A Person-Centred Residential Weekend Sexual Feelings in Therapy Relationships & Sexual Healing After Childhood Abuse Sat/Sun July 5/6 2025
Jan Hawkins has a background in psychology and special needs, and has been working as a person-centred therapist, supervisor and trainer for over 30 years. Jan has a conviction that experiential learning is imperative for the continued development and deepening of the core attitudinal qualities of empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard, which are crucial to Person-Centred and other relationship focused therapies. She has offered training opportunities insexual issues for many years, including training those who support people who have severe learning and support needs, and facilitating groups of Survivors of Childhood Trauma exploring sexual healing. See her website www.janhawkins.co.uk for further details and publications.
Participants will be invited to create a safe, confidential environment, where issues of intimacy, sexual feelings and sexual healing after childhood abuse, may be focused upon without judgement. A point of discussion will be how sexual feelings, when embraced in awareness of the counsellor/therapist, may bring a positive and healing energy to the work. A welcome is extended to participants of all gender and sexual identities.
Day 1 Saturday 5th July, 10.00am-4.00pm: Sexual Feelings in Therapy Relationships
Counselling and psychotherapy courses rarely include time for exploring sexual feelings in relating to clients, or where clients express sexual feelings towards their counsellors/therapists. For some practitioners, this can lead to a sense that there is something wrong. Counselling/therapy relationships are often experienced as the first intimate relationship our client has ever known. How do we free ourselves to be in relational depth with our clients? Can we be open to those times when mutual, or one-sided attractions of a sexual nature emerge? Are we open to people who have physical and/or learning disabilities expressing their sexual feelings? How do we ensure safe space and ethical practice at the same
time as being open to discussion of sexual feelings in the therapy relationship?
In addition, language around gender and sexuality is continually changing, with individuals identifying in a variety of ways. Therapeutic relationships will bring together individuals (therapist and client) who may have very similar or very different experiences of sexual feelings. This day will allow for the exploration of these issues, considering the balancing of clear boundaries along with transparency, where sexual feelings may be discussed openly – often enhancing the therapeutic work.
4.30pm-6.30pm
To be explored by the group: options of encounter group, walk in the grounds, rest – the group will decide.
Day 2 Sunday 6th July, 10.00am - 4.00pm: Sexual Healing after Childhood Abuse
Building on discussions from day 1, this second day focusses on the long-term effects of childhood abuse. These can include difficulties in relationships, as well as sexual dysfunction. How do we support those clients who wish to reclaim their sexuality and develop healthy sexual relationships? How to be alongside those who were denied their own sexual journey, having been violated, confused and often terrified of any physical contact? This day will explore what can be healthy sexual development, and ways of supporting and encouraging clients who choose to focus on sexual healing after childhood abuse. The day will include sessions of input, experiential work, discussion and open space for the exploration of material brought by participants.
Please book me a place on the Person-Centred Residential Opportunity Sat/Sun 5/6 July 2025: – Sexual Feelings in Therapy Relationships & Sexual Healing After Childhood Abuse
Arrival Saturday 5th July 2025 from 9.00am. Dinner at 7.00pm. Social time after dinner.
Timings for both workshops: 10.00 -11.30; 11.50-1.00; 2.00- 4.00
Saturday evening 4.30-6.30, some choices, which can be made over tea on the Friday: Individual or small group walks in the grounds; Encounter group (large – all choosing to encounter); Rest
Leaving Sunday 6th July at 4pm.
