Jo Berry is Global Leader, Speaker and Expert in Conflict Transformation and Empowering Positive Change. She founded ‘Building Bridges for Peace,’ a charity which is dedicated to promoting peace and conflict transformation around the world. Her father was killed in the 1984 IRA bombing in Brighton. She met with the man responsible, Patrick Magee which led to them speaking on over three-hundred occasions on a shared platform, to bring a message of understanding and peace. Jo advocates that unbounded empathy is the biggest weapon we have to end conflict. With political, religious, gender and racial divides deepening as global and local events unfold, her work offers a message of hope and encourages us all to see the humanity in others.

Arlene is a registered systemic psychotherapist with more than 45 years experience working with children and their families in the NHS in both Child and Family Services and CAMHS where she worked for more than 30 years. She is a registered clinical supervisor with AFT. In 1999 following the implementation of the Belfast/Good Friday Peace Agreement in Northern Ireland, she established and managed the Family Trauma Centre. The Centre provide services for children and families affected by the conflict in Northern Ireland. The Family Trauma Centre was the first systemically led trauma service. Arlene developed a culturally sensitive family therapy approach to help families in trauma and has published her work in several journals and books. She continued to manage the Centre for 18 years until she retired in 2016.

Arlene retired from the NHS in December 2015 and is now in independent practice. During the past few years she has undertaken work for the Official Solicitor Royal Court of Justice Belfast and Lighthouse a charity based in Belfast providing help for families affected by suicide. She continues to provide clinical supervision for several family therapists both in the NHS and private practice both in the UK and Ireland. She continues to teach and present at conferences both nationally and internationally. More recently Arlene has been providing consultation and training to Hostage International, an organisation which supports families whose family member has been taken hostage abroad.

Kenyah is a dynamic and passionate bridge-builder, making a profound impact as a UKCP & AFT registered Family, Couple & Systemic Psychotherapist; IAPT Clinical Supervisor; and Public Governor for Tavistock & Portman (Rest of England & Wales). As an unwavering advocate for neurodiversity through her association with the Waltham Forest Disability Association, she has inspired countless individuals through her motivational speaking engagements.

Kenyah has applied her two decades of experience to help promote equality, diversity and inclusivity. Her portfolio includes addressing physical & psychological aspects of disability; mental health; identity; supervision; fostering well-being in the workplace; collaboration with multidisciplinary agencies; contributing to military veterans recovery, and exploring systemic workplace discrimination inquiries. She has provided valuable support to individuals, couples, teams and organizations navigating challenges.

Kenyah's work extends beyond borders, with a transformative project in Rwanda focused on demystifying STEM (Science Technology Engineering & Mathematics) and championing inclusivity for individuals with neurodiverse conditions in education and the workplace. Her current research assignment in Rwanda is groundbreaking, exploring the connections between students repeating school years and undiagnosed learning difficulties, aiming to pave the way for advancements in inclusivity and understanding.

As a published researcher and prolific writer in the field of psychology and therapy, Kenyah's contributions extend beyond her professional practice, making a lasting impact on the broader field. Her dedication to studying and improving various aspects of human well-being and social dynamics has earned her recognition as a driving force in psychology, psychotherapy, and organizational change.

Kenyah's work is a testament to her commitment to positive change and systemic transformation. Through her insights and advocacy, she continues to build bridges that promote understanding, inclusivity, and growth across diverse communities. Her presence at this conference promises to inspire, enlighten, and foster valuable connections in our collective pursuit of a more empathetic and inclusive society.

Kam Kaur, Senior Social Worker, Intermediate System Practitioner, Director Parenting Apart Programme

Dr Jon Symonds is a Senior Lecturer in Social Work with Children and Families at the University of Bristol. His research interests include parenting, the provision of family support, and conversation analysis. He recently led a study funded by the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory that explored the experiences of families when parents separate.

