The story of psychoanalytic, psychodynamic and systemic thought is enmeshed in the story of the T... more The story of psychoanalytic, psychodynamic and systemic thought is enmeshed in the story of the Tavistock and Portman
This paper explores belonging and identity in relation to the privilege of being a second-home ow... more This paper explores belonging and identity in relation to the privilege of being a second-home owner in the Scottish Highlands. It explores the contested and conflicted narratives of belonging, being wanted, and wanting to belong. It explores how some troublesome things (oil rigs and second-homers) that take up space also have less obvious, more contested, and often willful purposes.
We wrote this blog as an immediate response when COVID-19 led to lockdown. In the two weeks betwe... more We wrote this blog as an immediate response when COVID-19 led to lockdown. In the two weeks between writing it and sending it to Context, much has changed. Many of you have emailed with comments and suggestions based on your own evolving practices. By the time this has been published, it is impossible to know how much of the thinking described below will remain the same and what will have changed. What follows is therefore a punctuation, the capturing of some thoughts at a particular moment in time, full of the mania and fear and anxiety that comes from wanting to do something and not being quite sure what to do
For many families, having a child with autism can be a long-term worry and involvement. Parents w... more For many families, having a child with autism can be a long-term worry and involvement. Parents worry how their children will cope beyond the family home and they worry about the impact on their siblings. For parents, siblings, partners and children of people with an Autism Spectrum Condition, there are challenges which can impact on their own wellbeing. Exhaustion, stress, worry and the misunderstandings of others are some of the main issues for both autistic people and their families. Health and social care professionals are often undereducated in the impact of autism in people’s lives and this affects whether and how people with autism and their families feel about approaching services. Because autism is a hidden disability, you can't always tell if someone is autistic. People with autism and their families are often subject to stigma and discrimination, misunderstanding and criticism. Family therapists have a great deal to bring to the world of autism. We specialize in communication, coordination, working with people’s strengths and interests. We work collaboratively with family members to find new ways of going on in our everyday relationships and co-construct a safe reflective space that can lead to change without compromising people’s identities and values. In this chapter, we argue the case for systemic family therapy to be included in the resources offered to autistic people and their families. First, we offer some background information on autism. We discuss trends in autism theory, diagnosis, research and treatment methods and look at how autism can impact on people’s lives. Then, we introduce new systemic theory and practice for working with the impact of autism in families through sharing examples illustrating how systemic family therapy improves communication. Finally, we highlight areas for developing systemic family therapy training, practice and research on autism.
The past 20 years have seen a gradual rise in research about and practice of video- or tele-psych... more The past 20 years have seen a gradual rise in research about and practice of video- or tele-psychotherapy. With the worldwide lockdown imposed in response to Covid-19, the practice of face-to-face systemic psychotherapy using the approaches, methods and techniques that have been carefully developed over the past five decades has become impossible. With an unbelievable rapidity, new methods of providing therapeutic services have been devised and implemented to ensure service continuity. This practice paper describes what has been learnt in the first stages of a rapid quality improvement project exploring the delivery of remote systemic psychotherapy since the lockdown. Reflections were gathered from early-adopter clinicians, based on 21 remote systemic psychotherapy sessions completed during March and April 2020. These responses suggest that that remote systemic psychotherapy has been acceptable and indeed welcomed by clinicians and families and that robust therapeutic work can be do...
This article gives a description of some of the author's systemic practices when working with... more This article gives a description of some of the author's systemic practices when working with young women who have autism spectrum conditions and their families.
Words do not on their own do anything: they do not stand for things, nor represent ideas. They ha... more Words do not on their own do anything: they do not stand for things, nor represent ideas. They have a meaning only in those situations in which living human beings make some use of them in relating themselves to other living human beings.
Millions of people across the world have sickle cell disease (SCD). Although the true prevalence ... more Millions of people across the world have sickle cell disease (SCD). Although the true prevalence of SCD in Europe is not certain, London (UK) alone had an estimated 9000 people with the disorder in 1997. People affected by SCD are best managed by a multidisciplinary team of professionals who deliver comprehensive care: a model of healthcare based on interaction of medical and non-medical services with the affected persons. The components of comprehensive care include patient/parent information, genetic counselling, social services, prevention of infections, dietary advice and supplementation, psychotherapy, renal and other specialist medical care, maternal and child health, orthopaedic and general surgery, pain control, physiotherapy, dental and eye care, drug dependency services and specialist sickle cell nursing. The traditional role of haematologists remains to co-ordinate overall management and liase with other specialities as necessary. Co-operation from the affected persons is...
