Substance use and other dependencies: Enhancing Insight and Therapeutic Efficacy Through Supervisory Practice

A half-day workshop designed and facilitated by Charles Brown
Saturday 17th October 2026

What is it about? The workshop will help supervisors contextualise addiction through an intercultural lens and provide tools you can use straight away. Through facilitated discussion and breakout conversations, participants will reflect on how these dynamics affect supervision — whether as supervisors or supervisees — and identify practical interventions to deepen practice and strengthen clarity, courage, and accountability in work with supervisees.

Is it for me? If you’ve ever felt unsure about supervising work involving addiction or compulsive behaviours, this training is for you. However, you do not need to be a clinical or training supervisor to attend this session. It is open to qualified psychotherapists, counsellors, therapeutic coaches, addiction therapists, academics, and members of the public.

What will I learn? The workshop aims for you to walk away with:

• A deeper understanding of addictive behaviours as meaningful and adaptive, rather than pathological, opening the door to deeper therapeutic engagement.
• Skills to help your supervisees meet their clients where they are, without insisting on abstinence, so you can build trust, reduce resistance, and collaborate on goals that support the client’s capacity for change.
• Greater confidence in navigating traumatic loss, anger, shame, ambivalence, and risk, enabling you to remain effective and to support supervisees towards insight and regulation.
• An intercultural and inclusive framework you can apply immediately in your work to support your supervisees and their clients in an evidence-informed manner.

How is it delivered? This is currently -delivered via Zoom, with information sharing, breakout rooms, whole group discussion, and opportunities for questions and personal reflection.

About Charles Brown:

Charles Brown is a UKCP Honorary Fellow and a member of the Council for Psychoanalysis and Jungian Analysis (CPJA). He is also an Honorary Fellow of the British Association for Psychoanalytic and Psychodynamic Supervision (BAPPS). He is an addictions therapist, group facilitator and supervisor.

Charles is a former UKCP/CPJA ethics chair who served two terms and led part of the CPJA’s review and rewrite of the 2009 code and the revision of the Central Complaints Procedures (CCP). He was the first chair of the CPJA Race and Culture Standing Committee and served two terms on the Executive Committee. He was also chair of the British Association for Psychoanalytic and Psychodynamic Supervisors (BAPPS).

His career as a therapeutic practitioner has spanned more than three decades, and his approach is informed by life experiences, clinical practice, teaching, and supervision. He has published clinical papers and contributed to book chapters, including innovative work on supervision. He delivers lectures and workshops on race and identity, as well as clinical presentations.

He has an interest in culture, race, identity, and meaning. He maintains a small private practice in South and Central London

Date: Saturday 17^th October 2026
Time: 10.00 am – 1.30 pm (UK Time)
Cost: £60 non-Bowlby Centre members |£50 Bowlby Centre members
CPD: 3.5 hours (CPD certificate provided)

Limited Spaces – 30 places available

Attachment Based Experiential Group: Exploring the Dynamic of Attachment in Adult Life.

A three-day in-person experiential workshop using the McCluskey* Model facilitated by Nicola Neath on 6, 7 and 8th November 2026

The Bowlby Centre is pleased to announce a new CPD Opportunity and training pathway in collaboration with colleagues from The Association for Exploring the Dynamics of Adult Attachment (AEDAA).

Overview

The exploratory work will take place within the safety of a structured, confidential group setting. Participants often find that this method of group work quickly establishes a sense of safety and trust, creating an environment that supports deep exploration and meaningful reflection.

Each session includes a short theoretical input on one of the seven adult attachment systems, followed by an opportunity to work alongside others to explore your own experiences. The group setting provides a collaborative learning space, where each person’s exploration offers opportunities for reflection, learning and growth.

*“The dynamics of attachment consist of several goal-corrected systems. These are careseeking, caregiving, sexuality, exploratory interest sharing with peers, the personal system for self-defence, the internal supportive or unsupportive environment and the personally created external supportive environment (home/lifestyle). The theory suggests that these systems work together as a single process to contribute to and maintain maximum wellbeing.” Una McCluskey 2014.

Is it for me?

This course is for professional caregivers, therapists or counsellors looking to explore the impact early relational experiences have on adults, as they go about offering care to others and seeking care for themselves. According to attachment theory, our experiences related to seeking and providing care stem from infancy and significantly influence our expectations and responses in adulthood. This experiential programme provides a structured and facilitated invitation for you to explore and recognise how these patterns manifest in your behaviours and relationships. It provides you with an opportunity to enhance your ability to identify these experiences and, when appropriate, explore new approaches that may enhance your well-being and creativity.

This experiential workshop is part of the pathway towards the ‘Attachment-based Group Facilitator Training:  Exploring the Dynamics of Adult Attachment using the McCluskey Model’.

How is it delivered? This training is delivered in person; we anticipate the course will be for no more than 12 participants.

