Brighton: The Adult Only-Child in Therapy: Exploring the Stereotype

by on January 24, 2016

in Bernice's Research

Saturday 19th March 2016

Trainer:  Dr Bernice Sorensen

Venue: Training Room, City Coast Centre, Portslade (Brighton & Hove), BN41 1DG

Schedule: 10am to 4.30pm (Registration at 9.45am)

Course Fee:  £114  including ample lunch, all refreshments, and CPD Certificate

Bernice will offer an experiential workshop looking at elements of the only-child experience. She will share findings from her research that have direct relevance to therapy and supervision, such as the importance of ‘witness’ when parents have died and there are no siblings to share memories; and the sense of isolation some only children can feel.

As an only child herself she has spent the last 15 years collecting stories from other adult only-children across the world via her website. From these she is able to give a sense of the challenges of growing up an only child, and more significantly how this can impact the person during their life span, specifically in later life. Bernice feels strongly that therapist need to have some understanding of the issues surrounding the experience of growing up an only child in a society which still stigmatises the only as spoilt and indulged, selfish and self-centred. How does this impact on the only child and to what extent is it true?

Topics covered will be the only-child stereotype, the only-child world-view; only-child challenges in a sibling orientated society; and the difficulties of parental enmeshment and elderly parents. There will be an opportunity for participants to work in small and large groups, as well as a question and answer session.

This workshop is particularly relevant for counsellors and psychotherapists working with adult only-children, and also for therapists who themselves are only-children (or partnered to one).

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