Counselling, Psychotherapy, Clinical supervision and Training in Bristol

Contact Point is a Registered Training Establishment (RTE) in Bristol, offering advanced training training in psychotherapy and therapeutic counselling, focusing largely but not exclusively on the theories, models and methods of Transactional Analysis.  They also offer clinical supervision to counsellors and psychotherapists.

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Contact Point is registered with The UK Association for Transactional Analysis (UKATA), which means that our courses are recognised by the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) and the European and International Associations for Transactional Analysis (EATA and ITAA), so our qualifications are recognised at a national, European and international level.

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Any Child, any issue, for as long as it takes...

A charity based in the Bristol area, providing counselling for young people from the age of 9 -25.  Help! was founded by Peter Flowerdew 17 years ago, and 'The Different Engine' Trustee, Psychotherapist Neil Keenan, took on the role of Director.  Help! is a highly competent and professional voluntary agency providing support and advice for young people at an affordable rate.  It is our hope that, eventually, all Help! Counsellors will receive the Aspie TA training, so that they can be considered 'competent' in their communications with Aspie clients and their families.

Chris Russell

The selected thoughts, reflections and observations on a life with Asperger's. A funny, educational, disturbing, thoughtful, but above all honest blog from a woman of 48 still struggling with the talents and disadvantages, advantages and difficulties that characterise Asperger's.

Whether it's music, holidays, family, work or particle physics, you'll find it here...  This is the journey of a woman trying to find my place in the world after my diagnosis of Asperger's at the age of 43.  Through marriage, children and work, socialising, friendship and religion, this honest, articulate and open blog opens a window into the world of the Asperger's mind.  Join my NT family and I as we experience TA and begin to use it to learn about each other's worlds.

Naoki Higashida

Written by Naoki Higashida when he was only thirteen, this remarkable book provides a rare insight into the often baffling behaviour of autistic children. Using a question and answer format, Naoki explains things like why he talks loudly or repeats the same questions, what causes him to have panic attacks, and why he likes to jump. He also shows the way he thinks and feels about his world - other people, nature, time and beauty, and himself. Abundantly proving that people with autism do possess imagination, humour and empathy, he also makes clear how badly they need our compassion, patience and understanding.

Temple Grandin and Richard Panec

In this fascinating and highly readable book, Temple Grandin offers her own experience as an autistic person alongside remarkable new discoveries about the autistic brain, as well as genetic research. She also highlights long-ignored sensory problems as well as the need to treat autism symptom by symptom, rather than with an umbrella diagnosis. Most exciting of all, she argues that raising and educating children on the autistic spectrum needs to be less about focusing on their weaknesses, and more about fostering their unique contributions.

Daniel Kahneman

Why is there more chance we'll believe something if it's in a bold type face? Why are judges more likely to deny parole before lunch? Why do we assume a good-looking person will be more competent? The answer lies in the two ways we make choices: fast, intuitive thinking, and slow, rational thinking. This book reveals how our minds are tripped up by error and prejudice (even when we think we are being logical), and gives you practical techniques for slower, smarter thinking. It will enable to you make better decisions at work, at home, and in everything you do. 

Simon Baron-Cohen

Simon Baron-Cohen summarizes the, then, current understanding of autism and Asperger Syndrome. He explains the process of diagnosis, as well as the options for education and intervention for those with these conditions. Taking a lifespan approach, Professor Baron-Cohen considers how the conditions affect very young children through to adulthood. He also outlines his Empathizing-Systemizing (ES) theory, which aims to explain all of the psychological features of autistic-spectrum conditions. 
This book was designed firstly for people with these conditions and their families, but is considered useful to clinicians, teachers, and other professionals involved in the care and support of people on the autistic spectrum. 

Yuko Yoshida

How to Be Yourself in a World that's Different is an accessible guide to Asperger's syndrome (AS) written for young readers who have been diagnosed with AS and autism spectrum conditions.

The book features clear explanations of the condition, including symptoms that are common to people on the autism spectrum, such as a hypersensitivity to touch and difficulties with balance and coordination. The characteristics and symptoms of other syndromes that often coincide with AS are also discussed, for example AD/HD, learning disorders and tics, as well as the temporary states of mental dysfunction that people with AS tend to be predisposed to, including depression, anxiety, obsessive and compulsive behaviors and catatonia.

