About Us

The Family Workshop was founded by systemic and family psychotherapists Richard Best and Jan Parker to provide therapeutic and other services to couples, families, children and young people, and to provide training for the professionals who work with them.

The Family Workshop's therapists are fully qualified and experienced systemic psychotherapists

• accredited with the UKCP
• members of the Institute of Family Therapy
• members of the Association for Family Therapy

The Family Workshop defines 'family' as those who define themselves as such. To us, family means people in significant relationships who care about and care for each other.

The Family Workshop welcomes people of all ages and generations and offers services regardless of people's marital status, gender, age, race, religious belief or sexual orientation.

Richard Best BA, CQSW, MSc, UKCP is a UKCP accredited systemic psychotherapist, trainer and supervisor. He has many years' experience working with children, young people, couples and families in the NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service and in independent practice. To contact Richard please call 01273 474248, mobile 07974156236 or email Richard.a.best@Talk21.com. For further details about Richard, see below.

Jan Parker BA, MSc, UKCP is a UKCP accredited systemic psychotherapist. lecturer, trainer and writer. She works with children, young people and families in the NHS 3 days a week. She also sees families, young people, individuals and couples at The River Clinic in Lewes on Wednesdays. Other days and venues may be possible on request. For River Clinic appointments please call 01273 475735 or phone Jan on 07931 726247. For further details about Jan, see below.

More about Jan:

Jan is a UKCP accredited Family and Systemic Psychotherapist, lecturer, trainer and writer. She works mostly in the NHS, as a systemic psychotherapist, with children, young people, individuals, couples and families.

She is also a non-executive board member of the national Association for Family Therapy and a member of the Institute for Family Therapy, London.Jan established The Family Workshop with Richard Best in 2006, offering independent therapeutic services to couples, families and children in Sussex, supervision and consultation to other professionals working with children and families, and family assessments for courts and social care, education and health servicesJan is visiting lecturer on the certificate and diploma courses in family therapy at the Institute of Family Therapy and Birkbeck College, University of London. She also facilitates workshops and training days on Family Therapy, presenting to family therapy students and other professionals at Bristol University’s School for Policy Studies, and to professionals wishing to develop systemic undertstandings and skills in working with children and families at the Dialogue Centre, Hove.

She helped establish the Family and Relationship Counselling service for prisoners and their families at HMP Ford. Her consultancy work for AFT involves her presenting on latest research and practice in systemic work with children, young people and families. She is a founder member of the Sussex Association for Family Therapy.

Jan has published widely in the UK and Europe on relational well-being  and systemic practice with children and families. These include:

Parker J (2008) The Child ‘Without the Problem’: talking with siblings. Context [Magazine of the Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice in the UK], AFT Vol 100

Parker, J and Younge, G (2007): Difference, Discourse and Discomfort. Context. AFT Vol 89

Parker, J, and Wilson, J (2005). ‘Transformative tales’. Interview with Marina Warner, Context 82

‘Happy children’: emotional well-being and resilience in children: The Times, November 15, 2003

'Not as bad as they’re painted’: images and experience of adolescence: The Times, Oct 25, 2003

'A ghost in the family’: impact of sibling death: The Guardian, November 20, 2002.

Raising Happy Children (co-author with Jan Stimpson) Hodder & Stoughton, 1999; revised 2004.

Raising Happy Brothers and Sisters (co-author with Jan Stimpson) Hodder & Stoughton, 2002. Revised:2004. The Independent’s ‘parenting book of the year’ 2002.Both books recommended by Family and Parenting Institute, NSPCC, Young Minds etc