Exploring the dynamics of relational trauma and the organic, energetic process of change: therapeutic, training, and research perspectives.

Welcome to this exploration in writing, inspired by the overall quality of connection to the therapeutic process of exploration and change that I experienced while offering seven training and research inquiry workshops to over three hundred counsellors, therapists and supervisors throughout Ireland for the Irish Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy during 2017/2018. It is near impossible to do justice to the energy, spirit and atmosphere of experiential work in writing. It also takes us into our heads to explain too much, losing the atmosphere of embodied mindful practice. Nevertheless, I am taking the opportunity to reflect on the workshops overall for research inquiry purposes, and to support ongoing learning to benefit the counseling and psychotherapy profession. In this paper, I begin by exploring: i. why do this work - reflecting on personal memory as imprint of transgenerational and relational trauma? ii. how do we do and be in this practice - key relational practitioners drawn on and missing elements; description of the relational inquiry workshops and what participants wished for; organising framework, live demonstration as research, training and therapeutic inquiry. iii. key findings and conclusions