| Code | BPS/GB/89 |
| Name | The British Psychological Society; Psychotherapy Section; 1919- |
| Corporate Name | The British Psychological Society |
| Subordinate | Psychotherapy Section |
| Dates | 1919- |
| Parallel Name | Section of Medical Psychology and Psychotherapy 1976-1988 |
| Other Names | Medical Section 1919-1988 |
| DatesAndPlaces | London |
| Address | Leicester |
| Relationships | Clinical Psychology |
| Activity | Founded in 1919 as the Medical Section (one of the first three Sections of the British Psychological Society). It was renamed the Section of Medical Psychology and Psychotherapy in 1976, and became the Psychotherapy Section in 1988.
The first meeting of the Medical Section was in 15th May 1919. The British Journal of Psychology-Medical Section was founded 1920, renamed British Journal of Medical Psychology first 14 volumes (1922-1934), editor T. W. Mitchell. [In 1952 the Editor was J D Sutherland. Since 2001 it has been known as The Journal of Psychology and Psychotherapy, Theory, Research and Practice.]
At the inaugural lecture of the Medical Section on 15th May 1919, Dr W. H. R. Rivers gave a paper called "Psychology and Medicine", (Brit. J.Psychol. Vol.10, 183-193)
By the 1930s a small number of lay psychotherapists and a few lay clinical psychologists were admitted to the Section.
In 1955 the Chairman of the Section proposed that its aim should be "to further the understanding of disturbances of human behaviour, and their treatment, in terms of the psychological processes involved".
Some members of the Section, however, wished this aim to be broadened, and others thought that the Section should be split into two sub-sections, one concerned with the bearing on medicine of psychoanalysis and related systems, the other concerned with the bearing on medicine of psychology in general.
A Committee of inquiry consisting of Past Presidents of the Society, was appointed by the Council in December 1956, and two months later, after hearing evidence, it recommended that the function of the Section should be to "to consider and discuss any aspect of medical psychology, whether approached from a "dynamic", clinical, experimental, physiological or other point of view".
This recommendation led to a letter from 10 past Chairmen of the Section, suggesting that it was "particularly important to the life of the Section to ensure that entry rights and status are afforded primarily to those, both medical and non-medical, whatever their formal qualifications, whose basic interest is in psychotherapy".
It also led the Committee of the Section, with the approval of the members of the Section, to formulate its aims as being "to further the understanding of disturbances of human thought, feeling and behaviour, their psychopathology and treatment and to discuss these in terms of the psychological processes involved.
This formula was then submitted to the Council and the Committee of Past presidents, and, after further discussions, agreement was reached in 1958 on a modified version, which was incorporated in the Section's Draft rules, which also reflect agreement between the Council and the Section on qualifications for membership of the Section and on the procedure for admitting new members.
Medical Section ( from 1925 the Chair gave an address at the AGM)
1919 Chair W H R Rivers
1920 Hon Sec E N Snowden
1921 Hon Sec E N Snowden
1925 Chairman James Glover (Divergent Tendencies in Psychotherapy)
1926 Chairman Bernard Hart (The Conception of Dissociation)
1927 Chairman J A Hadfield (The Reliability of Infantile Memories)
1932 Chairman M E Eder
1933 Chairman G Graham Howe
1934 Chairman John Rickman
1936 Chairman Sylvia Payne
1937 Chairman H Crichton Miller
1938 Chairman E A Bennett
1939 Chairman Denis Carroll The Psychotherapy of Psychoses
1946 Chairman E B Strauss
1947 Chairman W R Bion
1948 Chairman D W Winnicott
1950 Chairman H V Dicks
1951 Chairman Michael Fordham, Hon Sec Dugmore Hunter
1952 Chairman J D Sutherland, Hon Sec R D Scott
1953 Chairman D R MacCalman Hon Sec R D Scott
1954 Chairman E Stengel, Hon Sec R D Scott
1955 Chairman Michael Balint
1956 Chairman T Ferguson Rodger Hon Sec A B Plaut
1957 Chairman T F Main Hon Sec A Plaut
1958 Chairman D Russel Davis, Hon Sec D M Willis
1959 Chairman A Plaut Hon Sec D M Wills
1960 Chairman Murray Jackson, Hon Sec D M Wills
1961 Chairman J Sandler, Hon Sec D M Wills
1962 Chairman J Sandler, Hon Sec D M Wills
1963 Chairman Stuart Prince, Hon Sec Victor B Kanter
1964 Chairman L H Rubinstein, Hon Sec Victor B Kanter
1965 Chairman Emanuel Miller, Hon Sec Victor B Kanter
1966 Chairman Paula Heimann, Hon Sec Victor B Kanter
1967 Chairman John Klauber, Hon Sec Victor B Kanter
1968 Chairman A Storr. Hon Sec W Kraemer
1969 Chairman Victor Kanter Hon Sec W P Kraemer
1970 Chairman John Redfern Hon Sec K C Lambert
1971 Chairman W P Kraemer Hon Sec K C Lambert
1972 Chairman Rosemary Gordon Hon Sec Emanuel Lewis
1973 Chairman Kenneth C Lambert Hon Sec Emanuel Lewis
1974 Chairman Emanuel Lewis, Hon Sec L M Zinkin
1975 Chairman Christopher Dare Hon Sec L M Zinkin
The Medical Section was renamed the Section of Medical Psychology and Psychotherapy in 28 May 1975.
