Following the success of the 2025 reflective retreat, ASLI's next reflective retreat will be held on 18th April 2026. 

Read more about the event and presenters here. 

The training rationale and context: 

Accumulative stress, burnout and trauma are features which can be evidenced within many employment settings and particularly where there is high demand and low control (Karasek 1979). 

Public sector professions are often cited as examples of high levels of stress and burnout which can result in early departure from a profession; Maddock (2024); Bahlman-van Ooijen, Wilmieke et al (2023); Breaugh (2021); McKinley et al (2020); Burrow, Williams, and Thomas (2020); Kinman, Clements and Hart (2017).   

Alongside this, there is growing evidence of these features within the arena of sign language interpreting; Ballinger (2025; 2024a; 2024b; 2023); Rodríguez (2022); Dean and Pollard (2021); Schwenke, Ashby, and Gnilka (2014); Dean and Pollard (2001).   

As a profession, we have over recent decades, seen increasing growth in the development of theories, frameworks and qualifications to support our practice, for example; education/training & assessment programmes, national occupational standards, NRCPD registration requirements (including CPD and code of conduct), professional membership bodies, union membership, formal peer/professional support e.g. professional supervision, mentoring, coaching, counselling.   

However, within this context, it is important that we afford ourselves the time and space to reflect and evaluate, professionally and personally.   To take stock of our current ‘positioning’ and design our future focus.  To create a space which provides for us to move along a continuum of subjective-objective reasoning, identifying the skills and attributes we hold both as individuals and as professionals is vital because fundamentally, our daily professional practice involves engaging with and processing the ideas, agency and behaviour of other people.  

Maintaining a healthy balance between our professional practice role/s and our personal aspirations, is a crucial factor in the tool-kit towards professional and personal well-being and ultimately, promoting a fulfilling and productive working life.   

The focus of this ‘retreat day’ will incorporate theories/tools, strategies, discussion and break-out activities and will comprise:  

1) Morning: Within the context of practice standards (e.g. NOS) consider a range of reflective tools, models and practical activities as ‘interventions’ which can help us to understand, navigate, evaluate practice, find alternative solutions and support our responses (internal/external) in managing work-place related pressures.  

2) Afternoon: to empower participants with tools to support pro-active design and management of career and personal development opportunities incorporating; a range of practical frameworks for skill set identification, gaps, potentials for transferability/diversification to promote a flexible and adaptable working life and career longevity.  

Note:  the training location provides a conducive environment for a ‘retreat day’ with additional space for participants to move outside of the training room for time out, reflective discussions etc.