Based on the most up-to-date research, Child Neuropsychology is a thorough and accessible guide t... more Based on the most up-to-date research, Child Neuropsychology is a thorough and accessible guide to the key concepts and basic processes central to neuropsychological assessment and child evaluation. Essays by leading experts in the field cover basic neuropsychological functions and related disorders in the context of brain development in gestation, infancy, and childhood. Divided into three sections, the text begins with clear definitions of the concepts and methodology of brain development in infant and child neuropsychology. Section two examines normal and abnormal functional development and its impact on language, memory, and perception. The final section considers professional practice and provides valuable insights into the special problems of neuropsychological assessment of infants and children in clinical and educational settings.
The story of psychoanalytic, psychodynamic and systemic thought is enmeshed in the story of the T... more The story of psychoanalytic, psychodynamic and systemic thought is enmeshed in the story of the Tavistock and Portman
This paper explores belonging and identity in relation to the privilege of being a second-home ow... more This paper explores belonging and identity in relation to the privilege of being a second-home owner in the Scottish Highlands. It explores the contested and conflicted narratives of belonging, being wanted, and wanting to belong. It explores how some troublesome things (oil rigs and second-homers) that take up space also have less obvious, more contested, and often willful purposes.
We wrote this blog as an immediate response when COVID-19 led to lockdown. In the two weeks betwe... more We wrote this blog as an immediate response when COVID-19 led to lockdown. In the two weeks between writing it and sending it to Context, much has changed. Many of you have emailed with comments and suggestions based on your own evolving practices. By the time this has been published, it is impossible to know how much of the thinking described below will remain the same and what will have changed. What follows is therefore a punctuation, the capturing of some thoughts at a particular moment in time, full of the mania and fear and anxiety that comes from wanting to do something and not being quite sure what to do
For many families, having a child with autism can be a long-term worry and involvement. Parents w... more For many families, having a child with autism can be a long-term worry and involvement. Parents worry how their children will cope beyond the family home and they worry about the impact on their siblings. For parents, siblings, partners and children of people with an Autism Spectrum Condition, there are challenges which can impact on their own wellbeing. Exhaustion, stress, worry and the misunderstandings of others are some of the main issues for both autistic people and their families. Health and social care professionals are often undereducated in the impact of autism in people’s lives and this affects whether and how people with autism and their families feel about approaching services. Because autism is a hidden disability, you can't always tell if someone is autistic. People with autism and their families are often subject to stigma and discrimination, misunderstanding and criticism. Family therapists have a great deal to bring to the world of autism. We specialize in communication, coordination, working with people’s strengths and interests. We work collaboratively with family members to find new ways of going on in our everyday relationships and co-construct a safe reflective space that can lead to change without compromising people’s identities and values. In this chapter, we argue the case for systemic family therapy to be included in the resources offered to autistic people and their families. First, we offer some background information on autism. We discuss trends in autism theory, diagnosis, research and treatment methods and look at how autism can impact on people’s lives. Then, we introduce new systemic theory and practice for working with the impact of autism in families through sharing examples illustrating how systemic family therapy improves communication. Finally, we highlight areas for developing systemic family therapy training, practice and research on autism.
The past 20 years have seen a gradual rise in research about and practice of video- or tele-psych... more The past 20 years have seen a gradual rise in research about and practice of video- or tele-psychotherapy. With the worldwide lockdown imposed in response to Covid-19, the practice of face-to-face systemic psychotherapy using the approaches, methods and techniques that have been carefully developed over the past five decades has become impossible. With an unbelievable rapidity, new methods of providing therapeutic services have been devised and implemented to ensure service continuity. This practice paper describes what has been learnt in the first stages of a rapid quality improvement project exploring the delivery of remote systemic psychotherapy since the lockdown. Reflections were gathered from early-adopter clinicians, based on 21 remote systemic psychotherapy sessions completed during March and April 2020. These responses suggest that that remote systemic psychotherapy has been acceptable and indeed welcomed by clinicians and families and that robust therapeutic work can be do...
