Mercury Conference
Forthcoming Conference: 3 October 2026 in Temple Lodge, London. Please email us if you want to attend.
One day Conference for Anthroposophic Psychotherapists and Counsellors:
Neurodiverse Identity: Diagnosis and Etheric Consciousness, the Michaelic Path.
This topic arises out of our continuing interest in the ‘I' in recent conferences as well as a number of cases brought in the Mercury Peer Supervision meetings (which meets every two months) where the desire has been expressed to look at these cases more fully within a general theme of neurodivergence.
Neurodiversity is a term of recent origin applied to those who are seen, or who see themselves, as dissimilar from the mainstream, according to certain neurological or developmental differences. It is also an umbrella term for several more specific diagnoses such as ADHD and Autism. There seems to be a desire to protect these conditions and a particular concern for the human rights of those exhibiting them. Although such terms are used to assert individual identity, the desire for community is also apparent.
Anthroposophy can give us a broad and rich approach to these issues, for example though the understanding of 'The Fall of the Cosmic Intelligence' and the need to exercise more Michaelic thinking.
We will explore some of these themes at the conference via casework, both specifically and generally.
This event is for practicing anthroposophic psychotherapists, counsellors and biographical counsellors to share our research questions arising out of our professional work with clients, in our clinical practice.
Preparatory reading:
The Mission of the Archangel Michael. Nov 30th, 1919, GA194.
Anthroposophical Leading Thoughts Oct 12th 1924, GA26
17-18 April 2026 in Stroud Mercury-UKAACP and PABC held a conference The “I” and the “Other”.
This was the third in a series of conferences looking at how the ‘I’ manifests and develops itself through contact with life’s circumstances. And how we care for the ‘I’ in this intercourse.
Our first conferences in 2024 looked at meeting, freeing and safeguard the ‘I’. Our second last year concerned itself with the role of health and illness in the development of the ‘I’ and how illness can both strengthen and make the ‘I’ more supple as it builds resilience. This began to raise questions about the ‘I’ and ‘the other’ and it is that we want to look at more fully in our upcoming conferenceA particular reference will be to the lectures of late 1922/early 1923 where Steiner speaks about the spiritual communion of mankind and especially“Awakening to the Community” Lecture VI (27th February 1923). What implications arise for the therapeutic relationship where we find ourselves in intimate soul spirit communication with another and a communication which may, on occasions, resemble a communion?
The conference included conversation, shared questions, examples from clinical work, artistic work, and movement to connect deeper with our experiences of this essential theme. Over and above Mercury and PABC members, we warmly invited those active in other therapeutic professions to join us.
2-3 May 2025, in Stroud, we held a very successful conference, together with the PABC:
Topic: The Role of Health and Illness for the Developing of the I.
Following our successful Conference in April 2024 (Meeting the I, Freeing the I, Safeguarding the I) we continued developing the theme of working with the I in Anthroposophic Psychotherapy and Biographical Counselling.
At this Conference we explored the role and meaning of Health and Illness for the developing of the I, always with an eye on the question of what do Anthroposophy and Spiritual science offer to mainstream therapies and to the needs of our time.
We had explorations, conversations, shared examples from our clinical work and from our life, had artistic work/movement to connect deeper with this theme.
We invited Mercury and PABC members and also colleagues who are practicing within helping professions, social work, medicine and nursing who brought their own understanding, research and questions on this theme.
Past events:
In 2024 we held two Conferences
5 October 2024, London, UK:
Professional Conference/workshop. This was an event for practicing anthroposophic psychotherapists and counsellors and biographical counsellors to share our research questions arising out of our professional work with clients, in our clinical practice. We were building on the themes of the previous conference, which we had in April this year. “Meeting the I, Freeing the I, Safeguarding the I. What does this mean for our times? Explorations in Anthroposophic Psychotherapy and Biographical Counselling”.
In October we had time for two “Presentations from our practice”, each of which was followed by a contemplation space and conversation amongst peers, with the aim to achieve more objective view of what has been presented, while all the time considering how our anthroposophic understanding may be extending the conventional psychotherapy and counselling.
5-6 April 2024, Stroud UK:
Meeting the I, Freeing the I, Safeguarding the I. What does this mean for our times? Explorations in Anthroposophic Psychotherapy and Biographical Counselling.
During this conference we will explore how in Anthroposophic psychotherapy and Biographical counselling we work with the mystery of the human I, how we understand it and how we understand its language in the experiences personally and professionally.
What are the ways we relate to the I and how we meet it at different life stages and in our responses to life events? What do Anthroposophy and Spiritual science offer to mainstream therapies and to the needs of our time?
The conference will include conversations, shared question and examples from our clinical work, artistic work/movement to connect deeper with our experiences of this essential theme.
For the first time this conference is held by Mercury-UKAACP and PABC together. We cordially invite Mercury and PABC members and colleagues who are practicing within helping professions and would like to bring their own understanding, research and questions on this theme.
2023 Conference took place 7th October 2023 in Temple Lodge, London. We continued working with the theme of the previous conference. ‘Working with clients on the Threshold. Supporting clients unconsciously approaching the threshold at this time of consciousness soul development.’
The Conference was held in collaboration with the Professional Association of Biographical Counsellors (PABC).
2022 Conference: was rescheduled from October 2022 - to 28th January 2023.
We focused on the the theme of meeting with clients is a threshold experience requiring counsellors and psychotherapists to bring internal resources and personal qualities into the service of the client. During this conference we discussed these resources and qualities through sharing and discussing experiences of the therapeutic relationship.
Two previous conferences were held in Emerson College, Forest Row, East Sussex.
2021 Conference: Title: Here is the human being truly understood. Understanding what this means for us as counsellors and psychotherapists.
2019 Conference: Title: Working with traumatic effects in the individual. Nationalistic and sexual impulses in our time.
