EDITORIAL

As summer is officially here, we await the coming of the sun and warmth, but still switch on the central heating for comfort!

At this time we say farewell to Sarah Kay from the Editorial Board. We have enjoyed her lively creative writing and vivid imagination since 2007 and her presence and skills will be very much missed. We welcome Margaret Brady to the team and look forward to working with her enthusiasm and skills.

The very positive, joyous visit of President Michael D. Higgins to England and dinner at Windsor Castle was truly an historic event to be proud of – and the great Irish culture is now acknowledged and firmly established as part of England’s heritage.

Although very positive events are happening on the planet to resolve and to counteract negativity, the world has seen a number of tragedies directly involving climatic changes. Floods in Ireland and the UK and fires in Australia saw people homeless, losing lifelong possessions and belongings. There were mudslides, earthquakes and tornadoes all bringing out the best in communities striving to assist people in distress.

The mysterious disappearance of Malaysian Airlines MH370 on 8th March with 239 passengers aboard continues to baffle us. The search for the plane has highlighted the fact that dozens of nations, large and small, have satellites in orbit, all having the ability to provide worldwide unity to work together in such a tragedy. This has led to a British firm giving free tracking devices to all aircraft so that this tragedy does not happen again. Compassion goes out to the families of the missing – and also to the families of those who lost their lives in the South Korean ferry that capsized, carrying 462 people, many schoolchildren. The fragility of life, death, grief and compassion are close to us all.

Annie Sampson’s interesting article on training counsellors in Nepal is uplifting but, in the same week that it arrived, 12 Sherpa guides lost their lives in a high altitude avalanche that struck Mount Everest in Nepal at 20,000 feet at Base Camp 3.

Where there is tragedy and negativity there must be action and positivity in order to bring meaning. Our psychotherapeutic works brings healing and hope into the lives of those who are in distress and grieving. We cannot be over-optimistic and minimise the shadow side of the realities of human experience but to heal one person we can help to heal the world.

It can’t have missed your attention that when the Journal arrived through your door today it landed with a lesser noise than usual. This is because the limited number of contributions for consideration of publication did not allow for the usual size journal. The work of the Editorial Board is carried out by voluntary members and we are waiting to pull together issues three times per year. However, and this is where you come in, if the contributions don’t reach us for inclusion it may be necessary for the Editorial Board to consider whether two issues per year is what the membership actually want. Please let us know your wishes either by sending contributions for consideration or by a letter to the Editors with your desires for three or two issues per year.