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In the footsteps of Bick: Continuing the legacy of infant observation
No full textEsther Bick was intensely passionate about her work, which she pursued with a single minded focus and dedication. Her best-known contribution to psychoanalysis was her development of infant observation, which still underpins child psychotherapy training not just at the Tavi but around the world.
Esther Bick’s pioneering legacy continues. In this 100 years of the Tavistock and Portman talk, Dilys Daws and Alexandra de Rementeria shared their first-hand experience of learning and teaching infant observation. Dilys Daws was taught by Esther Bick and Alexandra by Dilys. The two presenters talked about the central role observation plays in their clinical work and in their writing for parents. This talk will appeal to students and practitioners of child and adolescent psychotherapy and all those working with children and families. This event was chaired by Kathryn Fenton.
For 100 years, the Tavistock and Portman has proudly been at the forefront of exploring mental health and wellbeing. From attachment theory and infant observation, to applying psychoanalytic and systemic approaches in varied settings, our ideas have led to changes in care, education, how organisations work and beyond.
Our Centenary Festival is celebrating our history and exploring contemporary issues in relation to identity, relationships and society. It is considering how we continue to draw on our heritage to provide valuable responses to contemporary and future problems from the perspective of equality and inclusion
Psychoanalytic thinking in organisational settings and the therapeutic community tradition
No full text"I feel ... I feel different": A psychosocial exploration of trainee Educational Psychologists' experiences of personal and professional change over their doctorate training
Get PDFThe available literature has shown that the topic of trainee educational psychologists’ (TEPs) experiences of training has been explored predominately through the structures of course content reviews, supervision and evaluations of frameworks and tools. This research chose to take a different approach and studied the psychosocial experience of training. This exploratory study used the method of thematic analysis with a psychosocial lens for the purpose of exploring TEPs’ experiences of personal and professional change over their doctoral training. A psychosocial position was taken by the researcher, complementing the psychoanalytic concepts of the unconscious and the ‘defended subject’ and the ‘defended researcher’. This psychosocial position in line with the methodological approach, enabled the researcher to consider both the psychological and social aspects that influence the TEPs’ experiences of change, but also the intersubjective dynamic within the research interviews for both the participant and researcher. The interviews were ten in total, five third year participants each took part in two semi-structured interviews. Through the free association narrative interview (FANI) technique, the researcher facilitated the participant to explore what came to mind around their experiences of change, and through a second interview the researcher was able to return to the rich content of the first interview and reflect on this further. A reflective research diary was used to record the researcher’s personal responses to all aspects of the research. The findings provide a rich account of five connected themes that were generated from the data: journey; challenges and painful learning; developing educational psychologist (EP) identity; nurture and containment and navigating the course impact on personal relationships. The strengths and limitations of the study are discussed, together with its implications
How do parents of children with autism who have received intensive child psychotherapy view the treatment now
Get PDFThis retrospective study focussed on the parents of children with autism, aiming to
understand more about the meaning they made of their experience of intensive child
psychotherapy. Historically within the field, psychodynamic treatment has been
viewed as judgemental. There is currently debate, both inside and outside the
profession, about the aims and value of child psychotherapy for such children. A
literature review revealed limited research on parents’ views of intensive
psychotherapy for children with autism.
Three mothers participated in semi-structured interviews. The resulting data was
analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis which allowed for an in depth exploration of the complexity of parents’ relationships with the intervention.
Three themes emerged: the first highlighted the experience and impact of loss; the
second showed differing relationships with feelings and the self; the third illuminated
relationships with help and change.
The study found that parents of children with autism can experience a powerful
sense of loss and may begin therapeutic work in the midst of a trauma. The findings
suggested that parents’ relationship with intensive child psychotherapy is likely to be
complex. Parents communicated that the help they and their child received led to an
improved quality of life.
The study highlights a need to pay attention to parents’ vulnerabilities when they
initially engage and to stay connected to the impact of loss throughout the
intervention. Recommendations include a consideration of the needs of the parent as
well as the child through careful assessment. There is support for flexible models of
treatment. The findings suggest the appropriate nature of child psychotherapy as part
of a multiagency package of support for families of children with autism and point to a
need to raise the profile of the intervention amongst other parents, within the
discipline and across the wider provision
How even the most deprived and traumatised children can be helped: Gianna Polacco Williams interview
No full textGianna Polacco Williams on her life's work as a child psychotherapist and the key theories and ideas she has developed - Double Deprivation and No Entry Defences are discussed here and the application of psychoanalytic work in non-clinical contexts.
Gianna is a Consultant Child Psychotherapist and Psychoanalyst and is one of the most respected and incisive clinicians in child mental health today.
Her paper ‘Doubly Deprived’ (Henry, 1974), written as Gianna Henry, broke new ground. It became an instant classic and is still one of the most quoted papers in child psychotherapy. The significance of this paper cannot be underestimated. It sparked research into psychotherapy with traumatised children, leading to publication of ‘Psychotherapy with severely deprived children’, edited by Mary Boston and Rolene Szur. Before it was published there was a widely held belief that severely deprived children could not be helped with psychotherapy.
The concept of Double Deprivation suggests that the first deprivation is that which has been caused by a child’s external circumstances which cannot be changed. The second deprivation is due to a child’s internal defences which have developed in the avoidance of psychic pain and the nature of the child’s internal objects, which with treatment can be modified and so is changeable.
In this interview she talks about Martin, the 14 years old patient who was the source of her ideas, and why the concepts she wrote about then are as relevant today.
She also discusses in depth one of her other key theoretical ideas, the ‘No Entry’ defence, an illuminating concept in understanding the development of some eating disorders
An early intervention framework for emotional health and wellbeing of unaccompanied minors
No full textNew perspectives on UASC health and interventions: Beyond Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Get PDFAn outline of new ways of understanding and working to improve the health of unaccompanied asylum seeking children
The Tavistock century: 2020 vision
No full textA fascinating review of Tavistock development from the early post-war years to the current time, containing original insights from past and present staff.
Gathering together an incredible array of contributors from the past century of the Tavistock to cover all aspects of amazing work they do. With chapters from David Armstrong, James Astor, Andrew Balfour, Fred Balfour, Sara Barratt, David Bell, Sandy Bourne, Wesley Carr, Andrew Cooper, Gwyn Daniel, Dilys Daws, Domenico di Ceglie, Emilia Dowling, Andrew Elder, Caroline Garland, Peter Griffiths, Rob Hale, Sarah Helps, Beth Holgate, Juliet Hopkins, Marcus Johns, Sebastian Kraemer, James Krantz, Mary Lindsay, Julian Lousada, Louise Lyon, David Malan, Gillian Miles, Lisa Miller, Mary Morgan, Nell Nicholson, Anton Obholzer, Paul Pengelly, Maria Rhode, Margaret Rustin, Michael Rustin, Edward R. Shapiro, Valerie Sinason, Jenny Sprince, John Steiner, Jon Stokes, David Taylor, Judith Trowell, Margot Waddell, and Gianna Williams
The Tavistock Century traces the developmental path taken from the birth of a progressive and inspirational institution. From their wartime and post-war experience, John Rickman, Wilfred Bion, Eric Trist, Isabel Menzies, John Bowlby, Esther Bick, Michael Balint, and James Robertson left us a legacy of innovation based on intimate observation of human relatedness.
The book contains entries across the full range of disciplines in the lifecycle, extending, for example, from research to group relations, babies, adolescents, couples, even pantomime. It will be of enormous value to anyone working in the helping professions; clinicians, social workers, health visitors, GPs, teachers, as well as social science scholars and a host of others who are directly or indirectly in touch with the Tavistock wellspring