Experiences of the therapy environment are rarely studied empirically, but a 'good' environment may contribute to health and well-being (Fenner, 2011; Pressly & Heesacker, 2001). The way in which the environment is experienced in therapy may also have an impact on other aspects of therapy, such as therapeutic relationship and process (Bondi & Fewell, 2003; Fenner, 2011). Both the therapeutic process and relationship are explored in contemporary psycho

Aim The aim of this study was to discover whether menopausal symptoms have implications for counsellors in their therapeutic work. Method Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with three counsellors who have experienced menopausal symptoms. The menopause is a unique experience for the individual. Interpretative phenomenological analysis therefore allowed for a detailed exploration of the participants' experiences. Findings Four superordinate themes were identified: transitioning personal and professional identity during menopause; limited dialogue about the menopause; ethical dilemmas of practising as a counsellor when menopausal; and the influence of menopausal symptoms during client work. The findings demonstrated that participants each had very personal and individual experiences of the menopause. A lack of knowledge and understanding of the menopause and limited dialogue within society to discuss symptoms was also reflected in the counselling profession. The capacity to continue working therapeutically presented potential ethical dilemmas which were affected by menopausal symptoms. Conclusion Counsellors' experiences of menopausal symptoms may create challenges in their therapeutic work, ranging from a mild distraction, a disconnection with a client, to having to cease engaging with client work. Implications for therapeutic practice are discussed.

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Her main current research interests are in qualitative accounts of clients' experiences of counselling and psychotherapy. She has previously worked extensively in research in applied psychology, publishing primarily in the areas of addictions, motherhood and sexuality. She also works as an analytical psychotherapist and psychodynamic counsellor in private practice.""Screaming isolation" When is a chair more than a chair?" Photographic encounters, IPA and capturing out of awareness experiencing: A novel approach to working with temporal, spatial and embodied dimensions."Introduction: This paper focuses on the concept and analysis of photographic encounters which we utilised in an interview study to explore experiences of psychotherapy environments.Design: Our study involves a dual perspective design (a sample of therapists, and a sample of clients). Interviews incorporating photographic encounters were transcribed, and then analysed with Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Participants: Nine therapists and five clients were recruited from a voluntary counselling service in the West Midlands. Two of the therapists first took photographs of the setting. These photographs were used in the study. Interviews involved participants viewing the photographs and then choosing images to discuss. Analysis:A theoretical framework for analysing the photographic encounters was incorporated alongside IPA analysis. We show how photographic encounters facilitated insights about how participants were experiencing new, layered and embodied engagement with the therapy environment. We argue that photographic encounters in qualitative interviews can foster awareness of tacit experiencing, and that IPA is an effective and complementary approach for working with such data. Discussion: Our use of photographic encounters contributes to the existing literature on generating multi-modal accounts of experience using visual methods. This paper also offers a distinctive, conceptually-based framework for use alongside IPA to analyse photographic encounters.