In this episode of TherapyTalks, I’m joined by Jim Hutton, Chair of the IACP’s EDI Committee, for a reflective conversation about volunteering within the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.

We explore volunteering not as an obligation or extra task, but as a form of connection — to the profession, to shared values, and to ourselves. Jim reflects on his experiences at both regional and national levels, how volunteering has shaped him as a therapist, and what it has offered him personally in terms of belonging, growth, and meaning.

This episode is for anyone who has ever wondered whether volunteering is “for them”, and for those curious about the quieter ways community sustains professional life.

Chris talks with Ravind Jeawon, Jude Coughlan of the EDI Committee of the IACP and Dr Ray O Neill about all things Equality, Diversity and Inclusion as they discuss the upcoming Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Conference on the 22nd November. They talk about the power and privilege that exists within the profession and the importance of recognising this as we meet clients. Power and safety are important themes that were explored in relation to the work of psychotherapy. Another important talking point was the concept of equity and how for many people there is not an equal starting point. This was an insightful conversation with much to think about and much to do!!

Chris talks about grief and loss and shares his experiences of losing his parents and his lovely cat and trying to make sense of the journey of his grief using Worden's tasks of grief as theoretical navigation. He looks at the 4 tasks that Worden and outlines and explored his experiences and the ongoing ness of his grief. He makes the distinction between normal grief and complicated grief.