Trish Thompson: The Co-Creative Process of Writing Together – Shining a Light on the Relationship between Client and Therapist

Esteemed psychotherapist Trish Thompson joins the 2021 Creative Mental Health Forum and Self Care Retreat to share the co-creative process of collaborating with Professor Anne (Dan) Harris in writing together about their therapeutic relationship.

Trish shares,

“I have been a counsellor and psychotherapist for over 25 years, but began my working life as a secondary school teacher.  Although I loved teaching, I probably found myself more interested in the trials and tribulations of my students than the actual content of my classes, so the transition from teacher to school counsellor made sense. After further study I moved into working in community based settings, typically with clients who had been marginalised because of things such as race, disability, sexuality or gender.  

I have always been interested in longer term therapy, getting to know clients on a more personal level and climbing into the very depths of what makes us the complicated and at times messy humans that we are.  But what actually helps in psychotherapy? 

Mental health practitioners get together on a regular basis to talk about theory in the hope of improving their skills.  Practice wisdom points to the relationship between the therapist and client as the main driver of change, but we don’t often hear the voice of the client and their experience of the therapeutic relationship.

I have been hugely influenced by eminent psychotherapist Dr Irvin Yalom, who has spent a lifetime exploring and writing about this very thing, so when a client (Professor Anne (Dan) Harris) approached me to co-author an article about the psychotherapy that we have engaged in together for six years, an incredible opportunity presented itself.

Here was the chance to create something of value to both therapists and people with lived experience of mental health issues.  What resulted was a dialogue between us that spoke of what long term therapy allows for – the unfolding of a rich story of joy, despair, courage, darkness, light, hope and love.  

It is an honour to be able to share the process of this writing together with the participants of the Creative Mental Health Forum, and to shine some light on the relationship between client and therapist, which is one that often seems to defy definition”.  

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We are thrilled to welcome Trish and Dan to this year’s forum/retreat as co-creative co-presenters.

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Trish Thompson is a clinical counsellor, psychotherapist and supervisor in private practice in North Fitzroy, Melbourne and teaches in the Bachelor of Counselling program at ACAP.  She was a secondary school teacher and then school counsellor for many years before completing her Master of Counselling.  She works with individuals, couples and other relationship structures and has also facilitated therapy groups for many years.  She has a strong interest in mentoring counsellors in early career, particularly through group supervision.  She has worked in a number of community based settings, particularly with the LGBTIQ+ community.

Dan Harris is Professor and Associate Dean, Research & Innovation, in the School of Education at RMIT University, Australian Research Council Future Fellow, and Director of the Creative Agency research lab: www.creativeresearchhub.com . 

Harris is editor of the book series Creativity, Education and the Arts (Palgrave), has authored over 100 articles/book chapters, 17 books, plays, films and spoken word performances, and has won over $4million dollars in competitive research funding since 2010. 

As a playwright, Harris’ work has been presented (in NY) at The Public Theatre, Primary Stages, New York Theatre Workshop, Soho Rep, Dixon Place, New Dramatists, Perishable Theatre (RI), Cleveland Public Theatre (OH), and The Playwrights’ Centre (MN); and in Australia by Playworks (Sydney), Vitalstatistix and Adelaide Festival Centre (Adelaide), Red Dust Theatre (Alice Springs), JUTE Theatre (Cairns), Darwin Theatre Company and Browns Mart (Darwin), and at the Arts Centre, Melbourne. Anne is a native New Yorker who has also worked professionally as a dramaturg, teaching artist and journalist in the USA and Australia.  Currently co-editor of the ABER section of the Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy, Harris is on the editorial board of several book series and journals, and is the creator and editor of the Palgrave Macmillan book series Creativity, Education and the Arts.

We pay our deep respects to the First Peoples of Boon Wurrung Country where we will meet.

Friday 14th – Monday 17th May 2021

Inverloch RACV Resort, Bass Coast, Victoria

This training event is proudly endorsed by PACFA for 11 hours of continuing professional development.

$600 registration fee covers core program, Friday night Welcome Dinner, morning and afternoon teas, and is payable in 3 instalments.

Registration does not include accomodation or meals other than the Welcome Dinner.

The core program includes Welcome Dinner, morning mindful activities, 6 x keynote presentations, 6 x 1.5 hour experiential workshops and a number of optional wellness activities for self-care including dance, art making, swimming and walking. Surfing, Stand Up Paddle Boarding and Snorkelling are available as optional add ons at affordable prices. 

This forum supports the goals of the ACTivate Arts Therapy campaign – to have Arts Therapists recognised as mental health professionals.For this purpose, the forum is designed to be educational in an experiential sense – by providing opportunities to participate first hand in creative and holistic workshops and activities, as well as hear from dynamic keynote presenters and a panel of lived experience experts.

The 2021 Creative Mental Health Forum and Self-care Retreat is an opportunity to look after yourself and learn while enjoying good company and restorative time in the living world.

It is hosted only two hours drive from Melbourne in the beautiful surrounds of the Bass Coast Bunurong Marine Park and township of coastal Inverloch.

This Professional Development event is suitable for Therapists  interested in understanding more about creative approaches in mental health care.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CREATIVE MENTAL HEALTH FORUM AND SELF CARE RETREAT