David Slattery
In private practice since 1988
Online therapy, supervision and training
©2010 Relational Psychotherapy
©2010 Relational Psychotherapy
About David Slattery
I have been working as a therapist with individuals and couples since the late 1980's and
supervising/training counsellors and psychotherapists for much of this time. I taught
at the Bath Centre for Psychotherapy and Counselling (1996-
Over the years I have changed my method from one where I was taking a lot of responsibility for outcomes, to one where I see the work as coming out of a collaborative relationship. I find the success of this movement both surprising and delightful!
In 2006 I was awarded a ‘post qualifying’ MA from Middlesex University my thesis was ‘Turning Relationship Ghosts into Ancestors: The use of intersubjective systems theory in navigating relational trauma states in couples therapy.’
This research paper helped me see that individual counselling and psychotherapy could learn a lot from the stuckness that couples often experience. By seeing parallels with the ‘therapeutic couple’ (counsellor and client), an impasse can more easily be seen as a relational creation.
My adult 'therapy education' began whilst working for the Schizophrenia Fellowship in the 1980's, I saw how damaging diagnosing and labelling can be. A great inspiration to me was reading Joe Berke's 'I haven't had to go mad in here', where he describes the work of the Arbours Crisis Centre where they believe that 'psychosis is a sane response to an insane situation'.....unfortunately this is still, over 40 years later, a radical statement!
My therapy training proper began with Reichian Therapy, working directly with the
body and breathing towards cathartic release. I then studied Bio-
I am interested in dreams and experiences that are brought to therapy, but most of all what happens between us. In relationship as the alchemical vessel.