Programme
The AFSP Conference 2026 will be packed with informative and relevant content from renowned and up and coming speakers. This is a draft programme and sessions and timings and subject to change.
All times are listed in United Kingdom time (British Summer Time - BST) (UTC +1).
This icon means that the session is available to online attendees.
08:00
CONFERENCE DAY 1: Registration & Coffee
Welcome to Day 1 of the AFSP Conference
09:00
30 mins
Welcome to Day 1
Parveen Kaur | AFSP Chair
Gillian Petrie | AFSP Scotland
Tracey Campbell | Service User
09:30
90 mins
Plenary 1: Come as You Are - but Bring the Right Story... Poverty, power and the uneasy politics of lived experience
Darren McGarvey
Author, Columnist, Broadcaster, and Rapper
11:00
30 mins
Coffee Break
Time for a coffee... and while you are taking a break, why not visit the Virtual Art Gallery.
11:30
60 mins
Workshop - Session A
A selection of seven fantastic workshops for you to choose from. Click the 'More Info' button to see whats on.
12:30
75 mins
Lunch
Enjoy Lunch... and when you have finished your sandwich, why not take a look at the Virtual Art Gallery.
13:45
60 mins
Plenary 2: 'Identity & belonging - the importance of religion, faith and spirituality in therapeutic spaces.
Rabbi Charley Baginsky
The UK's most Senior female Rabbi
Dr Rachel Abedi
Senior Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist, The Reflection Project
Hazel Hyslop
Systemic Psychotherapist, Systemic Supervisor, Trainer and accredited Executive Coach
14:45
60 mins
Plenary 3: Empty promises or paradigm shifting? Learning and dilemmas from 20 years of user involvement and engagement
Professor Liz Forbat, Manager & Psychotherapist at Marie Curie UK and Professor in Dementia & Ageing at the University of Stirling
Dr Ramón Karamat Ali, Couple & Family Therapist, Systemic Supervisor, Trainer, and Researcher
Moyosore Olorunoje, Specialist Systemic and Family Psychotherapist, Emotional & Behavioural Team, Newham Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
15:45
30 mins
Coffee Break
Time for a coffee... and while you are taking a break, why not visit the Virtual Art Gallery.
16:15
60 mins
Workshop - Session B
A selection of seven fantastic workshops for you to choose from. Click the 'More Info' button to see whats on.
17:15
45 mins
Plenary 4: Poetry, Dualchas and Making your own villages
Pàdraig MacAoidh (Peter Mackay)
The Makar (National Poet for Scotland)
18:00
Day 1 Close
19:30
90 mins
Conference Dinner
The conference dinner (dinner ticket required)
21:15
After Dinner Entertainment
After dinner entertainment to be confirmed. After dinner entertainment is open to everybody (you do not need to have purchased a dinner ticket).
08:00
CONFERENCE DAY 2: Registration & Coffee
Welcome to Day 2 of the AFT Conference
08:45
15 mins
Welcome to Day 2
Parveen Kaur | AFSP Chair
Gillian Petrie | AFSP Scotland
09:00
60 mins
Plenary 5: Stuck, Uncertain and Still in the Room: When the Way Forward Isn’t Clear
Satinder Panesar
Psychotherapist, Clinical Supervisor, Trainer & Coach
Dr Ged Smith
Family & Systemic Psychotherapist
Shakira Nkanang
Systemic Psychotherapist & Tutor
10:00
15 mins
Comfort Break
A quick comfort break before the next session... but still time to visit the Virtual Art Gallery.
10:15
60 mins
Plenary 6: The Emotionally Responsive Therapist in Family Therapy Practice
Prof Peter Rober
Professor in Clinical Psychology
Institute for Family and Sexuality Studies, University of Leuven, Belgium
11:15
30 mins
Coffee Break
Time for a coffee... and while you are taking a break, why not visit the Virtual Art Gallery.
11:45
60 mins
Workshop - Session C
A selection of seven fantastic workshops for you to choose from. Click the 'More Info' button to see whats on.
12:45
75 mins
Lunch
Enjoy Lunch... and when you have finished your sandwich, why not take a look at the Virtual Art Gallery.
14:00
90 mins
Plenary 7: Question everything you thought you knew about mental health and neurodiversity
Dr Sami Timimi
Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist
15:30
30 mins
Coffee Break
Time for a coffee... and while you are taking a break, why not visit the Virtual Art Gallery.
16:00
60 mins
Workshop - Session D
A selection of seven fantastic workshops for you to choose from. Click the 'More Info' button to see whats on.
17:10
30 mins
Coming Together
Parveen Kaur | AFSP Chair
Gillian Petrie | AFSP Scotland
Clare Cribb | AFSP Wales
17:40
Day 2 Close