Event Details

Satinder Panesar made this presentation for The Psychologists Protection Society Trust AGM in Dun Laopghaire, Ireland on the 23rd May 2026.

PPS is grateful to all speakers who contributed to this event. The views expressed during presentations and discussions are those of the individual speakers and do not necessarily represent the views of PPS.

Session Outline

Therapy is often viewed as a place of healing, insight, and transformation, and is a deeply relational process. Yet, even with the best intentions, things can and do go wrong. This presentation invites therapists to explore the less-discussed and often uncomfortable territory of when things go wrong, including ruptures and moments where outcomes fall short of what we hope to provide.

Drawing on themes and real-life reflections from my collaborative book When Therapy Goes Wrong: Learning from Challenges, Improving Practice, this session will examine the factors that contribute to therapeutic difficulties, including interpersonal dynamics, systemic pressures, ethical blind spots, and therapist overwhelm.

This exploration considered the concepts of ownership, accountability, and professional transparency, not from a perspective of blame, but as pathways to strengthened practice, confidence, and client trust. Attendees are encouraged to reflect on indicators of potential complaints, how to prevent them through early recognition, and how relationship-based approaches can support repair when things feel “off track”.

Speaker Information

Satinder Panesar is an Integrative Psychotherapist with over 25 years’ experience across the third sector, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, education, and private practice, working both nationally and internationally. She holds an MA in Integrative Counselling from University of Derby and is an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS).

She is an Individual and Group Clinical Supervisor (University of Strathclyde), Clinical Consultant, and Executive Coach. Her work spans face-to-face and remote practice with young people and adults across the UK and internationally.

Satinder’s areas of interest include trauma-informed practice, culture and tradition, and intersectionality. She has extensive experience supporting professionals and organisations through supervision, reflective practice, coaching, and consultancy, including within NHS services, education, emergency services, SARCs, homelessness, addiction, and migrant support settings. She also works with senior leaders, supporting leadership wellbeing and organisational resilience.

She provides organisational consultancy to develop psychologically informed, reflective, and safe working cultures. She is the author of When Therapy Goes Wrong: Learning from Challenges and Improving Practice, and contributes to wider professional dialogue through writing and speaking engagements. Satinder currently sits on the BACP Healthcare Executive Division (Four Nations), supporting strategic discussions on excellence in counselling, psychotherapy, and supervision.

Born in East Africa and shaped by Indian and African cultural traditions, she brings a deeply relational and culturally informed perspective to her work.