AFT Committees report to the Board of Directors and Trustees.

Our Committees are vital to AFT’s work, assisting the Board in developing policies and spearheading initiatives.

Committee work may be included within the 20 hours of other CPD annual requirement for keeping up-to-date with developments in the field, which is additional to the minimum attendance at CPD events in person or online.

If you are an AFT member and interested in joining a committee please contact us.

Committees

AFT Family and Systemic Psychotherapies in Non Statutory Sectors – ASPENS Committee

Aspens is a committee of AFT members who share an interest in, and who want to promote family and systemic psychotherapies in the non-statutory (independent and voluntary) sectors.

The ASPENS committee works closely with the PAC (Professional Affairs Committee).

ASPENS draws together and supports those AFT members working in the non-statutory sectors and helps to raise their profile. Their aim is to make a wide range of systemic help more accessible to a diverse range of client groups. Aspens has an active email forum group open to members and regular updates, links and advice on all kind of topics relevant to work in the non-statutory sectors can also be found in Context, and on the ASPENS page in the members’ section of this website.

If you are interested in joining, please see the ASPENS page for further information. 

Terms of Reference (ASPENS) to be uploaded when received from ASPENS group

Co-chair: Jeannette Thompson

Co-chair: Gill Wallis

Committee members:

Susan-Mary Benbow

Kate Creedy

Angus Crutchfield

Carolyn Gore

Victoria Sharman

Máire Stedman

Jackie Young

Branches Committee

AFT has a network of branches across the UK. The Branches Committee consists of a representative from each branch from around the UK and a chair elected by the representatives. The branches committee was formed to assist the branches with questions they may have in terms of running workshops and constitutional arrangements. The representatives can share their experiences and advice to provide good quality, local professional development for members. The committee usually meet four times a year, with three telephone conferences and one face to face meeting. Each year a branch is invited to bid to host the AFT National Conference and the Eileen Jamieson workshop. This is a training workshop dedicated to the memory of Eileen Jamieson, who sadly passed away whilst Chair of AFT, and who was committed to promoting and developing the work of branches. AFT provides help and support for branches staging this event.

Please see our AFT Branches page for details of your nearest branch, including branch workshops and other events. You can also find out how to launch a new AFT branch in your area.

Terms of Reference (document)

Chair: Beccy Holttum Cornwall and Plymouth Branch

Committee members:

Claire Cribb Cymru Branch

Nicola Herring Derbyshire Branch

Alan Hudson Dorset Branch

Jane Gilmore Hampshire Branch

Andy Stephenson Hull and East Riding Branch

Katrina Redpath Isle of Wight Branch

Sinead Peacock-Brennan Jersey Branch

Mary Power Manchester Branch

Dan O'Neill North East Branch

Dione McGuigan Northern Ireland Branch

Simon Cornwell Chilterns and Oxfordshire Branch

Victoria Hernandez Scotland Branch

Gill Wyse Surrey Branch 

Brandia Tena-Calderon Sussex Branch

Liz Curtis West Country Branch

Ellen Twist West Midlands Branch

Carole Hunt West Yorkshire Branch

David Kenny Merseyside Branch

Supported by: Sanah Bukhari

Course Accreditation and Development (CRED) Committee

The CRED committee provides a framework for accrediting courses in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy and in Systemic Practice (from Foundation to Supervision level). The accreditation framework for qualifying level and supervision courses are designed to allow for flexibility within clear guidelines. AFT has a long history of promoting high standards of training and the CRED committee has the role of administering the accreditation arm of this work via AFT’s National Accreditation Framework. This framework is outlined in the Blue Book 4th Edition 2015 (Qualifying Level) and the Red Book (amended 2017) (Supervision Level). This guidance has been developed over many years and is designed to allow for local flexibility within clear national quality assured guidelines. The CRED committee regularly updates these documents in consultation with AFT colleagues, to make sure they reflect any changes in educational and practice contexts. The CRED panellists accredit family therapy and systemic practice/psychotherapy trainings from Foundation to Supervision level. A list of AFT accredited training courses is available on the training section of the website. This list shows the status of each course with regard to the accreditation process.

If you have any CRED related queries or are interested in joining, please Contact Us.

Terms of Reference (document)

Chair: Marie McGovern

Committee members:

Heleni Andreadi

Yvonne Ayo

Marion Dixon

Myrna Gower 

Sarah Helps

Joan Lewis  

Esther Usiskin Cohen

Claudia Zitz

Donna Gooding

Supported by: Louisa Tilston

Equality,  Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee

The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee assists the AFT Board by:

• ensuring that AFT addresses issues of inclusivity
• ensuring that AFT has a robust Equal Opportunities, Diversity and Inclusion Policy
• helping AFT to understand its responsibilities in relation to the Government policies on equal opportunities, diversity and inclusion
• supporting members of the association as they reflect on these important issues and blend them seamlessly and ethically into their practice

Contact between committee members is currently by Zoom, email and an annual face-to-face meeting per year, where members of the Ethics committee are invited. The EDI committee also help to plan the AFT annual conference and regularly holds a workshop at this event.

Please see the AFT Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy which can be found on the Policies, Standards and Guidance page.

If you are interested in joining or supporting this committee’s work, please contact us.

Terms of Reference (document)

Chair: Charlotte Chiu

Vice Chair: Anastassis Spiliadis

Committee members:

Keith Oulton

Maya Sacra

Victoria Sharman

Hannah Webb

Supported by: Louisa Tilston

Education, CPD and Training Committee

If you are interested in joining or supporting this committee’s work, please contact us.

