Faculty of Medical Psychotherapy Annual Conference 2026 - Body Mind Integration
Dr Robert BaxterMedicMess Tips
- Poster submissions close at 11.59pm on Monday 29 June 2026.
- Abstracts must be no more than 250 words and structured under Aims and hypothesis, Background, Methods, Results and Conclusions.
- The conference is in-person only and is not being recorded or livestreamed.
- CPD is listed as 1 point per hour of eligible content, subject to peer group approval.
- Conference dinner tickets are listed separately at GBP 50 per person.
- Book Oxford accommodation early; Lady Margaret Hall has limited B&B rooms listed for 2 and 3 September at GBP 118.50 per night.
| Category | Price |
|---|---|
| Standard registration | £530 |
| Trainee / IMT | £300 |
| Medical student | £160 |
| Specialty | Psychiatry |
| Organising society | Royal College of Psychiatrists Faculty of Medical Psychotherapy |
| Conference format | In-person only |
| Location | Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford, Oxford |
The Faculty of Medical Psychotherapy Annual Conference 2026 will take place on Thursday 3 and Friday 4 September 2026 at Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford. The conference theme is “Body-Mind Integration”, with sessions exploring the relationship between psychological, physical, social and relational aspects of health and clinical practice.
Day 1 — Thursday 3 September 2026
The first day opens with registration, welcome and introductions from the Academic Secretaries, Organising Committee and patient/carer representatives. The morning begins with a session on psychedelic treatment models, focusing on how therapeutic frameworks are set, discussed and reflected upon in this emerging area of practice. Speakers include Professor Guy Goodwin, Dr Jonny Martell and Chris Palmer.
Later in the morning, the programme turns to the links between trauma, adversity and violence, with talks on childhood adversity and the risk of later violence by Dr Gwen Adshead, followed by women and violence from Anna Motz, Consultant Clinical Psychologist.
The afternoon includes a session on medically unexplained symptoms, delivered by Dr Alexis Economou and Dr Phil Davidson, followed by a trainee-focused session featuring short poster presentations and medical student essay prize-giving. The day ends with parallel sessions: an experiential group facilitated by Dr Alasdair Forrest, or self-care using compassion with Dr Beena Rajkumar and Dr Graeme Whitfield. A conference party follows in the evening for those with pre-booked tickets.
Day 2 — Friday 4 September 2026
Day 2 begins with registration and the Annual General Meeting, followed by a welcome session. The morning programme includes “Unheard: the medical practice of silencing and what this means for medical psychotherapy” by Dr Rageshri Dhairyawan, and “Silver hands – a gift when the mind cannot bear the body” by Dr Susan Mitchell, Group Analyst.
The late morning features repeat parallel sessions from Day 1, allowing delegates to choose between the experiential group and self-care using compassion. After lunch, the programme offers three parallel workshop options: psychodrama with Dr Lisle Scott, mind-body and nature in a changing climate with Dr Pamela Peters, Dr Nora Gribbin, Dr Marion Neffgen, Dr Dasal Abayaratne and Dr Louise Robinson, or art therapy with Jacky Pearce. These workshops are repeated after a short changeover, allowing delegates to attend more than one option.
The conference concludes with a session on supervision of supervision by Dr Emma Hotopf and colleagues, followed by closing comments from the Academic Secretaries, Organising Committee and patient/carer representatives. The conference formally closes at 5.00pm.