I can't start this without offering a huge 'thank you' to everyone who has been in touch to suggest content for this new site. Twitter has been a great way to make contact and I've been encouraged and touched by your responses. I'm still working though the many many suggestions you've made about FREE online training. So far over 1000 people have visited the website (although probably 505 of those visits are me correcting my typos and other errors). Over 120 of you have registered on the site and I'll be keeping in touch with you about once a week. I wasn't sure how to use that registration button but then found out about a really great opportunity to join a live webinar by Dr Lata McGinn from New York, next week (7th July) so I was able to email everyone on the mailing list to let them know about it. The details for the webinar and sign up are on the front page of the website, just scroll down. If you'd like to hear about any other free content that is time limited be sure to sign up and I'll let you know about it.
And here is a picture of Lata - If you sign up and join the webinar please let us know what you think.
In this week I have also learned a lot and been taken (online) to new and exciting places. For example, I had never heard about the the TwoShrinksPod https://www.twoshrinkspod.com/ - this is a fresh and funny podcast by two psychologists in Australia. I love the fact that it covers 'silly' stuff as well as serious stuff; for example, What makes us laugh (episode 17) as well as dealing with COVID-19 (episodes 55-58). Podcasts feel easy don't they? They are perfect for listening in the car or when we are out and about, pottering in the kitchen or in the garden. Also podcasts don't really feel like work.
In massive contrast to the currency and topicality of podcasts I've also enjoyed posting some real classics, including the 'Gloria' therapy demonstrations from 1965. If you don't already know, this is where 3 famous (male) psychologists each show how they work clinically, with the same female patient - Gloria. Imagine being in therapy with Albert Ellis, Carl Rogers, and Victor Frank in sequence. What she made of it I can't even imagine, but I have discovered that her perspective on that bizarre experience has been addressed in several publications. I also discovered a very recent 'take' on this video and subsequent dramatic exploration by Dr Judith Johnson. https://judithjohnsonphd.com/2019/08/14/is-psychology-sexist-reflections-on-the-patient-gloria/. Exploring the gender bias and implicit sexism of how 'Gloria' was treated brings this 55 year old recording right up to date.
I don't know where this website is going to go and how it will look next week, let alone next year. I'd like to be able to provide links to more video demonstrations of therapy - I know I have found those very useful, although they will never replace or improve on live supervision and live observation of supervisors doing therapy. Also on the site already are demonstrations of counselling by Professor Mick Cooper and of CBT by Dr Judith Johnson. Let me know about any particularly good demonstrations that you know about and we can share them here.
And finally, please tell your friends if you think this website is useful and tell me if you have any comments, criticisms or questions.
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