.

Phil is also a specialist accredited supervisor and supervises trainee and qualified practitioners working with vulnerable teenagers and adults. Phil is passionate about ensuring boys and men at risk of, or who have experienced abuse are appropriately identified and supported in a way that promotes gender equality and combats misandry and gender biased practice, ensuring services are appropriately accessible to and inclusive of males.

Regulate to engage

3.10am - 3.55pm

Many adults seeking therapy struggle to self-regulate and this can become a block to engagement and slow the therapeutic process.  An understanding of how important the body is (senses and movement) in the development of self-regulation can offer an extra tool to therapists seeking to develop trust. 

In this session, practical strategies will also be explored, including simple equipment or small environmental adaptations that may calm and regulate your client with the aim of replicating the ‘dance of attunement’ in secure attachment, and relax and engage our clients more readily.  

Sarah Bryan's special interest is in the impact of early life trauma on development and in offering training and therapy in this field.

Sarah is a Trustee for the charity Trauma Aid UK and am developing workshops to assist adults supporting children and young people in refugee camps in war zones in the Middle East.

She worked as a consultant Attachment and Trauma Therapist for seven years with fostered and adopted children and their parents/carers, social workers and teachers. Prior to this Sarah worked in Child and Adolescent Mental Health (NHS) for 17 years. She trained in Theraplay, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, EMDR, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and The Alert Program for Self-Regulation. 

Sarah has a special interest in sensory processing. She has used sensory processing strategies in her therapy with children with developmental trauma and neuro-developmental difficulties to help them improve their capacity to regulate and am excited to see how well this complements other models and to share this learning. 