PCA Encounter Group - Coventry 30th September

An encounter group was held in February, hosted by BAPCA, with a mixture of counsellors, trainees, and people who are person-centered or interested in the PCA but who are not working in counselling. The day was a delight! Several of us found it very moving to be 'part of'.

Some comments from those who came:

"I was pleasantly surprised at how welcoming everyone was; not just our host LJ, but other folks who had been to these days before. The atmosphere was informal - there was no agenda - but the conversation just flowed. The level of sharing made me feel as though more than a few of us found it incredibly valuable. Emotional at times, which goes to show the depth at which we were able to share. Not a bad achievement for a single day! It's not a therapy session of course, but there were some insights which gave me real clarity on things and I felt lifted as I walked to the train station."

"Each attendee was open to discuss and to express their past and present feelings, which opened deeper emotions in the room. I felt very much accepted as a black Caribbean woman and not restricted to be myself. Even if before the encounter session started, I connected with some of the attendees, which made me realised how powerful the group was, and the trust was establish to open up."

"Nevertheless, I felt sad when saying ‘”goodbye” to them all, as it felt like a special reunion convention, and I may not going to see them for a very long time. ‘Amazing’ was the word I have used before, I can confirm that the time I’ve had was ‘fabulous’, and I did not want it to end. I would like to share something with trainees like me, and this could also help an anxious person coming to attend those events: “Be yourself, and you are going to be ok”.

This is the perfect opportunity to learn, to grow in the process of finding yourself."

contact: l.j.Potter@bapca.org.uk