This informative and encouraging text highlights the positive aspects of autism spectrum conditions, such as diligence, fairness and a knack for unique ideas, but it also acknowledges the daily challenges faced by young people with AS and, crucially, offers strategies for dealing with these. Using case examples, Yoshida explores the difficulties of disclosing a diagnosis, takes readers through the stages of practicing key social skills, and offers advice on seeking support.

Allen Frances

Anyone living a full, rich life experiences ups and downs, stresses, disappointments, sorrows, and setbacks. Today, however, millions of people who are really no more than "worried well" are being diagnosed as having a mental disorder and receiving unnecessary treatment. In Saving Normal, Allen Frances, one of the world's most influential psychiatrists, explains why stigmatizing a healthy person as mentally ill leads to unnecessary, harmful medications, the narrowing of horizons, the misallocation of medical resources, and the draining of the budgets of families and the nation. We also shift responsibility for our mental well-being away from our own naturally resilient brains and into the hands of "Big Pharma," who are reaping multi-billion-dollar profits. Frances cautions that the newest edition of the "bible of psychiatry," the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 (DSM-5), is turning our current diagnostic inflation into hyperinflation by converting millions of "normal" people into "mental patients." Saving Normal is a call to all of us to reclaim the full measure of our humanity.

Iain McGilchrist

A fascinating exploration of the differences between the brain's right and left hemispheres and their effects on society, history and culture. Why is the brain divided? The difference between right and left hemispheres has been puzzled over for centuries. In a book of unprecedented scope, Iain McGilchrist draws on a vast body of recent brain research, illustrated with case histories, to reveal that the difference is profound - not just this or that function, but two whole, coherent, but incompatible ways of experiencing the world. The left hemisphere is detail-oriented, prefers mechanisms to living things, and is inclined to self-interest, where the right hemisphere has greater breadth, flexibility and generosity. This division helps explain the origins of music and language, and casts new light on the history of philosophy, as well as on some mental illnesses. In the second part of the book, he takes the reader on a journey through the history of Western culture, illustrating the tension between these two worlds as revealed in the thought and belief of thinkers and artists, from Aeschylus to Magritte. He argues that, despite its inferior grasp of reality, the left hemisphere is increasingly taking precedence in the modern world, with potentially disastrous consequences.

Daniel J Siegel

This bestselling book put the field of interpersonal neurobiology on the map for many tens of thousands of readers. Daniel J. Siegel goes beyond the nature and nurture divisions that traditionally have constrained much of our thinking about development, exploring the role of interpersonal relationships in forging key connections in the brain. He presents a groundbreaking new way of thinking about the emergence of the human mind and the process by which each of us becomes a feeling, thinking, remembering individual. Illuminating how and why neurobiology matters, this book is essential reading for clinicians, educators, researchers, and students interested in promoting healthy development and resilience.

Mark Widdowson

Transactional Analysis (TA) is a versatile and comprehensive system of psychotherapy. Transactional Analysis: 100 Key Points and Techniques synthesises developments in the field, making complex material accessible and offering practical guidance on how to apply the theory and refine TA psychotherapy skills in practice.

Divided into seven manageable sections, the 100 key points cover:

• the philosophy, theory, methods and critique of the main approaches to TA

• TA perspectives on the therapeutic relationship

• diagnosis, contracting and treatment planning using TA

• a trouble shooting guide to avoiding common pitfalls

• refining therapeutic skills

This book is useful for trainee TA therapists, those preparing for examinations as well as experienced practitioners who will find much practical guidance on the skillful and mindful application of this cohesive system of psychotherapy.

Richard G Erskine, Janet Moursund, Rebecca L. Trautmann

The authors of this book focus on the importance of relationship in psychotherapy. Relationships between people form the basis of our daily lives. We require this contact with others, the sense of respect and value it produces amid the relational needs it fulfills. As we face the inevitable traumas of life, large and small, our ability to make full contact with others is often disrupted. As this reduction in contact increases, relational needs go unfulfilled, producing psychological dysfunction. The book offers therapists a methodology for assisting people in rediscovering their ability to maintain genuine, contactful relationships and thus, better psychological health. The authors describe an integrative psychotherapy approach that draws from Rogers' client-centered therapy, Berne's transactional analysis, Perls' Gestalt therapy, Kohut's self psychology, and the work of British object-relations theorists.

