The name "The Skin" refers to the group's commitment to respond only to what happens within the group for the duration of the group, as if surrounded by a skin.
This group may appeal to people interested in counselling, or act as CPD for trainee and qualified counsellors, psychologists and psychotherapists.
The group is held monthly on Wednesdays from 7:00 until 9:00 p.m. Term dates are below.
Gillian Bartlam was joined by Jill Brooks in 2024 to support this unique monthly therapeutic enquiry group. We are delighted to welcome Rowan Shingler to help with admin and who has offered his comfortable space for our venue from Autumn 2026.
What is the Skin?
In the skin, as we call it, we commit to enquire into our subjective experiences within a disciplined contract (see below). We strive to follow the contract by speaking honestly and to the best of our memory of what has occurred, without resorting to personal myths, beliefs or explanations, or anything that cannot be witnessed by every member of the group. As our experience is shared with others, our unique perspective of the same words and actions, and the assumptions made about what these mean, are revealed.
Witnessing ourselves and others within the shared environment enables us to gain insight into therapeutic processes.
Device by Anthony Storey, psychologist and counselling educator in the 80s and '90s, this group work formed the backbone of Gillian and Jill's 3-year counselling training.
Contract
1. Only within the Skin
We endeavour to confine ourselves only to what happens within the skin. We do not bring thoughts, feelings and experiences from outside the group into the enquiry.
2. Committed Attention
We endeavour to commit our attention to what happens within the group. This condition involves the discipline of bare attention, where we consciously focus on our subjective, emotional, mental and physical experience, and work to minimise any splitting away from it and any thoughts parallel to it. Whatever our subjective experience (including our judgements and inattention), we also try to witness it without acting it out. For example, "I am finding it difficult to keep my attention here" rather than "I'm annoyed that the bus was late and you'll all think that I can't be punctual."
3. Truthful
We commit to offer our experience of ourselves and of others as truthfully as possible. We make this commitment from a point of ignorance, so that no knowledge is claimed in advance, for example, "How do you feel about that?" rather than "That must make you feel awful."
4. Non-judgemental
We endeavour to be non-judgemental, accepting without criticism our experience, including our experience of others, within the skin.
We try to accept whatever comes to our attention and not label it right or wrong, good or bad, mad or sane and so on. We try to become empty of assumptions and be mindful of the assumptions often present in our word choice, for example, "we" rather than "I", or global generalisations rather than this specific experience- "always", "never" and so on. In addition, no one person's observation has greater authority than another's, so that when we notice others straying from the contract, any one of us might enquire into how the person could express themselves "within the skin".
5. Observer Role
We support any person who states a wish to become an observer with no further participation in the skin, until they state they are rejoining the enquiry.
This is a safeguarding condition for those feeling overwhelmed. A statement "I'd like to be an observer now", will be respected by others within the group who will not address the observer or expect them to follow the contract of the enquiry. "I'd like to rejoin the group" enables the observer to participate fully again. This protects the group from a person leaving the room completely.
6. Confidentiality
We do not share outside the skin the content of what happens within the skin.
