MY TOP 40 ALBUMS OF 2013

Following the precedent set by last year's festive post, here are my 'ALBUMS OF THE YEAR 2013'. They're ranked according to a nebulous system balanced somewhere between how many times I've listened to them and my personal and, perhaps, eccentric assessment of their quality....

1. The Besnard Lakes – Until In Excess, Imperceptible UFO
2. Darkside – Psychic
3. James Blake – Overgrown
4. Julia Holter – Loud City Song
5. Jon Hopkins – Immunity
6. My Bloody Valentine – m b v
7. Factory Floor – Factory Floor
8. John Wizards – John Wizards
9. The Haxan Cloak – Excavation
10. Dean Blunt – The Redeemer

11. Foxygen – We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors Of Peace & Magic
12. The Knife – Shaking The Habitual
13. Egyptrixx – A/B Til Infinity
14. Holden – The Inheritors
15. Mount Kimbie – Cold Spring Fault Less Youth
16. White Denim – Corsicana Lemonade
17. Fuck Buttons – Slow Focus
18. Machinedrum – Vapor City
19. Nosaj Thing – Home
20. Gold Panda – Half Of Where You Live

21. Zomby – With Love
22. Deerhunter – Monomania
23. Forest Swords – Engravings
24. Young Echo – Nexus
25. Maxmillion Dunbar – House Of Woo
26. Daniel Avery – Drone Logic
27. Tropic Of Cancer – Restless Idylls
28. Pissed Jeans – Honeys
29. Solar Bears – Supermigration
30. Arcade Fire- Reflektor

31. Pantha Du Prince & The Bell Laboratory – Elements Of Light
32. Four Tet – Beautiful Rewind
33. Savages – Silence Yourself
34. Hyetal – Modern Worship
35. Neon Neon – Praxis Makes Perfect
36. Toro Y Moi – Anything In Return
37. Icarus Line – Slave Vows
38. Vatican Shadow – Remember Your Black Day
39. Youth Lagoon – Wondrous Bughouse
40. Atoms For Peace – Amok

Then we come to my "COMPILATIONS OF THE YEAR 2013", which are ranked along similar lines...

1. Mutazione: Italian Electronic & New Wave Underground 1980 – 1988
2. Metal Dance 2: Industrial, New Wave, EBM Classics & Rareties 79-88
3. Deutsche Elektronische Musik 2: Experimental German Rock and Electronic Musik 1971-83
4. Cosmic Machine: A Voyage Across French Cosmic & Electronic Avantgarde (1970-1980)
5. After Dark II – Italians Do It Better
6. John Talabot – DJ Kicks Mix

And, finally, a number of "HONOURABLE MENTIONS 2013", which all had their merits, but didn't quite cut the 'Top 40' mustard...

Blondes – Swisher
!!! (Chk Chk Chk) – Thriller
Darkstar – News From Nowhere
Washed Out – Paracosm
oOooO – Without Your Love
Moderat – II
Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
The National – Trouble Will Find Me
Umberto – Confrontations
Low – The Invisible Way
Sally Shapiro – Somewhere Else
Laurel Halo – Chance Of Rain

I hope you enjoy sifting through my selections.

David Harford www.harfordtherapy.com

Scottish Transactional Analysis Association Conference 2013

For all those interested in keeping up with the latest developments in the Scottish transactional analysis community, all information on the 2013 STAA Conference to be held on Saturday 2nd November in Edinburgh is available by visiting the following page:
http://www.scottishta.org.uk/staaconferences.htm

Tickets are available for purchase using Paypal from:
http://www.scottishta.org.uk/apps/webstore/

I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible there later in the year.

David Harford www.harfordtherapy.com

Launch of the UK Association for Transactional Analysis (UKATA) Wider Publications Committee (WPC)

As the newly-appointed Chair, I am happy to announce that the inaugural meeting of the UKATA Wider Publications Committee (WPC) took place on Sunday 7th July via the online video calling service provided by Oovoo. Currently comprising seven Committee Members, the WPC aims to raise awareness of transactional analysis theory and practice beyond the confines of the UK therapeutic community and begin to garner interest in both UKATA and individual practitioners' work from other professions, local and national government, local and national media and the general public.