Richard G Erskine

In this volume, we find the development and presentation of Richard Erskine's writings that underlie his theory of Integrative Psychotherapy. Here, is Erskine's effective synthesis of Transactional Analysys (TA) with the methods and theories of Gestalt Therapy, Object Relations theory, and Self Psychology. This compilation of Erskine's writings over a 25 year period provides an excellent background for his theory and practice as it stands currently. This volume also includes his recent writings (mid to late 1990's) which introduce and demonstrate his concepts of Affective Attunement, Developmental Attunement, Inquiry and Involvement, Juxtaposition, and especially, Relational Needs. This volume is the central repository holding many of Erskine's essential writings, to date, regarding the underlying theory and the treatment methods of Integrative Psychotherapy.

Bromfield R.

Diagnoses of Asperger Syndrome in children and adolescents are on the rise, and while a limited minority of clinicians has training and experience in this area, a majority do not. Doing Therapy with Children and Adolescents with Asperger Syndrome is the only guide of its kind for doing both talk and play therapy with young people with Asperger Syndrome. It meets the growing need for practical clinical guidance in this area. Using vivid case material, it offers clinicians wisdom attuned to their needs and those of the young people they endeavor to help.

Tony Attwood

The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome is the definitive handbook for anyone affected by Asperger's syndrome (AS). Now including a new introduction explaining the impact of DSM-5 on the diagnosis and approach to AS, it brings together a wealth of information on all aspects of the syndrome for children through to adults. Drawing on case studies and personal accounts from Attwood's extensive clinical experience, and from his correspondence with individuals with AS, this book is both authoritative and extremely accessible. 

Paula Jacobsen

Jacobsen demonstrates how to interpret classic analytic and psychodynamic theories in relation to people with AS and explains how revised theories of mind, executive functioning and central coherence have helped provide new concepts and language with which to properly articulate the experiences of those with AS.

Olga Bogdashina

A book about the `unusual' sensory perceptual experiences that may involve hypo- and hypersensitivity, fluctuation between different `volumes' of perception and difficulty interpreting a sense. In this book, Olga Bogdashina attempts to define the role of sensory perceptual problems in autism identified by autistic individuals themselves. Often ignored by many professionals, this is one of the main problems highlighted by autistic individuals. This book singles out possible patterns of sensory experiences in autism and the cognitive differences caused by them. The final chapters are devoted to assessment and intervention issues with practical recommendations for selecting appropriate methods and techniques to eliminate the problems and enhance the strengths.

Dr. Eric Berne

This was Dr. Berne’s first book that included his ideas on Transactional Analysis. This was published in 1961. Although Berne had published numerous papers outlining his theories on Transactional Analysis in the late 1950s, this was his first attempt at compiling all of his work into a single volume In this book, Berne thoroughly describes his theories of Transactional Analysis, including the Parent-Adult-Child model. He also introduces games, but not with the detail seen in Games People Play.

This book is recommend for readers looking to learn more about Transactional Analysis and its origins. Many readers of Games People Play turn to this book to gain a more comprehensive understanding of Transactional Analysis.

Eric Berne

What Do You Say After You Say Hello? explains what makes the winners win, the losers lose, and the in-betweens so boring... In it, Dr Eric Berne reveals how everyone's life follows a predetermined script - a script they compose for themselves during early childhood.

Charlotte Sills and Phil Lapworth

An Introduction to Transactional Analysis introduces the theory and practice of Transactional Analysis which integrates cognitive behavioral and psychodynamic theories within a humanistic philosophy. While most Ta books focus on one field, this approach demonstrates the benefits of TA across a wide variety of settings, business and management, education and coaching as well as counseling. Case studies from a variety of contexts bring TA to life for practitioners in any of these disciplines, and the accessible, engaging writing style makes difficult concepts understandable for undergraduates and postgraduates.

Bringing their book into the twenty-first century, the authors provide a brief history of TA followed by individual chapters on the concepts and techniques used with detailed definitions and descriptions, and suggestions for application in practice.