The 2008 Annual Conference of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) is taking place at Telford International Centre from 17-18 October 2008.

The Annual Conference 'Your Conference, Your Profession' is a key event in the psychological therapies calendar, featuring seminars, workshops and lectures on a range of subjects, including:

• The hidden side of self-harm
• The role of relationships in eating disorders
• The impact of online communities on modern life
• Achieving a sense of calm in a hectic environment
• Meeting conflicting emotional and sexual needs within a relationship

There will also be three keynote speakers at the event. Professor Mick Cooper, from the University of Strathclyde, will talk about the use of research to help practitioners understand therapy from the client's perspective. Julie Hathaway Coleman, a service user, will share her personal journey through therapy, and other forms of support, following the 2002 suicide of her sister after 10 years of life with bipolar disorder. Finally, Nicola Barden, Chair of BACP and Head of Counselling at the University of Portsmouth, will discuss the impact of initiatives such as the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme and moves towards Statutory Regulation on the counselling industry. Her presentation is called 'Thinking ahead: therapeutic practice in the 21st century'.

The full programme, along with other information, is available on the BACP website www.bacp/conference2008/timetable.php



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