RTG Notices

Saturday 28th February 2026

10 am to 1 pm

Fathers and Fathering : An Attachment Perspective

Oakwood Centre in Woodley (RG5 4JZ)

We are honoured to announce that Dr Gwen Adshead will be presenting RTG's spring workshop. Dr Adshead gave the 2025 James MacKeith Lecture and has presented to RTG on a diverse range of topics. Her biography below demonstrates the breadth of her work and experience.

As usual are workshop will be an in person event held in the Oakwood Cnte in Woodley. We look forward to welcoming you to this workshop.

Synopsis:The study of human attachment has focussed primarily on mothers' attachment to their children and vice versa. This has meant that fathers and fathering have been overlooked as a key relationship in the life of men and their children. In this talk I will explore some of the literature on fathers and fathering, with a focus on the interaction between individual psychological approaches, gender studies and cultural stereotypes. There will be time for Q&A and discussion.
Biography: Dr Gwen Adshead is a forensic psychiatrist and psychotherapist. She currently works part time for West London NHS Trust at Broadmoor Hospital; and is associate professor in psychotherapy at the University of Exeter. She trained at St Bartholomew's hospital, St George's hospital and the Institute of psychiatry. She holds a Master's Degree in Medical Law and Ethics, a Master of Science Degree in Mindfulness based Cognitive Therapy from Oxford University and is a Qualified member of the Institute of group analysis. She was awarded two honorary Doctorates by St George's Hospital medical school; a visiting fellowship at Yale school of Law & psychiatry and was associate professor of psychiatry at Gresham College for three years. In 2013 she was awarded the President's Medal for her work in mental health ethics, and in 2024 was awarded Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. She was the invited BBC Reith Lecturer in 2024, speaking on the theme of violence. Gwen has published over 150 academic papers on a number of topics: including attachment theory applied to offending, ethical issues in mental health, and personality disorder in perinatal settings. She also is interested in enhancing public understanding of mental health and offending, and she appears regularly on podcasts and public radio. In 2021, she published her first book for a general audience called 'The Devil You Know' which was co-authored with Eileen Horne. It was published by Faber in 2021 and was serialised on radio 4's Book of the Week. It was a Sunday Times best-seller and was Waterstones' non-fiction book of the month in July 2022 and has sold over 100000 copies across the world in several different languages. She and Eileen have now completed a new work about recovery from trauma called 'Unspeakable' to be published in 2026. Dr Gwen Adshead MBBS, FRCPsych, MA ( Kings College London) , Mst ( Oxon) Qualified member of the Institute of Group Analysis.

Members' Notices

Intensive Psychoanalytic Training

Katka Sabova is offering five times p/w psychoanalysis in Wallingford with significantly reduced fees as part of her training at the Institute of Psychoanalysis. Two vacancies currently available. Prospective analysands will need to be able to commit to two years of treatment. This is a rare opportunity for those who are interested in intensive treatment or in pursuing psychoanalytic training. For further details please contact katka.sabova@gmail.com katka.sabova@gmail.com or call 078 5293 9039.

Therapy Room for Rent

Room to rent available in central Reading, ideal for supervision, small workshops, client sessions, or reflective meetings. The space is calm, private, with Wi-Fi, smart screen TV , tea/coffee facilities, and toilet. For further details please contact jo@adamvickers.co.uk

Gestalt Therapeutic Group

Sara Whittaker (www.wildreedtherapy.co.uk) is running a 12-week Gestalt Therapeutic Group. The group offers a safe space to explore personal experiences and relationships, fostering self-awareness and creativity. Sessions will take place on Thursdays from 6 PM to 8 PM, starting in late October, at The Studio, London Road Campus, RG1 5AQ. The cost is £360 for the full program or £30 per session. Gestalt therapy focuses on the whole person, emphasizing a balance between body, feelings, intellect, and imagination. It is a relational and interactive approach, working in the "here-and-now" through awareness experiments, creativity, and integration. Participants may gain greater self-awareness, explore identity processes, address emotional challenges, and develop strategies for personal growth. The group dynamic enhances opportunities for understanding and development. To apply, contact Sara at sara@wildreedtherapy.co.uk or call 07812 686121.

From No 5 Youth Counselling

Diploma in Counselling Young People programme starting in September with 40% fee reduction 995 pounds which including the 385 pounds CPCAB registration fee. Full information, and the application form, can be found here: https://no5.org.uk/training/no5-diploma-in-counselling-young-people-level-5/

From Mamood Ahmad, one of our previous speakers

One of our previous speakers, Mamood Ahmad, just published a new book with emphasised aspects of context, diversity and equality in therapy. . A New Introduction to Counselling and Psychotherapy (Routledge books)

RTG e-flyers
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Committee Vacancies
We are currently looking for volunteers to support the work of the RTG if you feel able to contribute please do get in touch. All Committee activities are eligible for CPD. Contact the committee: k.likhtman@gmail.com or click here 

Free on-line CPD from the Home Office   click here
A recent study revealed that 137,000 women in England and Wales are estimated to be living with the consequences of FGM. To address this issue, the Home Office is championing a proactive approach and has launched this free online FGM training package (2015). You can also visit our February 2016 talk by Fatum - by visiting the programme page and selecting her talk. The talk gives links to the relevant information and training.

PREVENT: have you had your training?

Noticeboard

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