Psychotherapy and Medical Section
1977 Chair H Gill Hon Sec Christopher Dare
1978 Chair Camilla Bosanquet Hon Sec Tom Caine
1979 Chair H J Tollinton Hon Sec Tom Caine
1980 Chair Christopher Reeves Hon Sec Monica Lawlor
1981 Hon Sec H J Tollinton
1982 Hon Sec H J Tollinton
1983 Hon Sec Anthea Keller
1984 Hon Sec Anthea Keller
1985 Chair Bill Barnes Hon Sec Ingolf Gudjonsson
1986 Chair Peter Clarke Hon Sec Ingolf Gudjonsson
1987 Chair D Smail Hon Sec Ingolf Gudjonsson
Psychotherapy Section in 1988.
This section is the successor of the Medical Section (renamed the Section of Medical Psychology and Psychotherapy in 1976) and Section of Medical Psychology and Psychotherapy which was renamed the Psychotherapy Section in 1988.
Committee Membership 1988
Miller Mair (Chair and Council Representative)
Phil Salmon (Chair-Elect)
David Smail (Vice-Chair)
Richard Marshall (Secretary and SAB Representative)
Bill Barnes (Treasurer)
Ingolf Gudjonsson (Membership Secretary)
Cassie Cooper (Editor of Newsletter)
Gillian Dunkley (Publicity)
Rachael Davenhill (Committee Member)
Committee Membership 1989
Phil Salmon (Chair)
Miller Mair (Vice-Chair and Council Representative)
Anthea Keller (Chair-Elect)
Bill Barnes (Treasurer)
Richard Marshall (Secretary and SAB Representative)
Ingolf Gudjonsson (Membership Secretary)
(Co-opted)
David Smail
Gillian Dunkley
Adele Kosviner
Dave Pilgram
Cassie Cooper
Committee Membership 1990
Anthea Keller (Chair)
Dorothy Rowe (Chair elect)
Phillida Salmon (Vice-Chair and Membership Secretary)
Tony Prior (Treasurer)
Louise Lyon (Co-opted, Hon. Secretary)
Janet Bostock (Publicity Officer)
Eric Bromley (SAB Representative)
Cassie Cooper (Co-opted, Editor of Newsletter)
Adele Kosviner (Co-opted, Council Representative)
David Smail
Miller Mair
David Pilgram
Committee Membership 1991
Dorothy Rowe (Chair)
Anthea Keller (Vice-Chair)
Cassie Cooper (Chair elect & Editor of Newsletter)
Tony Prior (Hon. Treasurer)
Louise Lyon (Hon. Secretary)
Janet Bostock (Publicity Officer)
Eric Bromley (SAB Representative)
Adele Kosviner (Co-opted, Council Representative)
Phil Salmon (Membership Secretary)
Miller Mair
Phil Mollon
Committee Membership 1992
Cassie Cooper (Chair)
Dorothy Rowe (Vice Chair)
Adele Kosviner (Chair elect)
Tony Prior (Treasurer)
Louise Lyon (Secretary)
Phil Salmon ( Membership Secretary)
Janet Bostock (Publicity Officer)
Eric Bromley (SAB Representative)
Peter Clarke
Ann Malkin
Richard Marshall
Phil Mollon
Committee Membership 1993
Adele Kosviner (Chair)
Cassie Cooper (Vice Chair)
John Marzillier (Chair elect)
Tony Prior (Treasurer)
Louise Lyon (Secretary)
Janet Bostock
Peter Clarke
Lucy Johnstone
Ann Malkin
Richard Marshall
Phil Mollon
Committee Membership 1994
John Marzillier (Chair)
Eric Bromley (Chair elect)
Adele Kosviner (Vice Chair)
Tony Prior (Treasurer)
Richard Marshall (Secretary)
John Birtchnell
Lucy Johnstone
Ann Malkin
Co-opted
Cassie Cooper
Ralph Goldstein
Elie Godsi
Committee Membership 1995
Eric Bromley (Chair)
David Smail (Chair Elect)
John Marzillier (Vice Chair)
Elie Godsi (Treasurer)
Richard Marshall (Secretary -died whilst in office)
Kate Anderson (Secretary-elected later part of year (May))
Cassie Cooper (Co opted)
John Birtchnell
Ralph Goldstein
Lucy Johnstone
Kate Anderson
(Report of the Psychotherapy Section not included in the BPS 1995 Annual Report, the above details were taken from BPS Psychotherapy Section 1995 minutes)
Committee Membership 1996
David Smail (Chair)
David Winter (Chair Elect)
Eric Bromley (Vice Chair)
Kate Anderson (Secretary)
Ralph Goldstein
Elie Godsi (Treasurer)
Cassie Cooper
John Birtchnell
Andrea Pound
Dilys Davies
Members of the committee not included in the Psychotherapy Section report (BPS 1996 Annual Report), the above details were taken from BPS Psychotherapy Section 1996 minutes)
