BPC Trainees' Conference
Making Contact
On Saturday 8 May 2010, trainees from several BPC member institutions (MIs) came together at the Institute of Psychoanalysis for their second annual conference. The event was organised by a small planning group of trainees to take forward a proposal made last year for ongoing contact among trainees of BPC MIs, as well as for some mechanism by which their views could be represented to the BPC. This year’s conference title, ‘Making Contact’, with speakers Mary Target and Serena Heller, was intended to bring together the theme of the conference, writing up clinical work, with the development of the Trainee Association.
A range of BPC MIs were represented including the BAP, Institute, LCP, Lincoln, Tavistock, and WPF Therapy, as well as out-of-London trainings, including the BAP Wessex and NEAPP based in Newcastle. A total of 40 trainees attended.
Julian Lousada, Chair of the BPC, opened the event, welcoming the proposal for the new Trainees’ Association and encouraging trainees to become active both within their own institutions as well as the BPC. Malcolm Allen, Chief Executive of the BPC, went on to give his full support to the creation of the Association, and encouraged trainees to rise to the challenge facing psychoanalysis in the 21st century. Malcolm confirmed that the Trainee Association would in future have two places with voting rights on the Council of the BPC.
Those attending the event agreed to the formation of the BPC Trainees’ Association and agreed as its purpose ‘to provide an opportunity to trainees of BPC MIs to input directly into the life of and development of the BPC’, as well as ‘to promote information sharing and networking amongst trainees of the BPC MIs’. This and last year’s conference confirmed a strong interest and need among BPC trainees to forge links.
As part of the Trainee Association’s aim to promote information sharing and networking among trainees, we are looking for someone to assist with the maintenance and development of this trainees’ area of the BPC website. Please contact Lee Smith if you are able to help.
Following the conference, nominated trainees from each of the MIs met to start laying the foundations for the new Trainees’ Association. Over the next year we hope to further the work already begun of promoting links and networking among BPC trainees. Officers for the new Association were agreed as follows:
Lee Smith, Chair (Institute of Psychoanalysis) lee.smith [at] ukonline.co.uk
Carolyn Walker, Vice Chair, (Tavistock M1) cwalker [at] tavi-port.nhs.uk
Elizabeth Ford, Secretary, (LCP) lizzieford [at] talk21.com
Julie Gaudion, Assistant Secretary, (Tavistock D59)
juliewulie5 [at] hotmail.com