Sexual and Domestic Violence

Sexual and Domestic Violence

Therapy and the Law

NOW CLOSED

Saturday 26 November 2022

A live webinar or In Person event with Tayba Azim, Erene Hadjiioannou, Rose Lewis and Stephen Littlewood with poetry from Louisa Rodriguez

CPD Credits: 5 hours

  • Attend live webinar OR in person at Confer’s premises (Please see our FAQ)
  • Includes a subtitled recording of the event and a transcript, with access for a year (14 days post the event)
  • Bookings close at 9:00am GMT Wednesday 23 November

The notion of psychotherapy as a completely private space is negated when working with survivors of sexual or domestic violence who are simultaneously navigating legal systems.

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FULL PROGRAMME

09.30 GMT
Registration & Coffee (attending in person only)

10.00
Introductions

10.05
Erene Hadjiioannou
In this presentation, Erene will explore the context of providing of psychotherapy to people who have experienced sexual violence. The process of accessing specialist support is rarely linear, as is the progression of psychotherapeutic work. This is due to a combination of post-trauma symptoms, continued risk of harm from perpetrators, re-traumatising recall in the criminal justice system, and societal oppressions such as racism and misogyny. Compounding these difficulties are intrusions into the confidentiality of the therapeutic space, such as legal requests for therapy notes when working pre-trial.

Psychotherapy with survivors does not take place in a social vacuum as every time a session ends all parties re-enter a shared world where oppression, violence, and trauma exist. In this presentation, we consider the realities of offering clients a space to speak freely via psychotherapy, knowing that the above factors may threaten silence and restriction at times.

Erene will share her extensive experience and working knowledge of the criminal justice system to help psychotherapists and survivors to remain pragmatically empowered in collaborative work. The discussion will consider where to set the therapeutic frame when this may require flexibility, what information may be most useful to the client, and how to stay present to the client’s deepest emotions while traversing these practicalities.

10.45
Q&A

11.00
Break

11.30
Rose Lewis
A Long Walk to Healing

Black women have a raw deal accessing and using therapeutic services and how therapy has typically been offered by professionals who omit cultural competency and the intersectionality framework that is essential to the well-being of Black women. The reality of being a Black female survivor of domestic violence will be discussed via Rose’s work at Sistah Space. Through the voices of survivors, revealing the huge difficulties experienced in accessing mainstream support or finding justice via criminal prosecution.

Sistah Space’s work in campaigning to implement Valerie’s Law is the breakthrough that can help save Black women’s lives. This advocates for mandatory Cultural Competency training in front line services that accounts for the cultural nuances and barriers, colloquialisms, languages and customs that make up the diverse black community. This will enable providers to effectively protect Black women in abusive situations, rather than continuing to maintain their marginalised status.

12.15
Q&A discussion

12.30
Lunch

13.30
Louisa Rodriguez reads her poetry

13.40
Tayba Azim
Integrating English Family Law and Shariah Law within Therapy

Women of faith bring the difficulties of their relationships with their families and partners into psychotherapy raising issues of conflicts of culture, identity and religion. There is greater emphasis given to culture which brings honour, shame and guilt into play and less emphasis on the rights of women provided in Islam, often leaving a woman feeling helpless and disempowered. Additionally, most women are unaware of their rights in Islam due to Quranic verses being taken out of context to fit the patriarchal and cultural narrative.

This presentation will look at supporting Muslim and South Asian survivors of sexual and domestic abuse from a faith-based perspective, integrating Shariah Law (in particular the rights of women in Islam) in the therapeutic space. We will look at how this work intersects with the family law system and the role of the psychotherapist in this context.

14.15
Q&A discussion

14.30
Stephen Littlewood
The Duty to Disclose: What This Means for Professionals Supporting Victims of Crime

There is a great deal of myth, misunderstanding and hyperbole surrounding the Criminal Court process that extends not only to the victims of crime and witnesses but also to the professionals that are there to help them and the public at large. Equally the police, CPS and wider legal profession have a limited understanding, and sometimes outright mistrust of what therapeutic work and other forms of treatment actually involve.

In this presentation we’ll examine certain questions: what does the court process involve from start to finish? What does the ‘disclosure’ process entail? How and when can the police obtain confidential notes, and how could those notes be used? How can therapists and medical practitioners ensure those notes are not misused in court? Finally, how can these various professions better work together?

15.15
Break

15.45
Chaired discussion with Erene, Rose, Tayba and Stephen
We will consider how therapeutic and legal systems could better collaborate to support all kinds of survivors; how we can step into our communities to invite people into getting support from the mental health and legal systems; the meaning of justice for survivors in different communities.

16.30
Q&A audience and panel

17.00
End

FEES

Bookings close at 9:00am GMT Wednesday 23 November

Live Webinar:

£70 (Member £56)
(Click here to become a member)

Includes a recording of the event.

In person at venue:

£120 (Member £96)
(Click here to become a member)

Includes refreshments and a recording of the event

CPD

Certificates of attendance for 5 hours will be provided.

To receive the full CPD credits, you are required to attend 100% of the live event. No partial credit will be given.

Please note that if you are unable to attend all of the live event, you will need to undertake our event specific test in order to receive the CPD certification. This will be made available soon after the live event has taken place.

VENUE

Live webinarZoom

Zoom is free to download and use.

For more information about Zoom click here.

To download Zoom free of charge click here.

In person:

Confer
Strype Street
London
E1 7LQ
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SCHEDULE

Saturday
09.30 GMT Registration & Coffee (attending in person only)
10.00 Introductions
10.05 Erene Hadjiioannou
10.45 Q&A
11.00 Break
11.30 Rose Lewis
12.15 Q&A discussion
12.30 Lunch
13.30 Louisa Rodriguez reads her poetry
13.40 Tayba Azim
14.15 Q&A discussion
14.30 Stephen Littlewood
15.15 Break
15.45 Chaired discussion with Erene, Rose, Tayba and Stephen
16.30 Q&A audience and panel
17.00 End

BOOKING CONDITIONS

Regrettably, refunds cannot be given in any circumstances except as follows:

  • You cancel in writing to info@confer.uk.com 60 days before the first date of the event you have booked, in which case you will be entitled to a 100% refund.
  • You cancel in writing to info@confer.uk.com 30 days before the first date of the event you have booked, in which case you will be entitled to a 50% refund.

This does not apply to parts of an event such as a seminar within a series but only to a whole event or complete series. You may give your place to another person if you let us know that person's name at least 24 hours before the event begins.

We reserve the right to change a speaker at one of our conferences without offering a refund. However, if a solo presenter cancels we will offer a full refund OR transfer of your fee to another Confer event. If the entire event is cancelled we will offer you a full refund.

We reserve the right to change our prices at any time. Regrettably, discounts offered after you made your booking cannot be claimed or applied retrospectively.