Our team deliver the support to parents within Warwickshire at Universal, Early Help and Specialist (Social care) level. This involves the coordination, development, and delivery of programmes in response to the needs of children and families in Warwickshire. I also lead on the development and delivery of our Reducing Parental Conflict work (Family and Relationships) through the training of practitioners across frontline services in education, health, social care and the coordination/delivery of family and relationships work in 1-1 and group delivery as well specialist 1-1 delivery.

Temitope is a Global mental health researcher and systemic family therapist/supervisor with a focus on the intersection of culture with mental health and social care.

Temitope has taken this curiosity to work internationally and locally within these speheres drawing on systemic ideas. Her love of research has focused on building capacity for research amongst practitioners, contributing to the field with peer reviewied publications, chapters and essays as well as developing stronger research cultures in systems.

With a focus on addressing disproportionality and inequalities, Temitope is keen on the vehicle of research to promote equity and inclusion and ensure voices of marginalised groups are heard.

Don Waisanen is a Professor in the Baruch College, CUNY Marxe School of Public and International Affairs, where he teaches courses and workshops in leadership communication—including executive speech training, communication strategy, and seminars on leadership/management, storytelling, and improvisation. All his research projects seek to understand how communication works to promote or hinder democracy. Previously, Don worked in broadcast journalism, as a speechwriter, and on political campaigns. He is the founder of the leadership communication training consultancy Communication Upward (www.commupward.com), an adjunct lecturer at Columbia University and New York University, and received a Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School.

Dawn is Professor of Mental Health and Inclusivity at the University of Manchester Academic Lead for Equality, Diversity & Inclusion on ‘race’, religion, and belief. She is the University of Manchester’s first Black woman professor.

Dawn is a member of the Board of Governors at The Health Foundation and Director of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Research Unit (EDI-RU) within Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Trust. She has previously served as a Non-Executive Director of NHS Mental Health Trusts and on the Board of Trustees of community organisations that work with marginalised communities.

As a health services researcher, Dawn is committed to using her research to reform policy and practice thus creating more equitable, effective, and accessible care, treatment, and outcomes. She works collaboratively with service users, their families, community members, healthcare professionals, and fellow academics to co-produce and implement psychosocial interventions that improve mental health outcomes for marginalised groups by increasing timely access to culturally informed, evidence-based care and treatment.

Currently, Dawn leads a national Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) to evaluate Culturally-adapted Family Intervention (CaFI) – a bespoke ‘talking treatment’ co-created with people of Sub-Saharan African and Caribbean descent diagnosed with schizophrenia and related psychoses and their families. She is also Principal Investigator on an MRC-funded study to determine the feasibility of co-creating ‘community dementia care hubs’ in Black Majority Churches (BMC) to promote early diagnosis and improve care of people from African-Caribbean backgrounds. Dawn is committed to creating opportunities for people from racialised and other marginalised groups to enter and thrive in research and academic environment.

Dr Selam Kidane is a systemic psychotherapist trained at the Institute of Family Therapy in London, UK. She is currently based at the University of West London where she teaches Psychology of mental health and psychotherapy. Her research interests are mostly related to refugee resilience and mental health. She has worked with various refugee communities and particularly with separated refugee children in the UK and has authored practice guides and training manuals in relation to that work. Prior to coming to UWL she worked as a systemic therapist for an integrated clinical service in London. Her book: Trauma, Collective Trauma and Refugee Trajectories in the Digital Era outlines her Phd research among Eritrean refugees.

Thupten Jinpa, Ph.D. is the Founder and Chairman of Compassion Institute, and the principal author of Compassion Cultivation Training™ (CCT©), the Institute’s flagship compassion education offering, developed while Jinpa was at Stanford University.

Jinpa trained as a monk in South India, where he received the Geshe Lharam degree. Jinpa also holds a B.A. in philosophy and a Ph.D. in religious studies, both from Cambridge University.

