Programme

We have indicated below the administrative arrangements for our seminars. We hold our Tuesday Seminars online and our two Saturday workshops in person.

Past Presentations

Summaries of RTG's past presentations can be found by following this link.

NEXT TUESDAY MEETING

The Tyranny of “idealised” Adulthood

Presented by Mathew Elton
Tuesday, 11th November 2025 at 8pm

Synopsis: I'll present some case studies of clients who appear to engage well with therapeutic work but who only ever make temporary “progress”. With these clients, even though they try very hard, nothing ever seems to stick. The clients are operating with a very demanding conception of what a healthy and “together” adult human should be like. When they fail to live up to this conception of idealised adulthood, as is inevitable, they feel distress and shame, locating the “fault” inside them. When such clients start to bounce back from shame and despair, instead of jettisoning the idealised conception of adulthood, they lean into it. They want to get “more focused”, “more rational”, “more serious” about solving their problems. But the new attempts will, soon enough, be undermined by the grip of a conception of adulthood that leaves little room for disappointment, uncertainty, overwhelm, and acceptance of the limitations of personal power. I describe practical ways of working with these clients such as introducing tools that help to name and notice the toxic influence of the idealised conception of adulthood. And I explore how therapist and client can work together to subvert old and idealised conceptions of adulthood and explore preferred alternatives.

Biography:  Matthew Elton is a therapist and supervisor based in Edinburgh and has been in private practice since 2005 (www.extra-help.org.uk). He works with a wide range of clients and has a special interest in writers and artists. His formative training was in Transactional Analysis and he has since developed a strong interest in Narrative Therapy. Matthew regularly runs workshops for counsellors and therapists in Scotland, across the UK, and online. His practical book for counsellors and therapists, Talking It Better: From Insight to Change in the Therapy Room, was published in 2021 by PCCS. It’s also available as an audiobook on Audible and elsewhere. _______________________________________________________

Both members and non-members who wish to attend will need to register with  Katrina Likhtman  in advance. Non-members will need to pay £10 by bank transfer. The Zoom link will then be sent to those attending prior to the event.

RTG talks are approved for Royal College of Psychiatrists CPD: 1.5 external units per session. Sessions may also be used as proof of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) as part of re-accreditations. Certificates and records of attendance are available at each meeting.

Disclaimer: All details are subject to change without notice and RTG cannot be held responsible for any financial losses incurred as a result.

RTG respectfully ask that all mobile phones are turned off during meetings