You can sign up for information on future training courses as they are released here.
tRANSFORMING TRAUMA: FUlL IFS COMPETENCY PROGRAMME
A deeply immersive programme on transforming trauma for Psychologists and Therapists.
A deeply immersive course on Transforming Trauma with Internal Family Systems Therapy IFS : for Psychologists / therapists
We will be walking you through the steps of transformation, and working with multiple selves / parts within the protective system and ones holding trauma experiences from both the inside and the outside.
We will be exploring effective ways of working with very young / early childhood trauma and attachment wounding, grief, shame, addictions and parts that hold burdens passed down through generations.
This will be a nourishing and nurturing space for yourselves as therapists, highly experiential and will reignite the passion, confidence and gentleness in your clinical practice.
We are unique in that all of our practice group supervisors are Approved IFS Clinical Consultants and / or IFS Certified Therapists.
The programme is held online, in community and connection with each other. There will be supervised practice spaces, teaching, demonstrations and individual internal explorations.
No prior knowledge or experience of parts work is required, but a good grounding in one therapeutic modality is necessary.
We really look forward to welcoming you into this space and sharing this way of working with you.
If you do not already work as a Clinical or Counselling Psychologist or experienced therapist / counsellor please email me in advance of booking with a brief summary of your role and current therapeutic modalities in advance of booking.
Led by Dr Zandra Bamford, consultant clinical psychologist, approved IFS clinical consultant & certified therapist with over 20 years experience of working with complex trauma. Supported by IFS and somatically trained therapists.
Dates:
2025 PROGRAMMES
*FULL
2026 PROGRAMMES
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INTRODUCTION TO INTERNAL FAMILY SYSTEMS THERAPY
Online experiential workshop – Introduction to Parts work/IFS
Description
Introduction to Internal Family Systems Therapy. A deeply respectful and transformational way of working with the full range of experiences of distress and trauma. IFS therapy has been cited as ”the treatment method that all clinicians should know to treat clients effectively” by Bessel van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score. Delivered by Zandra Banford a L3, Approved IFS Clinical Consultant & IFS Certified Consultant Clinical Psychologist with over 20 years experience with complex trauma. A workshop with the following learning objectives:
1. Understanding parts and introducing parts work with clients
2. Initiating a connection and dialogue with parts of the self
3. Using creative techniques to understand, externalise & connect with parts of the self
4. Fostering a compassionate and loving connection with parts
5. Considering how change and transformation occurs
EXPANDING YOUR PRACTICE BEYOND 1:1 – OFFERING GROUPS AND CIRCLES
At the core of many of us is a longing for greater connection and belonging. Ideologies of separation, independence and individuality can not only be perpetuated by our broader culture but also by many traditional therapy settings.
If you feel drawn to providing spaces for group work within your private or nhs practice this is a 4 week course to support you.
We will be walking through the steps of practicalities of group provision, marketing, considering starting out, blocks and barriers. Considering the “what” of your group provision, the different types of groups available to you to offer, crystallising your ideas and the development of them into action.
We will be considering the “how” of group work, the differing boundaries involved in working with groups. The structure of a group will be considered with specific attention to practices and exercises at the beginning, middle and end of each individual group and full group programme. We will move to specific practices for how you support and foster connection, belonging and achieve your aims with any therapy modality within an online or in person group space.
Interweaved throughout our programme will be dedicated spaces and exercises to connect with what may hold us back from offering group work and how doing so often provides us with impactful, nourishing and even healing experiences.
We will have time dedicated to group endings and consolidation of the growth and development for both our attendees and ourselves.
This 4 week programme is designed to support and guide you into offering group or circle spaces (both online and in person) for therapy and growth in your practices. We are not focusing on any particular modality for your group practice and you do not have to have a fully formed idea of what you’d like to provide in your practice. Space will be provided for us to co-create ideas, as well as move ideas into action.
The programme is led by Zandra Bamford, who brings over 20 years experience of providing and holding groups in inpatient services, crisis services, community mental health teams and private practice for both receivers and providers of services within a range of psychological modalities.
I am hugely passionate about providing spaces for group connection, authenticity and healing and feel called to support other psychologists and therapists who are drawn to provide this too.
You are so welcome to join us no matter where you are in your own journeys with group work provision.
The next programme takes place:
*FULL*
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A DAY ON GRIEF
An experiential one day workshop exploring working with grief and loss from a parts perspective. Join me for a day on working and being with grief.
This is an experiential one day workshop exploring grief and loss from a parts perspective. Considering an IFS lens, somatic approaches and EMDR .
We will be considering grief as much broader than (but including) loss of a loved one, also considering the grief of our expectations not being met, grief held in our systems from our ancestors, grief of events in the world, grief about the harm we have caused others in our lives and the grief that our parts hold as our life changes as we and our families age. In addition to the grief held by our parts as we heal and consider all that was and all that wasn’t.
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Polyvagal Theory, Somatic Practices and Parts: Bringing the body into the therapy room
An experiential workshop covering the foundations of polyvagal theory and a number of body based exercises for different states to bring the vagus nerve online for yourselves and your clients. Integrating Polyvagal theory and somatic work into any therapy modality and with particular consideration of working with parts of the self.
Delivered by Dr Zandra Bamford who draws on over 20 years experience working with complex trauma.
Specific learning objectives:
1. Understand the basic principles of Polyvagal Theory, its relevance to psychological therapies and begin to see trauma through a polyvagal lens.
2. Explain the 3 primary evolutionary polyvagal responses and identify them in the self and others
3. Understand the importance of neuroception and using your own ANS to help that of others
4. Be able to use at least 3 body based techniques to establish ventral vagus connection with and for yourselves and your clients
5. Integrating Polyvagal theory and somatic work into working with parts of the self.
Our next workshop is:
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Deepening in: Transforming Trauma
Two days online for people who have completed the Transforming Trauma Programme or IFS L1, or who are very familiar with IFS, using the model and would like to consolidate learning and deepen into the model when working with ‘complexity’.
Particularly focusing on extreme protectors, strong critics, complex trauma, shame, neglect and experiences such as unusual beliefs and hearing voices.
Next Workshop:
Clinical Psychology Services 