Speakers & Contributors

Darren McGarvey is a Scottish author, columnist, broadcaster, and rapper (Loki) known for insightful commentary on social issues, poverty, and inequality. His acclaimed debut, Poverty Safari (2017), won the 2018 Orwell Prize. A former rapper-in-residence for Police Scotland’s Violence Reduction Unit, he explores trauma, addiction, and social class and uses his experience to advocate for a deeper understanding of social deprivation, often focusing on the trauma roots of societal challenges.

Satinder Panesar is an Integrative Psychotherapist with over 25 years of experience working across the third sector, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, education, and private practice, both nationally and internationally. She holds an MA in Integrative Counselling from the University of Derby and is an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) and the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS).
Satinder is also an Individual and Group Clinical Supervisor (University of Strathclyde), Clinical Consultant, and Executive Coach. Her clinical work spans face-to-face and remote practice with young people and adults across the UK, Europe, and internationally.

Her particular areas of interest include trauma informed practice, tradition and culture, and intersectionality. She has extensive experience supporting professionals and organisations through clinical supervision, reflective practice, coaching, and consultancy, including work with NHS professionals across multiple departments, educational settings, emergency services, Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs), homelessness and refuge services, addiction services, and migrant mothers. She also works closely with senior leaders, including CEOs and directors, supporting leadership wellbeing and organisational resilience.

Satinder provides organisational consultancy, offering clinical insight to strengthen psychologically informed cultures, reflective practice, and safety within teams

Prof Peter Rober is, first and foremost, a therapist, working with families. Furthermore he is a professor in Clinical Psychology at the Institute for Family and Sexuality Studies, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leuven, Belgium. He is also responsible for for Context – Center of Marital and Family Therapy at UPC KU Leuven.​

Prof Rober's primary research interests focus is on the family therapeutic process. In particular he is interested in the therapist's inner dialogue and in silences in families.

Professor Liz Forbat is a research psychologist and family therapist. Her research and clinical practice focus on how families and relationships are impacted when someone gets ill, for example with cancer or other life-limiting and life-threatening conditions.

Professor Forbat's research projects centralise patient/carer involvement, to ensure that the work she does is always grounded in their priorities.

Professor Forbat also supervises doctoral students on topics such as family and professional relationships in palliative care, prostate cancer service development.

Dr Sami Timimi is a retired Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, psychotherapist and author. He qualified as a doctor from Dundee University in 1988 and became a Member of the UK Royal College of Psychiatrists in 1992, becoming a Fellow of the college in 2012. He has many innovation awards and led multiple service developments including being the consultant for the child and adolescent team of the year at the 2023 annual Royal College of Psychiatrists awards.

He regularly presents as keynote speaker at national and international conferences and has many interviews with press, media and podcasts. He is an author who writes from a critical psychiatry perspective on topics relating to mental health and has published over a hundred and fifty articles and tens of chapters on many subjects including childhood, psychotherapy, behavioural problems, and cross-cultural psychiatry. He’s authored 7 books, co-edited 4 books, and co-authored 2 others. His latest book, first published in 2025 is Searching for Normal A New Approach to Understanding Distress and Neurodiversity.

‘S ann à Leòdhas a tha Pàdraig MacAoidh, agus chaidh dà leabhar bàrdachd leis fhoillseachadh le Acair – Gu Leòr (2015) agus Nàdur De (2020) – agus pamflaid le Clutag Press, From another island (2010). ’S e àrd-ollamh aig Oilthigh Chill Rìmhinn a th’ann agus ann an 2024 chaidh ainmeachadh Makar na h-Alba.

Peter Mackay is a poet, broadcaster, translator and lecturer. He has two collections of poetry with Acair – Galore (2015) and Some Kind of (2020) – and a pamphlet, From another island (2010), with Clutag Press. Originally from the Isle of Lewis, he lives in Edinburgh and is a Professor in the School of English at the University of St Andrews. In 2024 he was appointed Scottish Makar.