Dr Arlene Vetere is an internationally renown clinical psychologist and professor of family therapy and systemic practice at VID Specialized University, Oslo, Norway. She is a registered systemic supervisor and co-director of Reading Safer Families.

6th March: Risk, Responsibility and Collaboration:

This workshop will present the development of a systemic safety methodology for safe therapeutic practice with couples and families where violence is of concern.

In this workshop, Arlene focuses on how a safety methodology developed in a specialist service can be adapted for use in mainstream mental health and therapeutic services, across the life span. The aim is to ensure that family violence is seen and understood within mainstream psychotherapeutic services, that family members are helped to stop the violence, and where possible, are helped to manage the psychological consequences of living with violence. The Safer Families Project will be described and there will be a particular emphasis on how this approach can be adapted for mainstream therapeutic services. In particular, this safety methodology has clear implications for supervision practice and points to the need for therapy practice supervisors to be alert to, and active around, issues of safety, for all participants.

Arlene is the author of:

• Sammut Scerri, C, Vetere, A, Abela A, Cooper J (2017) Intervening After Violence: Therapy for Couples and Families, Springer.
• Vetere, A and Sheehan, S (2017) (eds) Supervision of Family Therapy and Systemic Practice. Springer
• Vetere, A and Stratton, P (2016) (eds) Interacting Selves: Systemic solutions for personal and professional development in psychotherapy and counselling. Routledge
• Cooper, J and Vetere, A (2005) Domestic Violence and Family Safety: A systemic approach to working with violence in families. Wiley