Observation, reflection and containment: A psychoanalytic approach to work with parents and children under five.

The contemporary relevance of psychoanalysis is being increasingly questioned; Off the Couch challenges this view, demonstrating that psychoanalytic thinking and its applications are both innovative and relevant, in particular to the management and treatment of more disturbed and difficult to engage patient groups. Chapters address: clinical applications in diverse settings across the age range the relevance of psychoanalytic thinking to the practice of CBT, psychosomatics and general psychiatry the contribution of psychoanalytic thinking to mental health policy and the politics of conflict and mediation. This book suggests that psychoanalysis has a vital position within the public health sector and discusses how it can be better utilised in the treatment of a range of mental health problems. It also highlights the role of empirical research in providing a robust evidence base. Off the Couch will be essential reading for those practicing in the field of mental health and will also be useful for anyone involved in the development of mental health and public policies. It will ensure that practitioners and supervisors have a clear insight into how psychoanalysis can be applied in general healthcare

Early experience, developmental tasks and the blossoming of the capacity to learn

Illustrations from one infant observation are used to discuss the early development of the capacity to learn and develop the mind. A description of the psychoanalytic theory of learning beginning with Freud and moving to Klein, Bion and Winnicott is the theoretical context for the illustrations. The paper moves on to discuss hypotheses about the baby’s mental and cognitive development. The baby and his mother are able, the author suggests, to work through a less than ideal start to their relationship and to learn together in a way that fosters creative learning from experience

Where did that come from? Countertransference and the Oedipal triangle in family therapy

Family systems therapists are uncomfortable using psychoanalytic terms. This reluctance restricts discussion of therapeutic process. How does one describe, for example, the therapist’s subjective experiences of the patient or family? Psychoanalysts call this countertransference yet there is no equivalent word commonly used in systemic practice. Therapists who avoid the word may also avoid the experience and thereby risk losing sight of fundamental clinical events

Refugees, trauma and adversity-activated development

The nature of the refugee phenomenon is examined and the position of mental health professionals is located in relation to it. The various uses of the word 'trauma' are explored and its application to the refugee context is examined. It is proposed that refugees' response to adversity is not limited to being traumatized but includes resilience and Adversity-Activated Development (AAD). Particular emphasis is given to the distinction between resilience and AAD. The usefulness of the 'Trauma Grid' in the therapeutic process with refugees is also discussed. The Trauma Grid avoids global impressions and enables a more comprehensive and systematic way of identifying the individual refugee's functioning in the context of different levels, i.e. individual, family, community and society/culture. Finally, I discuss implications for therapeutic work with refugees

Democratising strategy

Synopsis: In this book, each contributor describes the way they use the systemic model in their consultancy practice. Their key ideas are illustrated via a case example (or examples), where possible including detailed accounts of the exercises and techniques they use inspired by systemic thinking. They conclude with a evaluation of the work, pinpointing its strengths and weaknesses and what the contributor learned from it as well as how it might be developed or applied in other situations

The operationalized psychodynamic diagnostics system. Clinical relevance, reliability and validity

In this paper, we present a multiaxial system for psychodynamic diagnosis, which has attained wide usage in Germany in the last 10 years. First we will discuss the 4 operationalized psychodynamic diagnostics (OPD) axes: illness experience and treatment assumptions, relationships, mental conflicts, and structure, then clinical applications will be outlined. Focus psychodynamic formulations can be employed both with inpatients and with outpatients. Studies show good reliability in a research context and acceptable reliability for clinical purposes. Validity will be separately summarized as content, criterion, and construct validity. Validity studies indicate good validity for the individual axes. Numerous studies on the OPD indicate areas of possible improvement, for example for clinical purposes the OPD should be more practically formulated

Scoping capacity to deliver practice learning for social work students in statutory mental health settings

This project aimed to explore and evaluate current provision and promote further developments of statutory practice learning opportunities in mental health settings, including Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services(CAMHS)