One of the challenges of being a counsellor and psychotherapist is watching clients again and again put themselves in self-destructive situations, thereby repeating an old experience that is not consciously remembered.

In repetition compulsion a person repeats a traumatic event or its circumstances over and over again. This includes re-enacting the event or putting oneself in situations where the event is likely to happen again. These behavioural re-enactments are rarely consciously understood to be related to earlier life experiences”.

Repetition compulsion is a complex process. The compulsion to repeat was identified by Freud, he noted that repetitions occur in context of what cannot be remembered.

This CPD workshop is focused on deepening our engagement with difficult enactment dynamics in the therapeutic relationship, and to finding ways of accessing the therapeutic potential locked within them.

In this workshop we will explore:

Repetition and resistance in Clinical Practice

Why Do We Repeat the Past in Our Relationships?

Why Changing it is Hard

Throughout the day, we will be drawing on case examples from our own practice. Participants are also invited to bring along their own clinical and personal experiences for inclusion in the discussion.