CMCS Workshop for Counsellors - 2026

 

Addressing the impact of racialised trauma on individuals

 

Saturday 21 February - on Zoom

Provisionally 09:15 for a 09:30 start, finishing around 16:00 (with breaks during the day) – 5 hours of CPD contact time

Facilitator for the Workshop

We would like to introduce Rachel Hudson as the facilitator for our 2026 workshops on 'Collared & Constrained - Life in clergy/ministry households'. Rachel Hudson was Vice Chair of CMCS and one of the Clinical Consultants, until she was ordained, and moved into full time parish ministry in 2020. She served as the Bishop’s Adviser for Counselling and Wellbeing alongside continuing her psychotherapy practice during curacy years, specialising in working with trauma and with church ministers. In a therapy career spanning 25 years, she also led and taught on counselling programmes at the University of Nottingham and for Crossreach, the Church of Scotland’s Social ministry. Rachel has been married to Chris for 45 years, and they are adoptive parents with grandchildren now ranging from 22 – 3 years old! It is hoped Chris will be involved in the workshops so he can offer a spouse perspective – particularly in the increasing world of women being ordained. Rachel herself was a clergy child, well experienced in the range of challenges this brings. She retired early due to Chris’s serious illness, and now spends time leading retreats, writing Bible reading notes, and offering pastoral supervision. 


 

Zoom Workshop

We will look at some of the risks and unconscious dynamics that can emerge in relation to expectations of congregations on the church leader, their spouse and family. 

For example, specific tasks: 'The pastor's wife always does the flowers!' or ‘Vicarage children shouldn't behave like that!’; living in a 'goldfish bowl', pleasing others, not being able to say no, the need to be needed, guilt & shame, risks of attraction to or from others, the whole family being seen as public property/dehumanised. The Workshop will explore healthy and unhealthy ways of maintaining couple / family / single life away from church.
 

Cost per person

• £95 for counsellors on the CMCS Register
• £105 for non-CMCS counsellors

Bookings can only be made through this website and payment for this event is by Credit/Debit card only.

Closing date for bookings: 11:30pm on Sunday 25 January 2026, unless all places are filled before this date.

Refunds

Just to let you know, CMCS policy on refunds is that we will give:

• For cancellation up to a month before an event - full refund;

• Between a month and a fortnight ahead - 50% refund;

• If you need to cancel within the last two weeks or for non-attendance - no refund.

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