Chair's Welcome
Chair's Welcome
As Chair, I would like to welcome you to the Institute of Psychotherapy and Social Studies (IPSS). We are a member’s organisation of the UKCP and welcome psychoanalytic psychotherapists looking for a new professional home and trainees who wish to complete accreditation as a full clinical member of the UKCP.
The IPSS was founded in 1978 and we have a long history of training and accrediting adult psychoanalytic psychotherapists in accordance with UKCP standards. We are firmly grounded in psychoanalytic practice and theory, whilst recognising that our experience is impacted by the social, cultural, political, and economic environment that we inhabit. As such, we are keen to look beyond our personal experiences and histories and frame our work in wider sociocultural contexts. We believe this facilitates our therapeutic capacity to empathise with and understand the experiences and suffering of others.
In recent times the Black Lives Matter and the Me-too Movement have reminded us that prejudice and oppression remain at large in society. Furthermore, COVID-19 exerted a disproportionate economic and educational (and other) impact on people from ethnic minorities. As an organisation we are keen to challenge injustice and inequality by welcoming suitably qualified members from all sections of society. Too often society appears organised around power and privilege, principally benefiting those who exercise that power. So, in our work as therapists, we regard it as essential to be mindful of issues such as these. That’s why at IPSS, we emphasise the social dimension of our work, and warmly welcome people from diverse backgrounds - including those seeking a new professional home.
If this is of interest to you, do look at our @1 page, and, IPSS Forums and CPD. To find out more about our organisation and the possibility of @3, why not come to one of our Forums? If you would like to talk to our administrator, Paola Turner, please get in touch.
I look forward to welcoming you.
Dr Michael Minns
IPSS Chair