Newsletter: December 2025
This months top news
Geek out!
We all turned into Geeks. Eileen is now going to sign up for D&D games and is looking for costumes for any live action roleplay (LARPing)!! Alun is now committed to learning to play Fortnight. (Rather than Candy Crush or Bloons) We both have a whole catalogue of Anima and superhero films to catch up on let alone comic books!
Seriously though, Geek Therapy was fantastic and infectious!
Josué Cardona had us all spell bound by his presentation which was a mixture of theory, engagement through the chat and his own experiences of working with clients. The feedback we had was so positive. There were 76 people who joined us from all around the world, some logged in in at 5.00 am in their time zone.
There was a huge demand for more Geek Therapy, so we are looking to run the two-hour Certification training again next Spring and possibly a two-day course in the Summer. Let us know if you are interested. Email us at [email protected]
Going football crazy!
We are going to be working with the “The Albion Foundation” who are the official charity partner of West Bromwich Albion Football Club. Their vision is to create a Proud Albion Family who are Engaged, Inspired & Achieving their Potential. We have been commissioned to spend a day with the Mentoring and Interventions Team to do some creative arts training with them.
Coming soon...
Web Therapy: Supporting Families in Crisis Expanding Our Reach Beyond the Therapy Room
We spend just one hour a week with our clients. For many children and young people, this hour is meaningful and sufficient. But for those who have experienced complex trauma, that single hour, while valuable, may not be enough to create the consistency, safety and attunement they need throughout the rest of their week.
So, what happens in the other 167 hours?
How do we support the parents, teachers, caregivers, and professionals who play a central role in the child’s daily life? How do we strengthen the wider system that holds the child when they are outside of our therapy space?
Web Therapy offers a way forward.
This approach helps therapists intentionally engage with the child’s broader network guiding communication, enhancing collaboration and equipping key adults with tools that reinforce the therapeutic progress. By learning to “pull the threads” of the web surrounding the child, we can amplify our impact and create more cohesive, trauma-responsive support.
Discover a more connected, systemic way of working one that extends the power of therapy far beyond the playroom door.
For more information: https://schoolofpact.com/courses/web-therapy/
Dates: 10/01/2026 – 11/01/2026
Location: Live online
Accredited by CPD Standards Office
Unlock Your Potential with the Level 6 Certificate in Relational Creative Arts Therapy for Adults
We are very excited about the Level 6 Certificate in Relational Creative Arts Therapy for Adults. This course is filling up fast and we feel that it could be a great fit for anyone looking to develop and/or expand their therapeutic skills, so get to the website and book on if you are interested.
The course builds on your existing experience and explores some really engaging theories, all while keeping creativity and ethics at the heart of the work. It covers Client-Centred approaches, talking therapy and a range of creative arts techniques to support adults coping with trauma, neurodiversity, attachment issues and other mental health challenges.
If you’ve ever thought about taking your practice further in a more creative, relational direction, this might be a wonderful opportunity. We’re excited about it, and we thought some of you might be too!
Humanistic, Client-Centred Approach
At the heart of the course is a humanistic, client-centred perspective. You will explore the work of renowned thinkers including Rogers, Jung, Freud, Siegal, Porges, Karpman and Bowlby, gaining the theoretical foundation to underpin your practice.
Relational Creative Therapy in Action
The course focuses on the therapeutic alliance, the connection between therapist and adult client which is central to helping clients explore emotional, personal and relational challenges. By engaging with creative arts media such as sand trays, clay, art, movement, story and music, clients can express thoughts and feelings that may be difficult to articulate verbally. These creative approaches foster insight, self-awareness and personal growth, allowing clients to access their unconscious and bypass their inner critic.
You’ll experience a blended learning approach, combining experiential creative practice with theoretical study, ensuring that you develop both your practical skills and your understanding of the therapeutic process. In Relational Creative Arts Therapy, the adult client is central to every stage of the journey.
Course Structure & Support
- 8 intensive training days, followed by 70 clinical hours with adult clients
- Termly online sessions with your tutor
- Ongoing one-to-one support throughout your learning
Take the next step in your professional journey and discover how Relational Creative Arts Therapy can transform your practice and empower your clients.
Qualification Accredited by CpCAB
Dates: 14/02/2026 – 21/02/2026
Location: Stagsden Village Hall, Bedford
NEW CPD Course “Considering our Clients Through Creative Expression of Art and Masks.”
Art has been a powerful form of expression for centuries, used across cultures to heal, communicate, and transform. In many traditions, masks symbolised death and rebirth during rites of passage, stimulated fertility and prosperity, and supported emotional and spiritual wellbeing. Today, these same symbolic tools offer profound insight into therapy and practice.
This training invites practitioners to explore what lies behind the mask the hidden emotions, unmet needs, and authentic self that clients may struggle to express with words. In therapy, “masking” refers to hiding one’s true self to gain acceptance, often leading to anxiety, emotional exhaustion, and low self-worth. Children in particular may wear emotional masks when fear of rejection prevents them from expressing who they really are.
Through the use of colour, symbolism, and creative exploration, this training deepens your understanding of the unconscious process. You will gain practical techniques to help clients release internal conflict, strengthen self-belief, and reconnect with their true identity.
When: 28/02/2028
Time: 9.00-4.00am.
Venue: Live Online
CPD Points: 6
Level 7 Diploma Relational Play and Creative Therapy Children and Young People – Bromley
Spread the Word…. Our unique Play Therapy course is coming to Kent!