Chair: Amy Urry

Committee members:

Susan-Mary Benbow

Chip Chimera

Marion Dixon

Sezer Fahri

Fotis Papadopoulos

Anthony Pennant

Vilma Povea

Judy Rathbone

Shan Tate

Supported by: Antonia Delahunt

Ethics Committee

The focus of the Ethics Committee is to raise standards of ethical practice throughout the Association. We aim to encourage all individuals within AFT to share the responsibility for achieving and maintaining high ethical standards, by supporting members and AFT staff in a consultative role, individually or in groups, in making their own ethical decisions.

The UKCP manages concerns and complaints against a member's practice. The AFT Ethics Committee can assist UKCP in considering the ethical factors affecting systemic practice.

The Ethics Committee aims to collaborate closely with all other committees of AFT, recognising that there is an ethical dimension to the work of all of AFT’s committees.

The Ethics committee is happy to answer queries on any aspect of ethical practice and if you require help, please contact us.

If you are interested in joining or supporting this committee’s work, and are an AFT member, please contact us.

Terms of Reference (Document)

Chair (TBC): Sylvia Metzer

Committee members:

Michelle Carter-Buxton

Tarryn Klotnick

Riikka Kotiranta

Claudia Livesey

Lisa Lowndes 

Sylvia Metzer 

Alastair Pearson

Charlotte Spencer

Bridget Stovoid

Kate Watson

Supported by: Louisa Tilston

Professional Affairs Committee (PAC)

The Professional Affairs Committee (PAC) has over many years worked with employees and employers around employment issues. It has developed job descriptions and terms and conditions which are used by many employers. It also provides a panel of National Assessors to advise employers in relation to jobs and some members of the committee also sit as professional advisors or may agree to work on specific projects. Within the limits of its charitable status, anything AFT does ultimately needs to benefit the public, and it cannot become involved with individual disputes (that is the role of the trade union). However there is clearly much that needs to be done to promote the availability of good family and systemic psychotherapy services within the NHS, Voluntary and Independent Sectors, and the PAC is striving to support these areas with the help of ASPENS. Please see the Employment Support section for more information. 

The vision statement of PAC is to:
P: Promoting the systemic approach in the public, independent and third sector
A: Advising & assisting organisations and AFT members with recruitment and professional queries
C: Contributing to the upholding and improving of standards of systemic practice

The committee meet via Zoom three times a year and communicate though email discussion.

If you are interested in joining or supporting this committee’s work and are a UKCP Registered Family and Systemic Psychotherapist, please contact us.

Terms of Reference (document)

Deputy Chair: Carolann Brown

Committee members:

Richard Clarke

Adam Lewis

Kenyah Nyameche

Rubina Singh

Collette Williams

Supported by: Philip Santana-Reedy

Publishing Committee

The AFT Publishing Committee is responsible, together with the General Editor, Deputy Editor and Publications Manager, for the publication of our highly-acclaimed Context magazine. Context is published 6 times a year, in February, April, June, August, October, and December. The committee liaises with issue editors about themes and content and meets once or twice a year, with the majority of communication via email.

The committee includes members who proofread Context articles, review books, and take part in and moderate post-publication discussion groups. If you would be interested in becoming a committee member or proof reader, please contact us.

Terms of Reference (document)

Chair: Carole Payne

Context Editor: Ged Smith

Deputy Editor: Carole Payne

Committee members:

Chip Chimera

Stuart Delve

Amy Doyle

Katie Drew

Sana Katan

John Hills

Jasmin Izagaren

Dimitris Mouzas

Eleanor Osman

Josie Reeder

Matt Selman

Judy Sutton

TK Vincent

Yoko Totsuka

Sue Whiteley

Caroline Wriglesworth

Supported by: Louise Norris

Registration Committee

The Registration Committee manages applications for recommendation to the UKCP register as Family and Systemic psychotherapists and the AFT list of approved supervisors for recommendation to the UKCP supervisor directory.

This includes development of AFT policies pertaining to UKCP registration, ensuring all entrants to the UKCP register via AFT are supported with meeting the requirements for CPD and UKCP re-accreditation to ensure maintenance of standards and safe levels of practice.

Our intention is for the process to be made as simple as possible. The Registration Committee review applications throughout the year supported by AFT’s Membership Officer. They meet via Zoom conference four times and hold one to two face-to-face meetings per annum. Regular application reviews are also held at the Warrington office when there is a requirement to support the regulatory function.

New committee members are always welcome and membership is open to AFT members who have recognised experience as UKCP registered Family and Systemic Psychotherapists and experience as teachers and/or supervisors. A small honorarium is paid for reviewing applications.

If you are interested in supporting the committee's work, please contact us.

Terms of Reference (document)

Chair: Christiana Young

Committee members:

Paul Anthony

Ros Draper

Renata Gorska 

Denis Lee

Mary O'Neill

Fawzia Kauser

Corale Bogle-Virtue

Supported by: Sanah Bukhari

Research Committee

The Research Committee's aims and objectives are to promote and disseminate systemic research by scoping, making visible, and connecting (where appropriate) research-related activities and initiatives within AFT and the wider systemic community.

If you are interested in supporting the committee's work, please contact us.

Chair: Shan Tate

Committee members:

Susan-Mary Benbow

Marta Costa Caballero

Sarah Helps (Journal Editor)

Hannah Sherbersky (AFT CEO)

Peter Stratton

Andreas Vossler

Supported by: