Although the context and objective of each event may vary, the core focus remains on clinical practice. This fits with my particular interest of understanding life in the consulting room; in other words, how we understand the demands of what we do as therapists.
In my work as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist of both couples and individuals, I have found that whether I attend a one-off TR Together lecture or a series of seminars all under one title, I am left with something useful to think about. It is the thinking that is evoked before and after the event that enhances my therapeutic work.
I will take the TR Together “First Contacts with new Clients” event as an example. During this three-part series, three speakers explored the topic from their own field of expertise: Attachment , Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy and Developmental Psychotherapy. Both in-person and online issues were addressed.
The speakers drew attention to how both client and therapist might interact during this first encounter and what thoughts might be useful to begin to be considered. In all three modalities both transference and countertransference issues were flagged up. In addition to theory, all speakers encouraged some thinking about the practical aspects that might impact upon the ‘analytic space’ i.e. both the physical space of the room and the metaphoric space between the participants.
In my experience, TR Together events present the richness and the complexities of life within the clinical world. Sadly, at present all the events are online. Even so, I appreciate being part of this wide therapeutic community.
Dr. Nora Tsatsas
Couple and Individual Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist and Psychosexual Therapist