Jinpa has been the principal English translator to H.H. the Dalai Lama since 1985 and has translated and collaborated on numerous books by the Dalai Lama including the New York Times Bestsellers Ethics for the New Millennium and The Art of Happiness, as well as Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World. His own publications include A Fearless Heart: How the Courage to be Compassionate Can Transform Our Lives and translations of major Tibetan works featured in The Library of Tibetan Classics series.

A frequent speaker at various international conferences on mindfulness, compassion, and contemplative practice, Jinpa also serves as an adjunct professor at the Faculty of Religious Studies at McGill University, Montreal and is the founder and president of the Institute of Tibetan Classics. He has been a core member of the Mind and Life Institute. Francisco Varela the Chilean biologist, philosopher, cybernetician and neuroscientist who, together with his mentor Humberto Maturana, is best known for introducing the concept of autopoiesis to biology, was a co-founder of the Mind and Life Institute to promote dialog between contemplative science and Buddhist philosophy. Jinpa has been the Chairman of the Board of the Mind Life Institute since January 2012.

I currently work as a Systemic Family Therapist with the NHS Tier 3 CAMHS service and 2 days with a Mulberry Foster Care Service. Whilst I have recently qualified as a Systemic Psychotherapist, I have 18 years’ experience of working with children and their families in both the private, public, and voluntary sectors. I also deliver training to school staff, foster carers and social workers to help them consider their positioning and their part in the co-creation of meaning within their relational contexts.

My earlier career has included working within family rights, as a senior Social Worker and Functional Family Therapist. During my career, I have endeavoured to work mindfully and respectfully with a diverse range of families within different contexts. I have been in pursuit of fair access to services and mental health support for my clients. I am particularly interested in culturally informed practice and the relational positioning which I and my clients navigate, within our different and shared contexts. I am passionate about collaborating to ‘see’ the injustices and sometimes pathologizing positions within relational patterns of communication (within and in body, action and words). As I continue to learn and develop, I endeavor to see the unseen and hear the unheard voices. I strive to be curious of the embedded meanings of where discrimination becomes sustained in relational systems - in the spirit of this and in my pursuit of racially mindful practice, I am currently a facilitator for the AFT Diversity Working Party (DWP) ‘Race’ Group.

John Burnham, CQSW, MPhil, Dip FT, FELLOW AcSS; Fellow UKCP;. I trained as a Social Worker in 1974 and went on to become Consultant Family and Systemic Psychotherapist in the Inpatient Service for Eating Disorders at Parkview Clinic, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Birmingham. In 1977 I was a founder, and later Director of the Systemic Training Programme where I still loiter as Academic Lead, float around as a Clinical Supervisor and sort of co-lead the supervision course. My approach to therapy and supervision is under the influence of systemic, narrative, and social construction theories and my working class roots. My practice methods and techniques are shaped by Cecchin; Queenie Harris, Karl Tomm and Michael White. My professional passions include ‘thinking theory and talking ordinary’; ‘turning practice into theory’ ‘creating self and relationally reflexive practices’; ‘creating solidarity between young people, parents and professionals through multiple family therapy’, and using social and personal GgRRAAAACCEEEESSSS….S to enable clients and practitioners to conceptualise and influence their experiences.

My name is Jennifer Achan. I am a life coach and professional public speaker. I started my career as a Psychosocial Practitioner and HIV activist. I have worked in diverse communities with complex needs within social care, privately and for NHS. To help you make sense of experiences, and part of what informs my daily practice, my ways of being.

I have twenty-five years of experience in working with individuals, couples, children and families, within social care and therapeutic environments. Covering a range of roles, working with domestic violence, male victims who have also experienced abuse, difficulties in living with HIV. Asylum seekers and unaccompanied minors, looked after children and care leavers, Early Help and volunteering for HIV charitable organisations and now I am working in community CAMHS in Hammersmith and Fulham As a Systemic and Family psychotherapist.

Prudencia Woode is racialised as a Black British woman of African Caribbean lineage. An experienced Social Worker and newly qualified Systemic Psychotherapist, Prudencia is currently employed as a Specialist Clinical Practitioner in a local authority Children and Families Clinical Service.

