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Diagnosing and treating mental ‘ill-health’ (Online – 6 hours)

Counsellors and psychotherapists require a more rigorous understanding of how mental health conditions are diagnosed and treated in the UK’s mental health care system today. This not only supports clinicians to gain an appreciation of the language of psychiatry, but also to better understand the experiences of our clients who may be navigating through these systems and processes whilst also in our care. Counsellors and psychotherapists should also know how to recognise complex and severe mental health conditions as they present in our practice, so that we can work effectively, safely and in collaboration with other mental health colleagues whose support our clients might require.

This 6-hour workshop will support counsellors and psychotherapists to gain a more comprehensive understanding of psychiatric diagnosis and treatment, as well as a critical appreciation of the socio-political, historical and cultural assumptions that underpin these current frameworks. As a result practitioners will be able to effectively understand mental health difficulties as they emerge in our practices, whilst maintaining a client-centred, collaborative and safe approach to managing this.

Workshop aims

• To gain an understanding of how mental illnesses are classified
• To support recognition of more complex, significant and enduring mental health issues as they might appear within the counselling and psychotherapy context
• To develop a critical and reflexive awareness of the intersectional influences on diagnosis, including socio-economics, class, race, gender, sexuality, disability, body type, age, culture and religion
• To understand how and when to refer on to appropriate professional agencies
• To deepen awareness and reflexivity so that counsellors and psychotherapists can work in a client-centred and safe way
• To support counsellors and psychotherapists to think about the treatment that they provide as a part of a wider package of care and how to do this safely, ethically and effectively

Mental Health Familiarisation Placement

This training has been designed to meet the aims of the ‘Awareness of diagnosis and treatment’ component of the UKCP’s requirements for a Mental Health Familiarisation Placement. It can be attended as a standalone workshop or as part of the complete Mental Health Familiarisation Placement Series being delivered by The Link Centre between Autumn 2025 and Spring 2026.

Presenter: Geoff Hopping TSTA (P), MSc (TA Psych)

Geoff started his mental health career as a psychiatric nurse, and then subsequently became a mental health social worker. In the late 80’s his social work career took a turn when he found himself working in the HIV/AIDS pandemic in West London.

He trained initially at the Metanoia institute and qualified as a Clinical Transactional analyst in 1996, and as a Teaching and Supervising transactional Analyst in 2003. He also trained and qualified as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist with the Forum for Independent Psychotherapists and did a one year supervision diploma course at the SAP (Jungian). He started ministry training with the One Spirit Foundation and was ordained in July 2021.

He had a private practice in South London for fifteen years and in 2005 he became a Consultant Psychotherapist at a high security prison in the therapeutic wing.  He worked there for eight years.  As a member of a multi-disciplinary team Geoff worked with psychiatrists, psychotherapists, nurses, psychologists and prison staff within the NHS framework.

Following his retirement from the prison in 2013, he developed a supervision practice and has been a tutor at the Metanoia Institute, TA East and The Link Centre, where he has recently become a become a Director.

Delivery: Live and interactive via Zoom. Sessions will not be recorded.

Cost: Individual workshops are £140 each. A group booking discount of 10% will be applied when all four workshops are booked together. Payment plans are available. For details contact admin@thelinkcentre.co.uk

Participant numbers: Spaces are limited to 40 participants.

Recognition: A Link Centre Certificate of Attendance for the number of hours completed.

Pre-Course Requirements: Participants should be qualified or trainee Counsellors or Psychotherapists.

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