Hierarchies and Fragmentations in Psychoanalysis: In-person Conference

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About the conference 

This in-person conference is jointly presented by the British Psychotherapy Foundation (bpf) and the Council for Psychoanalysis & Jungian Analysis (CPJA). It brings together clinicians, academics, researchers and trainees to discuss how the analytic professions can evolve and adapt. 

It follows three online workshops held between April and July 2026 as part of the Hierarchies and Fragmentations in Psychoanalysis project. The workshops asked: 

• Is there a standard analytic model in psychoanalysis and Jungian analysis? 

• Can theoretical divisions be divorced from institutional hierarchies? 

• Can psychoanalysis and Jungian analysis evolve to respond to contemporary life? 

The conference will draw on the themes and debates that emerged from those workshops. The day includes a keynote presentation, a panel discussion, lightning talks and time for audience discussion, with the aim of encouraging open exchange across theoretical traditions and professional divides. 

You do not need to have attended the workshops to come. Summaries are available below. 

Topics for the day 

• The future of psychoanalytic and Jungian training 

• Institutional culture, hierarchy and professional identity 

• Diversity, inclusion and social change 

• Dialogue across analytic traditions 

• The place of psychoanalysis and Jungian analysis within the wider mental health landscape 

• Technology, innovation and evidence-informed practice 

• Keeping analytic thinking relevant and influential in the 21st century 

Programme 

The programme is provisional and may be subject to change. 

Time	Session
09.15 – 10.00	Registration and coffee
10.00 – 10.30	Welcome and scene setting. Co-Chairs Dr Frances Gillies (bpf) and Gwion Jones (CPJA) introduce the project and the central questions for the day, and recap the themes from the workshops.
10.30 – 12.00	Keynote presentation: Darian Leader. Darian Leader, psychoanalyst and writer, speaks on the questions at the heart of the conference, followed by Q&A. Full details to be announced.
12.00 – 13.00	Lunch
13.00 – 14.30	Panel discussion. Professor Sue Kegerreis, Professor Jean Knox and George Taxidis, who each led one of the workshops, reflect on the themes that emerged, respond to the keynote and take questions from delegates. Chaired by Dr Frances Gillies and Gwion Jones.
14.30 – 15.00	Coffee break and refreshments
15.00 – 16.30	Lightning talks. Short presentations offering personal reflections and critical perspectives on the conference themes, followed by a facilitated discussion with delegates. Speakers to be announced.
16.30 – 17.00	Summing up. The Co-Chairs draw together the main themes from the day and consider how the conversation might continue.
17.00 – 18.00	Drinks and networking

Speakers 

Keynote: Darian Leader 

Darian Leader is a psychoanalyst working in London and a member of the Centre for Freudian Analysis and Research and the College of Psychoanalysts-UK. His books include Why Do Women Write More Letters Than They Post?, Stealing the Mona Lisa, The New Black, What is Madness?, Strictly Bipolar, Why Can't We Sleep? and Is It Ever Just Sex? He also writes about contemporary art. 

Panel 

Professor Sue Kegerreis 

Emeritus Professor in the Department of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies at the University of Essex and Editor-in-Chief of the British Journal of Psychotherapy. A psychoanalytic psychotherapist, she has worked with children, adolescents and adults across CAMHS, hospital, school and private practice settings, and has contributed extensively to teaching, training and practitioner-led research. 

Professor Jean Knox 

Associate Professor at the University of Exeter and Academic Director of its doctoral and professional training programmes in psychodynamic and psychoanalytic psychotherapy. She is Chair of the Trustees of the British Psychotherapy Foundation and a former Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Analytical Psychology. She has written and taught extensively on attachment theory and developmental neuroscience in clinical practice. 

George Taxidis 

A Jungian analyst (BJAA) and clinical supervisor in private practice in East London, and a lecturer in psychosocial studies and psychotherapy at Goldsmiths, University of London. He co-founded the International Queer Jungian Initiative and is writing a book on queering Jungian psychology for the Routledge series Jung, Politics and Culture. 

Conference Co-Chairs 

Dr Frances Gillies 

CEO of the bpf, a psychoanalytic psychotherapist and counselling psychologist. Previously she developed therapeutic services, training programmes and clinical pathways at Devon Partnership NHS Trust, and was Senior Lecturer on the Clinical Psychology Doctorate at the University of Exeter. 

Gwion Jones 

A Lacanian psychoanalyst trained at the Centre for Freudian Analysis and Research, and Chair of the Council for Psychoanalysis & Jungian Analysis. He is Assistant Professor in Clinical Psychology at Coventry University and Clinical Director of the Worcester Therapy Group. His recent paper, "Does the standard model exist?", appears in Analytic Agora 4. 

Workshop summaries 

• Workshop 1 (23 April 2026): Is there a standard analytic model? Facilitated by Professor Sue Kegerreis. Read the summary 

• Workshop 2 (14 May 2026): Can theoretical divisions be divorced from institutional hierarchies? Facilitated by Professor Jean Knox. Read the summary 

• Workshop 3 (2 July 2026): Can psychoanalysis and Jungian analysis evolve to respond to contemporary life? Facilitated by George Taxidis. Read the summary 

Who the conference is for 

Clinicians, academics, researchers and trainees in psychoanalysis and Jungian analysis, and anyone with an interest in the future of the analytic professions, whatever their tradition or institution. 

Booking 

Places are limited to 100 delegates. Tickets cost £65.

 

 

*If you are a psychotherapist or counsellor residing in an active conflict zone, you are eligible to attend this event free of charge (regardless of whether you are a bpf member or not). Please email events@bpf-psychotherapy to enquire about a ticket.