Aly Thompson Qualifies As A Psychodynamic Psychotherapist: A Milestone for Mosaic

We are thrilled to announce Mosaic’s clinical lead Aly Thompson has qualified in one of the most rigorous and demanding forms of psychological training available in the UK. 

Aly has qualified as a Psychodynamic Psychotherapist through the Association for Psychodynamic Practice and Counselling in Organisational Settings (APPCIOS), with registration by the British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC). 

This achievement is momentous – for Aly personally and for the entire Mosaic community – having someone with that expertise in her position at a fostering agency is extremely rare. 

Only about 2,000 practitioners are listed on the BPC register across all psychoanalytic and psychodynamic disciplines, which means the number of fully qualified psychodynamic psychotherapists is incredibly small.  

What does it take to become a psychodynamic psychotherapist? 

To become a psychodynamic psychotherapist, candidates typically undertake four or more years of parttime postgraduate training, which involves theoretical teaching, supervised clinical practice and continuous personal therapy.   

Some routes, like the APPCIOS top up programme, still require trainees to demonstrate long term infant observation, organisational observation, personal therapy and work with training patients over several years.  

Because of this big time commitment, psychodynamic psychotherapists are relatively rare, and very few work directly within fostering agencies.  

Our research found no other UK fostering agency had an internal clinical lead with this qualification, although a few agencies commission psychodynamic psychotherapists for occasional training. 

Aly’s journey and what it means for our foster families 

Aly describes her qualification as the culmination of many strands – professional, personal and emotional. Top up training was ‘intense and transformative’, requiring her to face her own vulnerabilities, tolerate uncertainty and grow through relationships.  

Through her training at institutions such as Tavistock, Essex University and Play Therapy UK, Aly has always been curious about how people and systems relate and how the inner world meets the outer one.  

She believes the training strengthened her conviction that curiosity is at the heart of care and that therapy, groups and organisations are interwoven rather than separate realms. 

Aly said: “This training has held intensity, humility and moments of quiet revelation. To have this achievement recognised by both APPCIOS and the BPC feels like an affirmation not of a beginning, but of a continuing journey – a renewed commitment to working where minds meet, in therapy, in groups and within the living systems that hold us all.” 

How Aly’s learning sets new benchmark for Mosaic Foster Care’s therapeutic approach 

Greg De Smidt, Mosaic’s Fostering Manager, congratulated Aly and added: “Aly’s dedication to her training and her integration of psychodynamic thinking into our work has played a pivotal role in shaping Mosaic’s therapeutic approach.”  

“Her insight, resilience and visionary leadership ensure we uphold gold standards of care.” 

Aly’s achievement is not just a personal milestone – it sets a new benchmark for Mosaic. We believe psychodynamic thinking enriches every aspect of foster care, from understanding children’s behaviour to supporting foster parents and staff.  

With Aly’s example in mind, we are committed to encouraging all members of our team – including foster parents – to pursue reflective practice and, where appropriate, qualifications along this pathway. By embedding deep psychological insight into our everyday work, we can better support the children in our care and promote their emotional recovery and growth.  

Congratulations, Aly, and thank you for inspiring us all.