Speaker Line Up

Speaker One - Jo Holmes

Counselling Young People and Families Policy Update in the World of School-Based Counselling

Jo Holmes is the Children, Young People and Families Lead based within the Policy Team at BACP.   Jo’s background was initially youth work, leading youth participation health-based programmes, she later retrained as a person-centred counsellor, developing a counselling service in a secondary school. Jo has worked with children and young people spanning over 30 years in a range of local authority, school, third sector and health settings. Jo now campaigns for free at the point-of-access counselling for children, young people and young adults (up to the age of 25) as well as paid work for the counselling profession. Jo is also the safeguarding lead for BACP.

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Speaker Two - Hannah McKie and Georgeana Gibbins

Disordered Eating and Body Image

SWEDA (South West Eating Disorders Association) offers a range of therapeutic support for children and young people with disordered eating or who may be struggling with body image concerns.  Hannah McKie and Georgeana Gibbins will consider aspects of this work, including the impact of disordered eating and how to support a young person with this within the school environment. 

Meet Hannah

Hannah is the Children and Young People’s Lead at SWEDA (South and West Eating Disorders Association).  A psychology graduate, she is also a qualified Counsellor and Clinical Supervisor with nearly two decades of experience working with children and young people in a variety of roles.  She now specialises in therapeutic work with children and young people dealing with disordered eating, combining her extensive experience with her passion for mental health and well-being.

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Speaker Three - Dr Marilyn McGowan 

Let’s Get Digital 

Generation Alpha learn digital skills from almost the moment they are born. Dr Marilyn McGowan, a school counsellor and supervisor, considers how the therapeutic landscape is being changed by the digital revolution

Meet Marilyn

Dr Marilyn McGowan has been a school counsellor and supervisor for the last thirty years. She lectures on all aspects of counselling and is Poole Development Manager. As school counselling lead on the Psychotherapy and Counselling Union, she is a strong advocate of counselling in schools and improved pay and conditions for all counsellors. She also believes in the importance of pastoral care and support for all practitioners developing therapeutic approaches in education.