As a community and as individuals, therapists walk the clinical tightrope between what they know works well enough, and developing new ways of working. They are doing this against a current background of contraction of NHS and other psychotherapy services, plus NICE guidelines that do not seem to recognise the validity of what they do. Such developments constitute a crisis that threatens private practice as well. This 'battle for the soul' can either stifle theoretical development and innovation or stimulate it. The first of the three themes of this workshop involves an in-depth exploration from all angles of 'the relational turn' in therapy practice and asks if this offers a way through these struggles or is in itself a constraint. Most therapists want to be involved in a process of mutual transformation. But the risk is that the focus on relationship leads to an approach that is rather cautious and conformist, as with all innovations that become the new doctrine.

Therapists are often more at home with the absent, inadequate or punitive father than with the contribution of the father who is present. The father uses his body in the furtherance of the erotic, aggressive and social potential of his children - and he himself gets something back in return that is of huge value but often overlooked. It is very difficult to discuss fathers without also thinking of men and masculinity and Andrew will present some ideas here designed to assist therapists in their everyday practice. Clinical dilemmas from therapeutic work with lone parents and single-sex parents (which therapists in clinical practice have to face more and more) will be addressed and prejudices challenged.

A structured approach to the sexual/sexualised states therapists experience will be offered to enable a deeper understanding of what is going on when desire is experienced in the intersubjective space. The purpose of this session is to help the therapist not to pull down the emotional shutters, but to continue working safely, ethically and congruently with the client whilst experiencing sexual feelings in a contained and responsible manner. Clinical experience will be discussed to illustrate the complexity of this challenge, and how a relational stance can offer a way through situations that can otherwise result in a breach of trust.