IDHP - Key Persons

Richard House Ph.D., C.Psychol. is Senior Lecturer in Education Studies (Early Childhood) at the University of Winchester, and was formerly Senior Lecturer in Psychotherapy and Counselling, Research Centre for Therapeutic Education, University of Roehampton. In late 1994 Richard was a founder-member of the innovative Independent Practitioners Network peer organisation, and has been a participant in a member group since then. He was also a founder-member of the Alliance for Counselling and Psychotherapy, a quasi ‘Action Research' association of campaigning practitioners who improbably succeeded in persuading the government not to state-regulate psychotherapy and counselling via the Health Professions Council. Apart from two formal trainings between 1987 and 1995, Richard cut his ‘therapeutic teeth' attending approaching 40 weekend encounter groups (with Jill Hall) between 1985 and 1992, and he was also a core participant in the Norwich Group Process Group in the 1990s (with Robin Shohet), which organised the pioneering Cambridge conferences on ‘the dynamics of accreditation' in the early 1990s. Richard enthusiastically follows the progress of renewal taking place in IDHP, from an 'arm's length' position. Richard's books on therapy include /In, Against and Beyond Therapy/ (PCCS, 2010), /Therapy Beyond Modernity/ (Karnac, 2003), /Critically Engaging CBT/ (Open University Press, 2010; co-ed. Del Loewenthal) and /Against and For CBT/ (PCCS, 2008; co-ed. Del Loewenthal); and in education, /Too Much, Too Soon? /-/Early Learning and the Erosion of Childhood/ (Hawthorn Press, 2011) and /Childhood, Well-being and a Therapeutic Ethos/ (Karnac, 2009; co-ed. Del Loewenthal). Richard is also a founder-member of the Open EYE Campaign for open early education, and /Early Childhood Action/. He contributes regularly to the therapy literature and to a range of professional education publications. A trained Steiner/Waldorf Kindergarten teacher and an education campaigner, he organised the three /Daily Telegraph/ Open Letters on the state of modern childhood in 2006, 2007 and 2011. He is Editor of the journal /Self and Society: International Journal for Humanistic Psychology/ and Theory Editor of the /European Journal of Psychotherapy and Counselling/, as well as being Associate Editor of/Psychotherapy and Politics International/. Correspondence: Richard.House@winchester.ac.uk