British Psychological Society 30th anniversary conference goes off with a bang

Glasgow Caledonian University successfully hosted this year's British Psychological Society (BPS) Division of Counselling Psychology (DCoP) 30th anniversary conference on July 5 and 6.

Broadcaster, writer and journalist Sian Williams, who has re-trained as a Counselling Psychologist, delivered a fascinating keynote on 'The Power of the story' at the event.

She spoke about vicarious trauma in journalists who are often on the frontline of hearing people's traumatic experiences including her own, reporting on the Hillsborough disaster as a young journalist.

Staff from the University's Department of Psychology DPsych Counselling Psychology programme were out in force.  Dr Richard Golsworthy, Programme Director and Tasim Martin, Deputy Programme Director, led a discussion panel on pay and autonomy in trainee placements. Psychology lecturer Dr Liza Morton delivered a talk on mitigating medical trauma.

Twelve presentations were delivered by Counselling Psychology Trainees on their research and practice covering a wide range of topics including improving access to trauma treatment for veterans and male survivors of sexual abuse, digitalising counselling psychology and stigma of mental health for men from South Asian Communities in the UK. A further eight trainees delivered poster presentations.

Two students, Karen Thomson and Lisa Campbell, won second and third place in the BPS DCoP Trainee Prize 2024, while Jose Alberto Fernandez won first prize in the BPS DCoP Annual Conference 2024 – Best Poster Entry (Delegates' Choice Award).

Corinne Tatem, Trainee Counselling Psychologist, said: "I had a great time at the DCoP conference, celebrating 30 years of counselling psychology with our University as this year's host. I found myself coming away from the conference feeling inspired and excited for the future of our profession."

Another trainee Mhairi Scally Robertson said: "What a rich, complex, holistic field of focus Counselling Psychology is. After the #DCOPconf2024, I was again filled with a profound sense of professional belonging."

Photo shows the team from Glasgow Caledonian University's Department of Psychology at the conference.