About Nicola:

Nicola Neath has over 20 years’ experience working with people and organisations as a counsellor/psychotherapist, coach and trainer. She also offers mentoring and supervision to individuals and groups.She is a published writer, a speaker and trainer on many aspects of emotional and psychological health in the public and private sectors; including being a regular speaker and chair at the Health and Wellbeing at Work Conference. She is a founder member of Association for Exploring the Dynamics of Adult Attachment(AEDAA), a Director on the Board of Directors for The Council for Work and Health, and Co-Chair for the Mental Health Group, and is an Accredited Member of BACP Workplace.
She actively contributes to national organisations to advocate for, and enhance the quality of, mental health interventions both within and outside of workplace environments. She has a passion for bringing the insights of psychological theory into practical application in people’s lives and for good sustainable practice of workplace mental health.
She has been involved with the McCluskey Model since 2011, in publications and supporting workplaces, groups and individuals with the model and providing training and group work in the model. She has been a consultant with The Bowlby Centre since 2025

Due to limited numbers we advise you to book and secure your place as soon as possible

Date:

•Friday 6th November 2026 – 10:00 to 17:00
• Saturday 7th November 2026 – 10:00 to 17:00
• Sunday 8th November 2026 – 10:00 to 16:00

Location: The Dance Space, 2 Market Square, Circus St, Brighton BN2 9AS
Cost:£450 Bowlby Members. £495 Non- Bowlby members
CPD: 15 hours (CPD certificate provided)

Specialised Safeguarding Training for Counsellors and Therapists

A two-hour workshop designed and facilitated by Lynn Findlay
Monday 16th November 2026

Working with non-recent abuse and the LADO process AND Domestic abuse, including the DASH risk assessment and the MARAC process

This workshop is designed for counsellors and therapists, who have either completed the Safeguarding Awareness session, or who have a sound knowledge of child and adult safeguarding and are looking to expand their knowledge on working with disclosures of non-recent abuse and working with domestic abuse in therapy. The workshop offers knowledge of tools and procedures which can be used in therapy and opportunities for further discussion around thresholds and safeguarding dilemmas.

This is a two hour session and we spend around one hour on each topic.

Working with non-recent abuse covers:

• What is non-recent abuse?
• Managing a disclosure in therapy – duty of care, confidentiality, and self-care
• Making a referral to the police and/or social care
• Allegations against persons working with children/vulnerable adults: Role of the LADO
• Continuing with therapy alongside an investigation –role of CPS and pre-trial therapy

Working with domestic abuse covers:

• What is domestic abuse?
• How domestic abuse is located within child and adult safeguarding
• Contracting with a client experiencing domestic abuse
• Working with a disclosure of domestic abuse
• The DASH risk assessment tool and how this can be used in therapy
• Understanding the MARAC process

There will be a blend of information sharing and small group work to discuss thresholds and dilemmas.

How is it delivered? This is currently via Zoom, with information sharing, whole group discussion, and opportunities for questions and personal reflection.

Please read before booking

• Due to the interactive nature of the training, sessions are not recorded and course content is only provided to attendees after the session.  Any Case Studies, references, reading or weblinks will be sent in advance of the session.
• Colleagues from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and other countries are welcome, but any safeguarding legislation and practice guidelines referred to applies to England.

About Lynn:

Lynn is a qualified counsellor and psychotherapist, working with both adults and young people. She is a registered social worker with over 25yrs experience working in safeguarding with many years’ experience designing and delivering training in social care and therapy. She is now an independent safeguarding consultant and trainer.

Date: Monday 16th November 2026
Time: 1.15pm – 3.30pm (UK Time)
Cost: £40 non-Bowlby Centre members |£30 Bowlby Centre members
CPD: 2 hours (CPD certificate provided)

Mental Health Familiarisation for all

A one-day online workshop designed and facilitated by Gwen Adshead on Saturday 26th June 2027

The aims and intention of this workshop are:

• To provide knowledge and understanding which meets the UKCP criteria for the mental health familiarisation requirement;
• To provide an opportunity for the audience to hear from an expert in lived experience
• To provide an opportunity for a discussion and question and answer session for all delegates

Is it for me? This course is designed for anyone with an interest in mental health, including qualified and trainee psychotherapists and counsellors and academics with an interest in mental health.

What will I learn? The day will be broken up into 4 sessions which covers:

Session One: Knowledge and understanding of mental health in England and Wales

• How mental illnesses are classified
• Models of assessment

Session Two knowledge and understanding of the mental health system in England and Wales

• Working within a social responsibility framework
• Working within a wider system of care

Session Three: Panel discussion with Gwen and those who have experienced the mental health system

• The experiences of those who have used the mental health system
• A vision for developing the mental health system
• Common problems experienced by those who use the mental health system
• What do therapists need to know about the mental health system

Session Four: Question and answer

• Whole audience participation – questions, opinions and commentary

How is it delivered? This is delivered via Zoom, with information sharing, whole group discussion, and opportunities for questions.

About Dr Gwen Adshead :

Dr Gwen Adshead is a forensic psychiatrist and psychotherapist. She trained at St George’s Hospital and the Institute of Psychiatry; and she qualified as a group analyst at the Institute of Group Analysis. She is also trained in mindfulness-based CBT and in mentalisation based therapy. Gwen has a long-standing interest in attachment theory; and its potential implications for the origins of child maltreatment and interpersonal violence and for delivering therapeutic interventions. Gwen works as both a psychiatrist and psychotherapist in a variety of clinical settings; from high security services to the community. She has a particular interest in the ethics of mental health services and models of health care delivery. In 2013, she was awarded the President’s Medal for her work in mental health ethics and in 2024, she delivered the BBC Reith Lectures. With Eileen Horne, Gwen co-authored a book about her work as a forensic psychotherapist called ‘The Devil You Know’ (Faber 2021). Her most recent work with Eileen is also published by Faber in 2026 and is called ‘Where there’s life: survival and transformation after trauma’.

Date: Saturday 26th June 2027
Time: 10am – 4.30pm (UK Time)
Cost: £100 non-Bowlby Centre members |£50 Bowlby Members and Supervision and Certificate Students  | £50 Students outside the Bowlby |£0 Bowlby ABPP & APL Students
CPD: 6.5 hours (CPD certificate provided)