About Us
Our Mission
Back From The Brink aims to improve the lives of as many ‘at risk’ people as possible who have had their lives irrecoverably altered as a result of the loss of their children. We facilitate people to heal emotionally, mentally and physically and to rebuild strong relationships with others across the community, improve their lives and fulfill their potential. Our clients, and mentors reflect vulnerable people from all genders, races, religions, sexuality, nationality and age. Our counsellors and sponsors value and respect all of our members non-judgmentally.
The Team
We are a committee of four trustees sitting on a board who meet 6 times a year and around 20 volunteer therapists and psychotherapists from all over the United Kingdom. We are a not for profit organisation currently undergoing charitable status application.
Due to the fact that many of our volunteers and counsellors have experienced child loss at some time, either directly or indirectly, they have a deep genuine empathetic understanding of the complex issues around:
· Child protection agencies
· Domestic abuse and child contact arrangements
· Mental health and public perception
· The effects of secondary abuse and cPTSD
· Public, private and criminal law
We are currently funding professional qualification of our counsellors with the Human Givens Institute. We clearly state that we operate as trainee psychotherapists only at this stage although we have been practicing for some years in this field. Any therapy given must be done so with the understanding that it is in this capacity only.
We are always looking for more counsellors to join our team.
We have mentors from a variety of backgrounds who have survived the loss of their children and are now part of the mentor programme. They include:
- Mothers and fathers
- LGBTs
- SGOs
- Adopter and foster carers
- Wider family affected by removal
- Ethnic minority groups
- Families living outside of the UK under different legal systems
- Traveler community representatives
What We Cannot Do
It is important that you understand that we cannot offer legal advice or suggest how you handle your case. Please seek legal assistance from your local CAB, legal team, a pro bono solicitor or equivalent for your country. Sadly, we understand the impact of what we are saying. We can signpost in these instances only. We do have knowledge of different laws in England, Scotland and abroad and can empathise with your predicaments as you work within your own countries restrictions.
We also regretfully have to point out that we cannot become involved with getting your children back to you or facilitate contact in any way. We are painfully aware of the difficulties that this presents to clients as they grapple with the realities of family court.
We cannot pay for or engage in interests of loans, legal fees, therapies outside of BFTB therapy, service use costs, costs related to access e.g supervised contact, political or religious activities.
We cannot offer medical advice of any sort. Medical assistance is often patient led giving you the freedom to manage your own treatment. Please seek assistance from your medical team who will discuss your options with you.
We are a non political/religious/profit-making organisation.
We cannot act outside of our insurance and Terms and Conditions parameters. For full details of our policies please see our T & C's and Policies section.
CPD Training
To support our clients and fully understand what they are going through, our team regularly attend CPD training to understand current and incoming new legislation, political agenda and thinking, keep abreast of mental health breakthroughs and keep our ear to the floor with anything that might benefit clients. We also deliver lectures to vulnerable people and professional communities who wish to broaden their awareness and effectiveness in supporting these vulnerable people.
Some recent training we have attended has been:
Gangs and County Lines April 2022
Introduction to Child Exploitation and Trauma Workshop Isabel Santos April 2022
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM): Health, Law, and Socio-Cultural Sensitivity Nov 2021
How to work effectively with Troubled Teenagers March 2021
PREVENT Training September 2021
Level 2 Children Safeguarding Training Update April 2020
Level 2 Adult Safeguard training update April 2020
Woman on Fire Redefining Working in Wellness Wellness With Women May 2019
Compassion Focused Therapy Explored – An ESSENTIAL Coaching Paradigm Shelly Prosko
Why Blood Sugar Management is ESSENTIAL For Management of Menopause Symptoms Claire Snowdon-Darling
From Grief to Grit – Helping Mothers Deal with Loss Sofie Jacobs
Wednesday 8th January 2019 Prevent Training Update
Self Injury Training 15th Jan 2019
Wednesday 30th January 2019 Team Mental Health Awareness
Wednesday 13th March 2019 Children in school and their SEND provision
Coercive Control conference Professor Evan Stark lecture Goldsmiths University of London 24th Nov 2018
Thursday 11th October 2018 Supporting Students with revision Nick Osborne Tuesday 6th November 2018 EAA Evidence Tuesday 4th December 2018 T (Technical) Levels Steve Battersby, Y College
Child Protection Conference Conway Hall 2018
The Use of Experts In Family Court September Legal Education Foundation 2018
Level 2 Mental Health in Vulnerable Adults September 2018 - Feb 2019
Overcoming Trauma and PTSD and cPTSD August 2018
CRUSE Birmingham. Working With Grief. A toolkit. July 2018
Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults July 2018
Transparency Refresher: Do’s and don’t’s and everything every family lawyer needs to be aware of. July 2018
PAUSE Lunch and Learn July 2018
Fathers Need Families Conference 2018
Coercive Control Conference Bristol 2018 June 2018
Theraputic Language 2 day course London June 2018
SOS Nottingham support Group May 2018
PAUSE staff meet BFTB meeting Bristol May 2018
St Johns Chambers Vulnerable Parties and Witnesses and the New Part 3A Bristol May 2018
Annual Training Advocacy Service Provision Taunton 2018
How to Lift Clients Depression training London May 2018
Family Court, counsellor shadow exposure Kent May 2018
OCD training London May 2018
Healing Chronic Anxiety Training May 2018
Standalone Awareness Meeting with vulnerable adults April 2018
Poetry Workshop for Client Healing April 2018
Level 2 Safeguarding Children Training April 2018
Financial resolutions following public official accountability procedures Bristol March 2018
Advanced Safeguarding for Children April 2018
Identifying and using New models for Treating Suicidality Dr Galavan London March 2018
Advocates for Voiceless members of the Community Introduction Feb 2018
How Triple P Parenting can help struggling Parents course January 2018
Family Court:Should privacy trump accountability conference Dec 2017
Matchmothers Meeting London November 2017
Companies House First Time Directors Course Blackfriars August 2017
The Mandala Project Dorchester June 2017
PREVENT training in radicalisation 2016