Committee Membership 1997
David Winter (Chair)
Emmy van Deurzen (Chair Elect)
David Smail (Vice Chair)
Elie Godsi (Treasurer)
Dilys Davies (Secretary)
Ralph Goldstein (Membership Secretary)
Cassie Cooper
Andrea Pound
John Rowan
Manya Merodoulaki
Yvonne Searle
Committee Membership 1998
Emmy van Deurzen (Chair)
Miller Mair (Chair Elect)
David Winter (Past Chair)
Dilys Davies (Secretary)
Elie Godsi (Treasurer)
Cassie Cooper
Manya Merodoulaki
Ralph Goldstein
John Rowan
Yvonne Searle
Andrea Pound
Committee Membership 1999
Miller Mair (Chair)
Emmy van Deurzen (Past Chair)
Tony Prior (Chair Elect)
David Winter
Dilys Davies (Secretary)
Elie Godsi (Treasurer)
Cassie Cooper
Manya Merodoulaki
Ralph Goldstein
John Rowan
Phil Salmon
David Smail
Committee Membership 2000
Tony Prior (Chair)
Miller Mair (Past Chair)
Trevor Butt (Chair Elect)
Kate Anderson (Secretary)
Committee Membership 2001
Trevor Butt (Chair)
Tony Prior (Past Chair)
Dilys Davies (Chair Elect)
Kate Anderson (Secretary)
Ralph Goldstein (Treasurer)
Elie Godsi
David Smail
Richard Alexander
John Rowan
Cassie Cooper
2002 Chair Dilys Davies
2003 Chair Ernesto Spinelli
2004 Chair Ernesto Spinelli
2005 Chair Phil Richardson
2006 Chair Margaret Target
2007 Chair Diane Clare
2008 Chair Angela Douglas
2009 Chair Angela Douglas
2010 Chair Angela Douglas
2011 Chair Adrian Hemmings Hon Sec Rachel Varley
2012 Chair Rudi Dallos Hon Sec Rachel Varley
2013 Chair Rudi Dallos Hon Sec D'Arcy
2014 Chair Ho Law Hon Sec Zara Rahemtulla
2015 Chair Steven Heigham Hon sec Zara Rahemtulla
2016 Chair Steven Heigham Hon sec Zara Rahemtulla
2017 Chair Steven Heigham Hon Sec Zara Rahemtulla
2017-19 Chair Joanna North Hon Sec Darjit Sandhu
2019-21 Chair Philip Cox Hon Sec Darjit Sandhu
2023 Chair Zenobia Nadirshaw Hon Sec Ho Law
Sources: The above information was taken from the relevant BPS Annual Reports. |
| Related Name | BPS/GB/90 |
| Notes | Other papers given in the early years of the Section include:
11 June 1919 The Generation and Control of Emotion, by Dr. A. E. Carver
29 October 1919 Suggestion and Suggestibility, by Dr. E. Prideaux
26 November 1919 The Psychology of Child Education, By Mmme Maria Montessori [Joint Meeting with the Education Section]
27 December 1919 Some Physical Signs of Unconscious Wishes, by Dr. W. H. B. Stoddart
21 January 1920 Recent Advances in Psycho-analysis, by Dr. Ernest Jones
18 February 1920 The Revival of Emotional Memories and its Therapeutic Value, by Drs.William Brown, William McDougall and C. S. Myers
28 April 1920 Psychological Adaptation, by Constance Long
12 May 1920 Left Handedness and Mental Deficiency, by Dr. Hugh Gordon
20 October 1920 Some Biological Aspects of Sexual Repression, by J. C. Flugel
22 December 1920 Psychology and the Unconscious, by Dr.T. W. Mitchell
The Problem of the Neurasthenic Pensioner, by Dr. M. Culpin
Emotion and Eye Symptoms, by Dr. T. Inman
The Influence of the Endocrines in the Psycho-neuroses, by Dr. Langdon Brown
The Affect in Dreams, by Dr.W. H. R. Rivers
[The Proceedings from the first meeting (14 May 1919) to the end of 1933 are given in The British Journal of Medical Psychology, vol. 13, Part 4, for the year 1934; in vol. 14, p. 365, for 1935 in vol. 16, p. 341, for the years 1936, 1937, 1938 in vol. 18. Part 2, pp. 2834, and for the years 1939, 1940, 1945, 1946 and 1947 in Vol. 21, part 1, p. 80. |
| Source | Record is to be updated at a later date |
| Bio sources taken from the Society's website www.bps.org.uk accessed 21/05/2005 and from various contributions found in the Bulletin of the British Psychological Society. |
| Conventions | International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR (CPF) - Ottawa 1996 ISBN ISBN 0-9696035-3-3
National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 |