Sheila Ernst 25th of July 1941 to 6th of February 2015
Sheila Ernst, group analyst, psychoanalyst, psychotherapist, writer, teacher, supervisor, wife, mother, friend. Sheila died on the 6th of February.
Sheila lived and worked primarily in London, but she is equally well known in other places, including the North of England. In the North West, Sheila supported group analysis from its very beginnings. She was a staff member on the early forms of the Introduction to Groupwork Course, and supervisor and general champion of the UKCP-registered training in Manchester, which became the Diploma and later the Manchester Qualifying Course in Group Analysis.
As well as working on the group analytic courses, Sheila supported the group and individual psychotherapy course run by the North West Institute of Dynamic Psychotherapy. Further, she was an international trainer in Italy, Norway and Russia. She ran large groups in Northern Ireland, together with Michael Kelly.
Sheila authored and edited three books and numerous other book chapters and articles. She and I edited together an issue of Psychodynamic Counselling on groups. She held several posts at the Institute of Group Analysis. She taught at Birkbeck College in London.
In sum, Sheila Ernst was a remarkable woman. She made deep impressions on all who knew her. She was extremely generous with her time and concern. She always looked perfect, even when cycling back and forth to the IGA. In groups, she sat very straight in her chair, leaning forward just slightly, paying rapt attention. She always seemed to know just what to say and when. She was clear in her thinking and expression. She knew exactly how to bring together personal, political and social strands together and with great empathy. She had a special talent for saying difficult things simply and well. The IGA nationally and internationally is a very different place for having been Sheila's spiritual home.
For the last six to seven years, Sheila suffered from a neuro-degenerative disease called progressive supra-nuclear palsy (PSP). PSP is a rare brain disorder that causes progressive problems with complex eye movements and thinking. In itself, PSP is not life threatening. It develops slowly. In Sheila, it affected her speech and movement, but not her comprehension.
Sheila's life was celebrated in the IGA just before she died by a meeting where personal contacts from various aspects of her life came together. In this remarkable and unique event, which Sheila attended, participants were invited to share their experiences of Sheila. She listened and responded to each one, both a courageous and moving interchange.
The meeting was informed at the outset that Sheila had decided to end her life at Dignitas in Switzerland, rather than to face the further debilitating effects of the disease. Although this was a shock to many, she was commended for her courage. "It is not courage," she said, "It is lack of courage."
Sheila's funeral will take place on Friday, the 27th of March 2015 at 11 am in St. Marylebone Crematorium, N2 0RZ. Contact Bethan for more details.
Claire Bacha
March 2015
Sheila lives on in her husband, children and written works:
An Introduction to Groupwork: A Group Analytic Perspective with Bill Barnes and Keith Hyde.
In Our Own Hands: A Book of Self-Help Therapy with Lucy Goodison
Living with the Sphinx: Papers from the Women's Therapy Centre co-edited with Marie Maguire
Psychodynamic Counselling Vol 7 No 3 with Claire Bacha
and many other chapters, workshops and conferences.