Welcome Pack
Welcome to The Relational School. Here are some notes about the school, how it operates and how you can participate. You will find some of the history of the school on the website.
It’s origin is rooted in the desire to study relational psychoanalysis/ psychotherapy amongst a group of UK based therapeutic practitioners over 20 years ago.
A variety of events are organised by the organising committee as well as self initiated from amongst the membership..
TRS is not a business nor is it a charity – it is not a profit based entity. The financial resources gathered from membership fees and income from events are used to resource the programme of events and the administration of the organisation.
The organising committee members volunteer their time.
LISTSERVE:
On joining you will have access to the listserv.
We use gaggle mail. Please add the list email address to your address book to avoid mail ending up in junk mail – although we recommend checking your junk mail in case the emails end up there.
Emails to the whole list can be sent via this address: the-relational- school@gaggle.email
You will find some guidance on using the list serve by following this link HERE. You can adjust how you receive emails from the list.
You can reply to the whole group or to the sender individually – options for both are at the bottom of each email.
See instructions by following the link : HERE.
The list is frequently used to find therapists with space to see clients. We ask that you minimise information about potential clients/patients to ensure anonymity and privacy.
Sometimes there are discussions, topics relevant to therapists/counsellors/ analysts that are reflected upon and discussed.
This comes with some of the limitations of attempting dialogue on a list serve.
People also make requests for reading materials and other resources related to therapeutic thought and practice. Call outs for participation in research also occur.
The list email archive can be found when you sign into the gaggle account on line via your web browser.
You will find an archive of events on the TRS website.
Some of them have links to resources that might be of interest.
LIST CONDUCT:
We invite and encourage a respectful and collegiate mode of communication on the list and encourage members to refrain from ‘drive by’ feedback and reactions that close the space down rather than open it up.
Expressions of prejudice and acts of discrimination and oppression will be responded to on the list by the list membership.
A few years ago we looked at the issue of safety on the list and conditions for participation – how might we practice care and respect as well as dealing with the reality that we have different minds and relations with privilege, power and experience of safety. Enactments occur on the list. We find a way through them – or not.
Here are some of the notes THE MYTHS OF SAFETY we were thinking with at the time. LINK
TRAINING / CPD EVENTS:
Events are shared – we ask you not to use the list solely for marketing purposes although sharing of relevant events that you are offering or events that you come across that might be of interest to your colleagues are welcome.
Please don’t spam the list with frequent marketing posts.
We host – mostly on line at the moment – events which you can see on the website: HERE. We will continue to offer in person events on occasion.
Bookings to events can be made here: HERE
THE AGM
The last AGM was held on Sunday Sept 29th 2024. Minutes will be found here in the AGM folder when they are ready: Minutes link. You will also find the most recent organising committee report and treasurers report.
The AGM is held annually.
SELF ORGANISED EVENTS / GROUPS
TRS members are invited and encouraged to self organise study groups, reading groups, peer supervision. Making a request to the group via the list is one way of facilitating such things. Examples of groups that have formed: a complex trauma study group, a group for Jewish members of TRS, a group of white practitioners looking at whiteness. Feel free to inquire on the list about existing groups as well as inspire the formation of new groups.
TRS PRACTICES
THE SUNDAY PAPERS – this is where a paper/chapter/ article/ video / talk is o$ered and people meet to discuss it – this has so far occurred on line and can be made local if there is interest – using our own consulting spaces or homes for small gatherings for example.
These gatherings can be initiated by the organising committee as well as self organised by TRS members – it doesn’t have to be a Sunday either, it’s just a title.
You might want to suggest something on the list and invite people to it.
Recent studies have included : The Implicated Subject & Exigent Sadism.
REFLECTIVE SPACE
we have recently held space for reflection following discussion and conflictual encounters on the list. We will continue to hold such space to assist in the project of learning community making. Look out for announcements on the list.
BOOK LAUNCHES
There are book launches and workshops that are scheduled throughout the year as well as a series of events under the heading : Conversations in Living Room.
Invitations to form group study, peer supervision, reflective practice groups are welcome.
TRS is not a commercial CPD organisation – hence the encouragement of the membership to self organise, collaborate and co-create alongside all that the voluntary organising committee schedules. You might have some ideas about what you would like to study, think about, initiate or collaborate on.
Please share your ideas on the list or with the organising committee (trsorganisingcommittee@pm.me) so that they can come to life.
THE ORGANISING COMMITTEE
We are currently looking at how the organising committee functions as well as how the membership self organises. We are revisiting our constitution to re- examine what the relational school is about and how it functions.
The organising committee would also like to get a sense of what is of interest amongst the TRS membership. Please take a look at this questionnaire and answer a few questions.
There is a page on the website of writings by TRS members.
Please forward anything you would like to add of your own work.
We have recently collaborated with Martha Stark to offer an over view of her model of theory and practice:
Handouts can be found here: LINK Videos are HERE.
We also recently hosted a book launch with BAATN of Foluke Taylor’s recently published book: Unruly Therapeutic. The on line event can be seen HERE.
In February 2024 we hosted Dr Jennifer Mullan for a launch of her Decolonizing Therapy book and you can watch the video here:
TRS ADMINISTRATOR
Jane Nairn is the TRS administrator. Jane will organise your membership as soon as possible by signing you up to the list serve and supplying the bank account detail so that you can transfer your membership fee.
Membership fees: £30 a year – renewed in April of each year.
Reduced rate: £10 – if you are experiencing financial hardship and/or a student in need of a reduced rate.
If you join in the first quarter of the year please pay full fee – April to June. Then second quarter £22.50 July – Sept.
Third quarter £15 Oct – Nov
Last quarter £7.50 January – March.
We look forward to meeting you.
Please feel free to introduce yourself on the list once your membership is organised and you have been added to the list.
Best wishes, the Organising Committee
Robert – Nemone – Sandra – Claudia – Chance (trsorganisingcommittee@pm.me)
The Relational School 