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Wilde McCormick, L., 2012. The 16 + 1 interview. Reformulation, Winter, p.44.
Welcome to the interview - how are you doing?
Well, happy because of my state of mind at the present. I am enjoying being here (at a CAT workshop) having a new experience.
In another life I would have been a… ?
An interior designer. I like colours, shape, form amd beautiful things. I look at the insides of people, but in another life I might have looked at the insides of buildings.
Freud, Jung or Pavlov?
Jung: his interest in the soulful experience and journey of life. I liked that he explored his own breakdown process creatively with stones and wrote about himself generously.
Desert island luxury?
Human voices. I’d have tapes from conversations with people I’ve known so I can hear voices.
Bach, Mahler or Radiohead?
Bach. I like order. It’s more than order in Bach; it’s the combination of clarity and passion. His oratorios are so passionate; I’ve sung in St Matthew’s Passion several times.
Greatest hero / heroine?
Haven’t got a clue….I have to think about that…. Well…. the women of Tasmania who, once their husbands were released from being convicts and were drunk, they tilled the soil and did the work. My father was from Tasmania.
Cat, dog or Nintendo?
Dog. They’re relational and have unconditional positive regard all the time for me. I have a dog called Daisy!
Dream meal?
Either Vietnamese or Thai; rice, fish and vegetables.
Who are you in the ‘CAT Village’?
I’m an ‘oldie’; the early birds were called “golden oldies” – not sure what that says now! I am privileged to have known Tony Ryle in the early days. I have a perceived role about trying to keep the ‘heart’ in CAT.
Why did you become a psychotherapist?
Seemed a natural progression from the things I was interested in, to do with mind and behaviour.
Who has been the biggest influence on the way you work?
Tony Ryle; his directeness, warmth, generosity. Also Nina Coltard was my Freudian supervisor for 5 years; she believed in me and we had a very good relationship and she is also a Buddhist. Nowadays I would add people like Jack Kornfield and Mark Epstein who are also Buddhist psychotherapists, teachers and writers.
Recommended reading?
“A path with Heart” by Jack Kornfield, as a collection of wise stories and experiences.
What do you hope to achieve with clients?
Greater connection with the healthy self.
How do you try to achieve this?
Listening, exploring, taking risks.
What do you mean about risks?
I always think interventions are risks; maybe that’s not the right word; adventuring into new experience with them. The risk is trying something new.
What is your number one CAT concept?
Collaboration; because it is in relationships; it is a relational concept.
What do you see as a challenge for CAT in the future?
Two things: 1) keeping its open, related versatility and 2) also getting it better known in all sectors.
Follow/Up:
What question do you wish we had asked?
The missing bit is something about mistakes, regrets. But I don’t think that this is important…… maybe.
Thank you and Goodbye!