#TherapistsConnect Podcast looks back at 2023!

In this brief episode, Dr Peter Blundell shares the details of the # TherapistsConnect's fourth birthday events on 6th January 2024. 

Watch all the interviews and discussions via the #TherapistsConnect YouTube account after this date. 

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#TherapistsConnect is a platform for connecting therapists.
Website: www.Therapists-Connect.com
Twitter: @Therapists_C
Instagram: @TherapistsConnect
Facebook: @TherConnect

Origins of #TherapistsConnect

Episode Transcript

Dr Peter Blundell (00:00):
Hello, and welcome to the final release of
the therapist connect podcastfor 2023.
Unfortunately, we don't have abrand new episode for you today.
I just wanted to drop onto thepodcast and tell you a little
bit about the therapist connectbirthday.
That's happening the first weekof 2024 on January the sixth.
So if you didn't know, each yearwe host a selection of events

(00:23):
that bring together thetherapists from.
Around the world.
Talk about some interestingtopics, as well as have a
handful of lifetime achievementinterviews.
Specifically for therapists,who've made a big contribution
to the counseling andpsychotherapy profession
throughout their lives.
So this year, we have aninteresting discussion between
two private practice experts,our very own Caz Binstead who in

(00:46):
conversation with her guests.
Jane Travis discusses how tobuild your private practice
through blogging.
We also have a lifetimeachievement interview for Andy
Rogers.
He authored the book first stepsin counseling and introductory
companion with his coauthors,Pete Sanders who we sadly lost
recently and Paula Williams.
This book was an update to thisintroductory textbook for

(01:08):
counseling students and otherhelpers.
Andy is a well-known andwell-liked activist and campaign
in the counseling andpsychotherapy community.
So please check out thatinterview when it gets released.
We also have a lifetimeachievement interview for Dr.
Linda Finlay Linda is anexistential relational centered
integrative psychotherapist andsupervisor who is based in York.

(01:30):
She is an international speakerand also best known for her
publications, textbooks andarticles on psychotherapy,
occupational therapy, and alsoqualitative phenomenological
research and reflexivity.
She's currently the editor foran online open access journal
called the European journal forqualitative research in
psychotherapy.
Linda's work is extensive, andwe are glad to be able to honor

(01:53):
that as part of our best daycelebrations.
We also have a discussion withthe editors of a new book called
Therapists challenging racismand oppression, the unheard
voices.
Caz Binstead interviews NeelamZahid and Rachel Cook who got
both the editors and a bookchapter authors All those
interviews will be uploaded toour YouTube channel to be viewed
on the 6th of January or oncatch up.

(02:14):
If you don't have time on theday.
AS I say, we don't have a newepisode for December, but I just
wanted to highlight some of theguests we've had on over the
last 12 months.
So we started the year with aspecial episode of the podcast
where three therapists reflecton their use of social media and
how this integrates with theirpsychotherapy work, Kim and

(02:34):
Ngozi and Vanessa reflect on thetensions between using social
media to advertise yourself as atherapist.
Whilst also trying to keep yourprivacy.
So there's a really popularepisode from January, 2023.
So, if you haven't listened tothat, go back and check it out.
Sarah Matthews chatter to meback in April.
And she shared about herunderstanding and experience of
working with grief.

(02:56):
Sarah is really passionate abouthow society handles grief and
loss and the impact that thatcan have on people and why that
sometimes brings them intocounseling and psychotherapy
here's a brief clip of Sarahfrom that episode.

Sara (03:09):
One of the things that I feel really strongly about is
that how grief and loss anddeath sits in our society and
how we are about all of that.
And that I think is reflectedoften in people's bereavement,
that they feel ashamed aboutwhat they feel.
They feel like they're doing itwrong, that there are rules.
And actually there are somerules.

(03:29):
They might not be explicit, butthere are, there's certainly
rules that people trip overaround not getting over it
quickly enough for otherpeople's taste.

Dr Peter Blundell (03:37):
If you haven't heard the episode where
I interview Sarah at advice togo and check that out.
And we had other guests over theyear.
So Fraser reflected on startingup in private practice and how
autonomy was a really importantpart of his decision.
Whereas William.
Talked about his reasons forsetting up in private practice
and setting up his dynamicrunning therapy, as well as

(03:58):
launching his own app.
Diane discussed her new book,check your sort your life
depends on it.
And here's a little bit of aclip of her talking about her
motivations for writing thatbook.

Dianne (04:10):
I was on a walk one day and I live in the countryside.
So I'm surrounded by loads offarms.
And as I was walking, I saw oneside of the road where there was
a farm with meticulous planted.
Rows of corn and it looked sobeautiful.
And the other side was anunkempt land with bushes and

(04:32):
everything, a medley of plant ofplants.
And so I couldn't, it was justsomething I had seen and I had
seen them so many times, but onthis particular day, I couldn't
get what I had seen out of mymind.
And it wasn't anythingextraordinary, but I was struck
by it.
And I realized the reason itstruck me was because the other

(04:53):
side of the land that looked someticulous was to do with the
part of me that seemed so puttogether and, flawless.
And the other side that was sounkempt.

Dr Peter Blundell (05:08):
And if you'd like to hear more about Dianne's
book, you can go back and listento that episode from earlier in
the year.
We've even had one with thetherapist, connect volunteers on
the podcast.
Maxine came along and opened upabout her own experiences.
As a therapist, working inIreland, Maxine runs our Twitter
account on a Monday, and we areso grateful for all of our
volunteers that help our socialmedia platform run every single

(05:31):
day of the week.
So, if you want to hear a littlebit more about how the
therapists connect, volunteeringworks, go and check out.
that episode with Maxine.
For our final episode of theyear, Dr.
Mish Seabrook brought reflectedon her journey towards the PhD
and setting up the supervisioninstitutes.
Uh, it was a really greatepisode.
Um, and Mish has got her ownpodcast as well around

(05:51):
supervision.
So if you want the links tothat, check out the show notes
for that particular episode.
But I'll leave here with thisclip from March where Maria, a
therapist living and working inUkraine, came onto the podcast
to discuss her work.
She offered some really personalreflections about what it's like
to live in a war-torn countrywhilst also trying to work.

(06:14):
If you haven't listened to it,then go back and please check it
out.
Thanks for listening to thepodcast and we'll be back in
2024 with some more guests

Maria (06:23):
in a way, it's.
Given up on hope, the war is notgoing to end like this, even if
it will, the action will end.
We will still have consequences.
We will still have to rebuild,uh, make opportunities for
people to work, to come back tosomething.

(06:43):
A lot of things will have to bedone.
And at the same time, it'sbuilding that hope that after
this, there will be somethingelse.
So it's one hope, forget aboutit, new hope, pretty much on the

(07:03):
daily basis.

Dr Peter Blundell (07:06):
Thanks for listening to the therapist
connect podcasts throughout2023.
We look forward to connectingwith you.
For more podcast episodes in2024.