by Nicola Hoskins-Murphy

The Canberra Community of Self Psychologists held a conference over a weekend in March earlier this year. Envisioned and coordinated by Sandra Lauffenburger (Somatic Psychotherapist, Clinical Supervisor) the conference provided a forum for connection, thoughtful discussion and learning about the clinical practice of Self Psychology. The program moved between explorations of theory (including new theoretical conceptualisations) and immersion into four very different clinical cases.

Sally McMahon (Somatic Psychotherapist and Clinical Supervisor) introduced the central concepts of Self Psychology and explored the complex task of holding theory as a guiding light while staying closely within the experiential world of the client. Matt Hynes (child psychologist) presented his paper “Meeting Harry: the boy who was not met” which describes his embodied interaction with a six-year-old boy in his garden therapy space. Karen Stewart (psychodynamic psychotherapist) presented “Remembering a Fractured Self: finetuning Kohut’s therapeutic empathy”, which depicts her work with a middle-aged man fractured by trauma and a brain injury.

Sandra Lauffenburger explored the ongoing flux of lived experience in her presentation on “The Development of Self in Self Psychology”. She explored theoretical ideas she is developing regarding key links between psychological and bodily experience. Deb Allen (somatically-oriented psychotherapist) presented her paper “Mapping the Inside: a multilayered universe of concretisation” describing her work with a young man whose experience of self is deeply fragmented into parts. Nicola Hoskins-Murphy (psychologist, psychodynamic psychotherapist) presented “Awakening and Coming Back to Life: the Tale of Sage” which follows the therapeutic journey, returning from frozen numbness to life, of a painfully traumatised woman.

We ended the conference with a panel and group discussion led by Sandra Lauffenburger, Sally McMahon, Olivia Wilson (psychologist, psychotherapist, supervisor) and Nicola Hoskins-Murphy. The Canberra Community of Self Psychologists is a supportive informal group of practitioners, providing a forum for learning, community and peer support. Many of us travel from other parts of the country to be a part of this special group.

Nicola Hoskins-Murphy, psychologist, psychodynamic psychotherapist

Nicola is a Self Psychologist working in private practice in Orange, in regional Australia, where she works with a range of issues including trauma, disorders of self and chronic mental health conditions.  She has worked in the education sector, as well as in public and private health.  She is presently expanding her focus to include writing and supervision as well as psychotherapy.

Sandra Lauffenburger, somatic psychotherapist, clinical supervisor

Sandra maintains a clinical practice in Canberra, Australia, working with a spectrum of issues from complex trauma through to psychosomatic issues.  Over thirty years of exploring body and movement therapies as well as clinical training in psychoanalytic Self Psychology inform her work.  She offers supervision in Self Psychology as well as the integration of the body/movement in psychotherapy.  Sandra is an Assoc Editor for the Journal of Body, Movement and Dance in Psychotherapy, and is currently the President of the Dance Movement Therapy Association of Australasia.