2026 Annual Training Conference
For our annual training conference in 2026, we welcomed Perrine Moran to present Love Songs, Couples and Couple Therapy. Drawing on psychoanalytic couple psychotherapy, music and clinical material, the conference explored the emotional and unconscious dimensions of couple relationships in a creative and engaging way.
Through theoretical reflection, multimedia material, clinical vignettes and plenary discussion, participants were invited to consider how music and love songs can illuminate themes of longing, conflict, dependency, loss and intimacy within couple dynamics. Particular attention was given to the emotional atmosphere of couples work and to the use of songs, lyrics and free association as pathways into unconscious relational processes.
The conference also incorporated a mentalisation-based perspective on couple relationships and therapeutic process.
Participants described the conference as stimulating, innovative and emotionally rich, and particularly appreciated the warm, accessible and engaging presentation style. The integration of psychoanalytic thinking with music, multimedia material and clinical case examples was experienced as thought-provoking and creatively inspiring. Many attendees reflected on the usefulness of the material for their own clinical work and valued the way theory and practice were interwoven throughout the day.
The conference was attended both in person and online by clinicians and psychotherapists from Cape Town and Johannesburg. Feedback highlighted appreciation for the reflective atmosphere and the opportunity to engage with psychoanalytic couple thinking in a creative and experiential format.
We are very grateful to Perrine Moran for her generosity, openness and depth of clinical thinking, and for providing such a meaningful learning experience for all who attended.
2025 Annual Training Conference
For our annual training conference in 2025, we welcomed Dr Damian McCann for two days to work with us on navigating the ethical challenges inherent in working with gender, sexuality and sex. On the first day with us, Dr McCann facilitated supervision groups in which our members were able to present and be guided in their clinical work. On the second day, he presented a day long workshop titled ‘Ethical considerations in working with gender, sexuality and sex in the consulting room and beyond.’ The event was attended locally by our members and colleagues in Cape Town, and remotely by those further afield. Three broad areas were covered: (1) The tension inherent in working psychoanalytically with couples experiencing sexual difficulties and decisions regarding referrals for specific psychosexual therapy; (2) Working with ethical non-monogamy, with particular attention given to countertransference responses when confronted with difference and what, as therapists, we feel able to tolerate and manage in our practice; and (3) working with gender non-conforming clients and the ethical considerations inherent in this area of increasing growth. Dr McCann’s vast experience in this field, his astute clinical acumen and his humble accessibility in reflecting on his own dilemmas in this sphere of work made for a very engaging and rich learning opportunity for all who attended. We hope to have him back to work with us again in the future.
