The Many Faces of Becoming: Re-imagining Parental & Perinatal Psychotherapy Online Conference
There are many diverse experiences of becoming and identities that can emerge before, during and beyond parenthood. This conference aims to invite reflection and exploration on the experiences of transition and transformation that occur during the parenting journey.
Grounded in the concept of physis, the day will open and close with reflections on hope, change and becoming. We will open space for discussion around the intricacies of fertility; masculinity and fatherhood; couples and family dynamics; the complexities of perinatal mental health, experiences of the existential - grief and loss; and the weight of societal expectations and the unrealistic expectations of self and towards the self
The conference is dedicated to creating space for dialogue, and to a more inclusive and responsive approach to perinatal and parental psychotherapy and welcomes all whose lived and professional experiences can help deepen the conversation, exploring how psychotherapy can support the many faces of becoming.
This conference was sparked by the collective passion of Our Evolution, an international group of experienced counsellors/therapists and others, offering psychotherapeutic support to everyone embarking on the joys, challenges and losses of the transformative journey of parenthood. These 6 areas are the topics we are pondering, and we invite you to join us to co-create and expand the dialogue at the conference today.
WORKSHOPS
The morning workshops are focused on the foundation of perinatal mental health difficulties, focusing on the systemic and existential issues:
- Complexities of perinatal mental health - Mihaela -Leocadia Hartescu & Valeria Villa, supported by Emma Haynes
- Intricacies of Fertility - Sarah Crowley
- The existential: loss, grief and death - Isa Delannoy supported by Susanne Fuller
The afternoon is about decision-making processes, practicalities and roles:
- Fathers and masculinity - Oliver Hunt supported by Amy Lennox
- Couples and Family dynamics (grandparents) - a panel of Valeria Villa, Mihaela-leocadia Hartescu, Emma Haynes and Sarah Crowley
- Normativity and Expectations - Lynne Ball and Henrietta Rose
Course Content
Presenter
Emma Haynes (she/her) (PhD, MSc, Training and Supervising Transactional Analyst, UKCP registered psychotherapist) is a perinatal psychotherapist, supervisor, trainer, researcher, Honorary Research Fellow and author based in Hampshire. Emma’s PhD research was on the treatment of perinatal mental illness using TA psychotherapy. Emma continues to research and write about psychotherapy as a treatment for perinatal mental illness.
Henrietta Rose. I am a CTA practicing in-person in South Kensington and online. I have worked in perinatal mental health since 2019, seeing clients in the charity sector and in private practice. I think and work relationally, which influences my interest and work with the maternal experience generally and anger specifically.
Isa Delannoy (they/them) is a psychotherapist (CTA-P), educator and supervisor based near Southampton (UK). They have a passion for perinatal mental health, with particular areas of interest around sex and gender, ADHD, pregnancy loss through miscarriage or abortion, transgenerational trauma and breastfeeding. Isa’s foundation for self-care is ecotherapy, meditation and mindfulness in movement.
Lynne Ball (she/her) is a counsellor in private practice in Winchester, with a special interest in perinatal mental health. She supports those who are exploring or are on the journey of parenthood, who often silence themselves in response to societal and cultural expectations. Being part of Our Evolution has deepened this work, and she is committed to shining a light on the unspoken, often isolating experiences of the parenting journey, offering connection, validation, and space for voices that have too often gone unheard.
Mihaela-Leocadia Hartescu (she/her) is a psychologist-psychotherapist, trainer and supervisor (CTA-P, PTSTA-P), specialised in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C), in private practice in Milan, Italy. Working also within organisational settings with leaders, she is passionate about supporting individuals’ and groups’ vital processes and transitions throughout the life cycle. She is certified as a cross-modality supervisor with CSTD London and currently researches the interweaving between autobiography, parenthood, professional choices and spirituality.
Olly Hunt (CTA-P) is a psychotherapist based in Berkshire, having trained at Metanoia Institute. In his private practice, fatherhood is a common theme in focusing on relationships and parenting challenges. He collaborated with Emma Haynes in writing a chapter on Fathers and Partners in her recent book A Transactional Analysis of Motherhood and Disturbances in the Maternal. With a background as a professional singer, he is interested in the power of the voice and in the somatic effects of childhood experiences.
Sarah Crowley (CTA-P) is a psychotherapist practicing in Valencia, Spain. She works with individuals, couples, and facilitates specialist groups focused on fertility, assisted reproduction and menopause. Her work is dedicated to creating supportive, compassionate spaces where women can find connection, understanding, and resilience. She believes deeply in the power of therapy to make meaning of loss, loneliness and grief that can often be a hidden part of the journey to motherhood.
Valeria Villa (CTA-P, PTSTA-P) is a psychotherapist, trainer and supervisor in Ferney- Voltaire (France). Valeria’s passion for parental mental health started while working within the criminal justice system and with cultural minorities. Her passion resides in research and the expansion of psychotherapy theories and models to support individuals, couples and families in their journey of parenthood/childlessness.