Prudencia offers systemic family therapy sessions in clinic and community settings to children and families from diverse cultural contexts facing a broad range of socio-emotional and relational challenges. Using systemic ideas in practice, Prudencia offers case consultation and training to social care and multi-disciplinary teams, foster carers, student social workers and therapists.

Prudencia is committed to work in ways that challenge whiteness as an ideology. She is passionate about exploring the effectiveness of systemic approaches to work involving anti-Black racism and anti-Black racial trauma in professional settings.

Samuel Angus BSc (Hons), PGCert. I was born and raised in West Yorkshire. Married, with children and grandchildren. Family, being a man of faith and a badminton player are all important aspects of my wellbeing.

I have worked over two decades in the NHS, predominantly working with families during my career. My work within the field of systemic family therapy commenced around 2011 on a part-time secondment as a member of the reflecting team. I have a degree in BSc (Hons) Mental Health Practice, post graduate qualification at Systemic Practitioner- Intermediate level as well as having studied for 4 years at Master’s Level.

My academic experience to date has been challenging - I share this because I had a relationship with what I now know as dyslexia, a characteristic on the receiving end of ableism. This was long before it was confirmed on Valentine's Day in 2014, while studying the MSc as a mature student.

Once my dyslexia was identified as being part of my life, I had to work through the process of seeing and understanding myself through new lenses. I decided the dyslexia would be used to enhance my future from the traits it brings with it.

I am Co-facilitator for the Ableism working group within AFT, and I am also a member of the AFT Race group.

Passion:

Due to life experiences as a black and disabled man living in England, I am drawn to advocating for justice, equality, and anti-discriminatory practises. This pursuit for dignity, respect and fairness is why I became a Cultural Inclusion Ambassador within my place of work and joined the Ableism and Race Groups outside of work. Another passion is talking with people experiencing loss through bereavement, it is a subject I would like to specialise in.

Aspirations:

My aspiration is to be a fully qualified accomplished therapist by 2024 and an author/co- author within the next 5 years. I also aspire to be part of a winning team again in the local badminton league.

Linda is of white Scottish heritage, she has worked as a play worker, family support worker and as part of the youth offering team before becoming training as a family therapist. She currently works in a CAMHS inpatient team as a family therapist where she continues to learn from the young people and the families and Co-workers. She has a passion for justice and equality and learning to play the accordion.

Co-facilitates the Gender & Sexuality DWP with Rosie Buckland. I am a Systemic & Family Psychotherapist, Supervisor and Trainer and worked in the NHS for over twenty years and am now in independent practice. This includes working as a Supervisor for the Birmingham MSc in Family Therapy and offering private supervision and therapy. Previously I worked in CAMHS and NHS gender identity services with children, adolescents and their families/ carers and in NHS adult transgender services where I learnt much from clients and colleagues. I identify as queer and am a spouse and parent. It is partly the intersection of professional and personal interests and identities that brought me to this Diversity Working Party.

I work as a systemic practitioner and social worker in a family therapy team in adult mental health services and also independently; writing, delivering training, teaching, and authoring Safeguarding Adult Reviews. I’ve recently competed a PhD exploring the use of power in assessments under the Mental Health Act. I enjoy the way these different strands of work complement each other and the opportunity to think systemically about organisations as well as families. I live in Bristol with my transmasc partner and our two young children and have been involved with queer communities, politics and organisations for many years. I co-facilitate the gender and sexuality group within AFT and hope to foster a space where issues of sex, gender, gender identity, sexuality and sexual orientation may be thought about in the broadest sense in relation to our selves and our work.

Elaine Holliday is Systemic Family Therapist and Art Therapist, trainer and supervisor. She is in independent practice. Her main areas of specialism are fostering and adoption and working with children in special education. Elaine has developed courses and workshops which explore art making and non-verbal communication within a systemic approach.