This article gives a description of some of the author's systemic practices when working with... more This article gives a description of some of the author's systemic practices when working with young women who have autism spectrum conditions and their families.
Words do not on their own do anything: they do not stand for things, nor represent ideas. They ha... more Words do not on their own do anything: they do not stand for things, nor represent ideas. They have a meaning only in those situations in which living human beings make some use of them in relating themselves to other living human beings.
Millions of people across the world have sickle cell disease (SCD). Although the true prevalence ... more Millions of people across the world have sickle cell disease (SCD). Although the true prevalence of SCD in Europe is not certain, London (UK) alone had an estimated 9000 people with the disorder in 1997. People affected by SCD are best managed by a multidisciplinary team of professionals who deliver comprehensive care: a model of healthcare based on interaction of medical and non-medical services with the affected persons. The components of comprehensive care include patient/parent information, genetic counselling, social services, prevention of infections, dietary advice and supplementation, psychotherapy, renal and other specialist medical care, maternal and child health, orthopaedic and general surgery, pain control, physiotherapy, dental and eye care, drug dependency services and specialist sickle cell nursing. The traditional role of haematologists remains to co-ordinate overall management and liase with other specialities as necessary. Co-operation from the affected persons is...
Based on the most up-to-date research, Child Neuropsychology is a thorough and accessible guide t... more Based on the most up-to-date research, Child Neuropsychology is a thorough and accessible guide to the key concepts and basic processes central to neuropsychological assessment and child evaluation. Essays by leading experts in the field cover basic neuropsychological functions and related disorders in the context of brain development in gestation, infancy, and childhood. Divided into three sections, the text begins with clear definitions of the concepts and methodology of brain development in infant and child neuropsychology. Section two examines normal and abnormal functional development and its impact on language, memory, and perception. The final section considers professional practice and provides valuable insights into the special problems of neuropsychological assessment of infants and children in clinical and educational settings.
For many families, having a child with autism can be a long-term worry and involvement. Parents w... more For many families, having a child with autism can be a long-term worry and involvement. Parents worry how their children will cope beyond the family home and they worry about the impact on their siblings. For parents, siblings, partners and children of people with an Autism Spectrum Condition, there are challenges which can impact on their own wellbeing. Exhaustion, stress, worry and the misunderstandings of others are some of the main issues for both autistic people and their families. Health and social care professionals are often undereducated in the impact of autism in people’s lives and this affects whether and how people with autism and their families feel about approaching services. Because autism is a hidden disability, you can't always tell if someone is autistic. People with autism and their families are often subject to stigma and discrimination, misunderstanding and criticism. Family therapists have a great deal to bring to the world of autism. We specialize in communication, coordination, working with people’s strengths and interests. We work collaboratively with family members to find new ways of going on in our everyday relationships and co-construct a safe reflective space that can lead to change without compromising people’s identities and values. In this chapter, we argue the case for systemic family therapy to be included in the resources offered to autistic people and their families. First, we offer some background information on autism. We discuss trends in autism theory, diagnosis, research and treatment methods and look at how autism can impact on people’s lives. Then, we introduce new systemic theory and practice for working with the impact of autism in families through sharing examples illustrating how systemic family therapy improves communication. Finally, we highlight areas for developing systemic family therapy training, practice and research on autism.
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Family therapists have a great deal to bring to the world of autism. We specialize in communication, coordination, working with people’s strengths and interests. We work collaboratively with family members to find new ways of going on in our everyday relationships and co-construct a safe reflective space that can lead to change without compromising people’s identities and values.
In this chapter, we argue the case for systemic family therapy to be included in the resources offered to autistic people and their families. First, we offer some background information on autism. We discuss trends in autism theory, diagnosis, research and treatment methods and look at how autism can impact on people’s lives. Then, we introduce new systemic theory and practice for working with the impact of autism in families through sharing examples illustrating how systemic family therapy improves communication. Finally, we highlight areas for developing systemic family therapy training, practice and research on autism.