Look out for our launch article in the next edition of UKATA's 'Transactional Analyst' magazine- but, in the meantime, I would be very interested in speaking to anybody within the TA community who thinks they can provide articles (short, long, academic, topical), audio and visual interviews, or expert comment to the media on any subject incorporating the application of TA theory and practice.

I look forward to hearing from you in due course!

For all WPC matters, please contact me on:
wpc@uktransactionalanalysis.co.uk

http://www.uktransactionalanalysis.co.uk

Best wishes

David Harford (Chair)

http://www.harfordtherapy.com

WPC MISSION STATEMENT

The Wider Publications Committee (WPC) aims to raise the profile of TA theory and practice in all four fields of application within local and national media and the wider general public. Through sourcing diverse contributions from across the TA community, supporting those individual contributors to enhance their marketing and public relations skills and by acting as first point of contact for media organisations looking for material, the WPC serves to extend awareness of TA theory and practice beyond the traditional confines of the therapeutic community and invite wider recognition for our valuable work in society.

Parenting and Bipolar Disorder

Please click on the link below to view a thought-provoking and moving article by a mother about the challenges of family holidays, in particular, and parenting in general whilst living with the different phases of bipolar disorder:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-ouch-22395852

It is reassuring to see so many positive responses in the comments section below the article, too, though they also highlight the range of, sometimes, conflicting advice about treatment that individuals receive from different sources. It would appear that bespoke combinations of medication, lifestyle changes, psychotherapy and mutually fulfilling interpersonal relationships all have a role to play- but, contrary to government efforts to manualise treatment for mental health conditions, there is no "one-size-fits-all" standard solution.

David Harford www.harfordtherapy.com

CTA Exam success!

Please find below a link to the ITA Homepage, which features a shot of the successful CTA Exam candidates this afternoon- myself included- gathered after receiving our certificates. A satisfying culmination to almost seven years of worthwhile learning and clinical practice.

http://www.ita.org.uk/pages/home/

David Harford www.harfordtherapy.com

BBC Reports Considerable Increase In Suicides

A multiplicity of factors at play in these sobering statistics, no doubt- economic factors, gender differences, gender scripting, social and cultural change, politics...What does this say about our evolving individual and collective culture?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21141815

David Harford www.harfordtherapy.com

MY TOP 40 ALBUMS OF 2012

For those of you who may be interested in such things, please find below a list of my favourite full-length albums of 2012; listed more, or less in order of preference...

I hope that you find some moments of listening pleasure amongst them.

All the best for 2013 when it comes!

1. Julia Holter – Ekstasis
2. Chromatics – Kill For Love
3. Liars- WIXIW
4. Symmetry- Themes For An Imaginary Film
5. Beach House- Bloom
6. Holy Other- Held
7. Grizzly Bear- Shield
8. Andy Stott- Luxury Problems
9. Vessel- Order Of Noise
10. Actress- RIP

11. Dirty Projectors- Swing Lo Magellan
12. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti- Mature Themes
13. And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead- Lost Songs
14. Bat For Lashes- The Haunted Man
15. Tame Impala- Lonerism
16. Field Music- Plumb
17. Egyptian Hip Hop- Good Don't Sleep
18. Daphni- Jiaolong
19. Hot Chip- In Our Heads
20. The Shins- Port of Morrow

21. The Mars Volta- Noctourniquet
22. Kindness- World You Need A Change Of Mind
23. Memory Tapes- Grace / Confusion
24. Ital- Dream On
25. The Walkmen- Heaven
26. Gatto Fritto- Gatto Fritto
27. Lindstrom- Smalhans
28. Errors- Have Some Faith In Magic
29. Matthew Dear- Beams
30. Laurel Halo – Quarantine

31. Blondes- Blondes
32. Shed- The Killer
33. John Talabot- Fin
34. Scuba- Personality
35. Teen Daze- All Of Us Together
36. Bear In Heaven- I Love You, It's Cool
37. The Soft Moon- Zeroes
38. Who Made Who- Brighter
39. Chilly Gonzales- Solo Piano II
40. Teengirl Fantasy- Tracer

www.harfordtherapy.com