SEA AGM – Sunday 5th July 2026
The Society for Existential Analysis Annual General Meeting 2026
Date & Time: Sunday 5th July 2026, 11am UK Time.
To be held online via Zoom.
OPEN TO MEMBERS ONLY
We warmly invite all members of the Society to attend this year’s Annual General Meeting on Sunday 5th July 2026 at 11am. The AGM will once again be held online via Zoom.
Attending the AGM is free. However, since it is ‘members only’, we ask attendees to book online so that we can monitor numbers and grant ‘dial-in’ access. Please book your place using the link at the end of this notice. Details to access the Zoom meeting will be distributed to registrants the day before the AGM.
This notice sets out relevant information with respect to the following points of business for the upcoming AGM:
- Nominations to membership of the Executive Committee of the Society
- Request for volunteers
- Request for motions
- Request for topics for the Open Forum
- Procedural details on how to make nominations, propose motions, etc.
Nominations to the Executive Committee
Nominations for membership of the Society’s Executive Committee are invited, as we continue seeking to broaden the range of voices contributing to the Society’s management. Being a member of the Executive Committee offers an opportunity to work on the Society’s various projects and to influence its future direction, so please do come forward if you wish to be involved.
In particular, we are seeking nominations for the position of Vice Chair. The role involves the following:
- To provide support to the Chair as needed, acting also as a sounding board and advisor to the Chair on current issues within the organisation.
- To deputise for the Chair at meetings (Executive Committee, CEC, etc) and on other occasions when called upon to do so or when the Chair is unable to attend.
- To undertake or take a lead on key projects, issues or activities that may fall outside the remit of other Executive Committee roles.
The Committee would like to thank the incumbent, Derek Bean, as he steps down from this position. Derek has worked tirelessly as Vice Chair, not merely in support of the Chair, but also in taking on a significant role in various important projects such as the revision of our Standards of Education and Training and the quinquennial review of our accredited training programme at Regent’s University London. Derek has been a consistent voice on the Committee in support of making both the SEA and existential psychotherapy more accessible and inclusive. We are therefore grateful that Derek is seeking re-election as an ordinary member of the Executive Committee, so that his experience and compassionate perspective will endure.
We note that this year’s AGM sees the current Chair, Paola Pomponi, step down and the Chair-Elect, Matthew Henson, take over. The Executive Committee thanks Paola most deeply for all the work she has done and sacrifices she has made for the Society during her two-term tenure. She has led the Committee and the Society with passion, resolve and tenacity, guiding our responses to events such as Covid-19, navigating the changing regulatory landscape, and improving our policies on diversity, equality and inclusion. Paola has led the way on various significant projects during her tenure, including the overhaul of the Society’s website and related architecture and the publication of the hugely successful ‘Dialogues’ series, and she has promoted and expanded the reach of the Society through, amongst other things, appearing at international conferences such as FETE. She has always been willing to ‘get her hands dirty’ in support of other Committee members and help out when needed in ways perhaps not expected of Chair. For these and many more reasons we wish to say – thank you Paola. We are again grateful, as with Derek, that Paola is seeking re-election as an ordinary Committee member, so that her experience and drive will continue to serve the Society. Of course, we also look forward with excitement to Matthew taking over as Chair and wish him, on behalf of the Society, the greatest of luck in doing so.
Should you wish to nominate someone to the Executive Committee please read the details below on how to do so. If you would like more information on what’s involved in being a member of the Executive Committee, please email the Secretary at the address below. Note that nominations for membership of the Executive Committee may only be made for individuals who have been members of the Society for at least one year. Nominations must be received by the Secretary 21 days before the AGM and must be seconded by another member of the Society. Such nominations will be subject to a vote at the AGM.
Voluntary positions
Beyond membership of the Executive Committee, we are always looking for volunteers to be involved in other ways, such as being part of subcommittees that carry out the work of the Society on specific projects or areas of special interest. These include Events, the Student Hub, the Conference, and so on. Any new joiner would of course be supported appropriately as they take on any new role.
Proposals for motions
Alongside nominations to the Executive Committee, proposals for motions to be discussed and voted on at the AGM are also requested. Again, details on how to do this are provided below. Proposals for motions carry a deadline of being received 21 days before the AGM and must be seconded by another member of the Society.
Open Forum Topics
Following the formal AGM proceedings, an Open Forum will take place where members can pose questions and challenges for broader discussion. Members are invited to forward topics they would like raised during the Open Forum in advance to the Secretary (the deadline and guidance on how to do this is provided below).
All communications relating to the AGM, including proposed motions, nominations, and open forum topics, should be made to the Secretary at:
secretary@existentialanalysis.org.uk
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ON THE DAY
Further information now follows on nominations for Chairperson, the Executive Committee, proposing motions, and proposing topics for the Open Forum:
NOMINATIONS TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: If you would like to make a nomination for membership of the Executive Committee, including for Vice Chair, please send the Nomination Form (link below) to the SEA Secretary, to arrive no later than 11am on Sunday 14th June 2026. Note that nominees must have been members of the Society for at least one year, and require both a nominator and seconder. Nominations will be voted on at the AGM. Should you wish to nominate someone and would like to know more about what’s involved, you are invited to email the SEA Secretary for further details.
Link to: Executive Committee Membership Nomination Form
MOTIONS: If you would like to make a motion for discussion at the AGM, then please send the Motion Form (below) to the SEA Secretary. The motion will need to be seconded by another SEA member, and will be set as an agenda item for the AGM. The deadline for receiving motions for the AGM is 11am on Sunday 14th June 2026.
Link to: Motion Form
OPEN FORUM: A members open forum will follow the AGM. If you would like to discuss a specific topic, please send brief details to the SEA secretary by Sunday 14th June 2026.