Bromley lies just inside the M25 in Southeast London in the beautiful county of Kent. With easy road, rail and bus links, this is the ideal location for training in the Southeast. If you would like to re-train, or you know of anyone who would like to start a career as a play therapist, then point them our way.
We have a transformative approach that equips practitioners to support children and young people through the natural languages of play, creativity and imagination. This training emphasises the importance of relationship at the heart of practice. Children and young people thrive in spaces that are safe, attuned and trusting where they can express feelings, process experiences and explore their identity through play, art, storytelling and creative expression.
Qualification Accredited by: CpCAB
For more information about this dynamic course, dates and venues visit: https://schoolofpact.com/level-7-diploma/
Level 6 Certificate, Relational Play and Creative Therapy, Young People
The Relational Play and Creative Therapy for Young People Qualification is designed to expand play therapists’ skills and confidence in working ethically with clients aged 11–25.
This course deepens your theoretical understanding while providing practical tools for safe, effective practice. You’ll explore key legal aspects such as consent, safeguarding and risk assessment. This course is ideal for those supporting adolescents, Care Leavers, or young people with Special Educational Needs.
Full details of this qualification can be found at https://schoolofpact.com/courses/post-qualifying-relational-play-and-creative-therapy-for-young-people/
Qualification Accredited by CpCAB.
Dates: (This course begins with the first day online, followed by six in person days.)
14/03/2026 Online
18/04/2026 – 19/04/2026 In-person
16/05/2026 – 17/05/2026 In-person
13/06/2026 – 14/06/2026 In-person
Quarterly tutorials: Dates and times will be agreed with the cohort
Location: CIM Business Centre, Moor Hall, Cookham, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 9QH
Qualification Accredited by: CpCAB
Level 7 Diploma Relational Play and Creative Therapy Children and Young People – Marlow
Play Therapy Training is coming to Buckinghamshire!
Marlow is known as one of the prettiest places in Buckinghamshire and is full of gorgeous listed buildings, historic monuments, manicured parks and waterfront hubs.
A beautiful town on the River Thames, Marlow’s network of riverside paths and polished Georgian streets have long been traced by admirers. In fact, some of the most famous authors in British history have fallen in love with its charm and picture-perfect aesthetics, including Thomas Love Peacock, Jerome K. Jerome, T.S. Eliot and Mary Shelley who penned her gothic masterpiece Frankenstein here.
If you would like to re-train, or you know of anyone who would like to start a career as a play therapist, then point them our way.
We have a transformative approach that equips practitioners to support children and young people through the natural languages of play, creativity, and imagination. This training emphasises the importance of relationship at the heart of practice. Children and young people thrive in spaces that are safe, attuned and trusting where they can express feelings, process experiences and explore their identity through play, art, storytelling and creative expression.
Qualification Accredited by: CpCAB
For more information about this dynamic course, dates and venues visit: https://schoolofpact.com/level-7-diploma/
Something to ponder on...
After I finished listening to Josué Cardona’s presentation of Geek Therapy last Saturday, I had time to reflect on what it means to be labelled a “geek.” I’ve never thought of myself as a geek I’ve always identified more with the sporty, jock type but there was something about geekiness that I found oddly appealing. Being part of a community that thinks spending hours on a computer game is a good thing, and feels no guilt about it, felt refreshingly anarchic. Why shouldn’t the hours put into winning at Mario Kart be as valuable as the hours I spent mastering the control of a sphere of plastic filled with air (a football)?
I’ve spent years playing sport at a reasonably low level purely for the enjoyment of it. People argue that sport keeps you fit, fair enough but I’ve never heard of a gamer being out for most of a year with a torn ACL, a hamstring injury, or a broken leg.
This brings me to Harry Potter: a geek who lives in a mythical geek world. Most people love the books and films. The school Harry attends has four houses, four personalities, if you like:
- Gryffindor: courage, bravery, chivalry
- Hufflepuff: hard work, patience, justice, loyalty
- Ravenclaw: intelligence, learning, wisdom, wit
- Slytherin: ambition, cunning, leadership, resourcefulness
Which house would you want to be in? You can, of course, take one of the online tests. I did, I wanted Gryffindor, but the sorting quiz put me in Slytherin. The test was obviously faulty!
But here’s what I keep thinking about for our work with clients. We need to be authentic to who we are yet also attuned to them. If I’m a Slytherin and they’re a Hufflepuff, who should I be in the room?
More questions followed. Do I have to be just one house?
Can I be part Gryffindor and part Ravenclaw, or a bit of all four?
Where does congruence sit if I’m trying to be many things?
Am I a collection of personalities that combine to make me, and therefore simply access what I need to meet the demands of a particular moment?
I know a lot of questions, few answers. I’d love you to think this over and get back to me with your conclusions.
Geek? Jock? Goth? Yummy mummy? Metalhead? Gen X, Millennial… Who are we, and does it matter?
Send answers on a metaphorical postcard to:
Alun John — [email protected]
"Such powerful training! I feel empowered to continue to utilise clients interests within sessions and will definitely be signing up to the Geek Therapy forum! " - Geek Therapy participant
Spotlight
OPPORTUNITY! We are looking for qualified clinical supervisors based in Bromley, Buckinghamshire and Crewe who are therapeutically qualified to work with children and young people to join our supervisors list.
You will need to be a member of a registering body, hold a current Enhanced DBS, ICO and Liability Insurance. If you are interested in being added to our list of clinical supervisors, please let us know. Contact details are below.
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