Thinking spatially, virtual homes and virtual rooms

This workshop is part of WPF Therapy’s CPD Programme on ‘The World We Live In’ and will be delivered via Zoom.

We are all having to think about space, virtual homes, virtual rooms and the meaning of moving from being within a physical space together to being in a virtual space together.

Our world of work, family and social life has changed dramatically over the last six months.  What does a virtual home (including at WPF) feel like? Where is the spatialisation and meaning? How cash is utilised? What are the advantages of it and new potential and actual experiences?

How do we use our psychoanalytic theory and understanding to explore this for ourselves and our clients?  This workshop is an opportunity to reflect on this experience together – in a virtual space.  

Together, we will: 

• Reflect on changes and challenges of working virtually and think together with psychoanalytic theory and some new theory formulation about spatialisation and use of space, thinking spatially, virtual homes, virtual rooms and meaning of moving from being within a physical space together to being in a virtual space together. Would steer and introduce new theory to help with thinking about these areas.
• Bring new thinking and reflection to enhance our clinical work, our study, and our academic experience and all working practices in virtual rooms and virtual homes.
• Create space for reflecting on potential personal and psychosocial difficulties as well as unconscious and transferential room material to enhance countertransference awareness. 

Workshop aims

Using clinical presentations and teaching vignettes, by the end of the session you will: 

1. Be able to think about both psychoanalytic theory and some new theory formulations about spatialisation and use of space, thinking spatially, virtual homes, virtual rooms and meaning of moving from being within a physical space together to being in a virtual space together.
2. Have the opportunity to reflect as a group and personally, about what this might mean in psychosocial, group and personal contexts.
3. Use creative exercises to spend time personally reflecting on these themes, bringing to consciousness some feeling and experience of this and personal meaning.  

Outline

There will be clinical vignettes, trainer presentation and creative exercises. Workshop participants are encouraged to find material for this such as fleet pens, paper, biros or pencils around their houses or get some cheap pens prior to the workshop.  

There will be time for group reflection on the workshop content and the creative experiential exercise, as well as the implications clinically, educationally and psychosocially, going forward, to the meaning of spatialisation and use of space, thinking spatially, virtual homes, virtual rooms and meaning of moving from being within a physical space together to being in a virtual space together. 

Dr Deborah Wright has been a psychotherapist in private practice in West London area since qualifying at WPF in 2005. She is a member of BPC BACP and FPC. She is a lecturer in the University of Essex Department of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies.

Originally trained as an artist, printmaker and illustrator at Edinburgh College of Art, Deborah did Art Psychotherapy Foundation at Goldsmiths University London. She has worked as a manager in a residential care setting with people with learning disabilities and mental health problems, she has done a Doctorate in Psychotherapy at the University of Essex.

Deborah’s artwork and academic research have centred around people’s relationship to their environment in particular room spaces. She currently is working on a book to bring together her doctoral research on the role of the consulting room in the psychotherapeutic process, and spatial thinking, her new theoretical framework for thinking about space applied to the virtual psychotherapy room. She is also currently researching the Higher Education virtual room space and how this operates.

Target audience

This workshop is for Qualified and training counsellors and psychotherapists/ clinicians. Applications must be received by Thursday, 14th January 2021. Booking will be final after receipt of payment.

Before booking please read our Terms and Conditions for CPD events.

If you experience any problems during the application process, please email Training Administration: events@wpf.org.uk.