A Conversation with Anthony Keane, Alumnus

What do you most value from your time at TPI on a personal/professional level?

I value the emphasis in TPI on the centrality of the relationship in psychotherapy. In my experience, this key learning has stood the test of time since graduating almost ten years ago. Of course it involves considerable commitment to develop our capacity to attune to ourselves, through personal therapy, reflection, peer work etc. However, at least there is a chance that we can attune to others in a meaningful way if we have engaged in an emotionally honest relationship with ourselves. This is at the heart of TPI training.

Are you still in touch with many of the other students from your class?

I am still in touch with others from my class. I made good friends during those years. Some of us meet up as a peer reading and discussion group a number of times during the academic year. This has been a great resource as we moved through the pre-accredited stage and into the various professional and personal paths we followed post-training. Again, it is testament to the emphasis on relationship in the training in TPI.

Why did you choose to train at TPI?

I chose to train at TPI because of the range of accreditation available: 3-year course, IACP; 4- year course, IAHIP (ICP). Also, I could continue training to Masters level, with university accreditation. Accreditation may not seem like a burning issue when you set out on initial training, but it becomes one if you want to use your skills and knowledge in a meaningful, professional and ethical way. Having the opportunity to research an area of interest during the MSc was fantastic. For me, it was a chance to explore the relationship between therapists’ meditation practice and their work. It was a deeply enriching experience.

How psychotherapy can benefit people of different core professions

My background was in second-level teaching. Completing the training opened up the possibility of taking on a counselling role in an education setting. But aside from this explicit use of my qualification, I recognised an implicit influence from the training in my work. Put simply, if we are attuned to our own experience, we have a greater capacity to attune to others. I believe this has a profound impact on our working relationships. It gives us a relational focus in the workplace which really can transform both our perspective on work and how we work!