the Psychology Spot

PACE for parents and carers

2013-03-21T02:36:00.002-07:00

Yesterday marked the 4th and final session of our initial PACE workshops of 2013 for parents and carers.

Recovery from trauma is a long process and key to this is developing the relationships between children and their foster carers or adoptive parents. Since January we have teamed up with just short of 60 adoptive parents and foster carers from across the South West to support them in tackling the challenges they face in building these relationships. We have done this through introducing the concepts of PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy) developed by the American Psychologist, Dan Hughes (see his most recent book, written jointly with UK Psychologist Kim Golding, for a great exploration of this approach; Creating Loving Attachments: parenting with PACE to create loving attachments, 2012).

PACE is a highly successful parenting approach for working with children who have experienced trauma in their attachment relationships. Sessions were facilitated by our experienced clinical psychologist, Dr Emma Greatbatch. The principles of PACE were introduced and participants were given the opportunity to reflect on their own experiences of trying to use the approach and to learn from their fellow participants.

Our next PACE session will take place on 1st May, when we will welcome professionals working in the field of Fostering and Adoption to join us in exploring the use of PACE in supporting the parents and carers they work with. The workshop will take place over a full day and we are excited that we have been commissioned to deliver this workshop in-house on behalf of other agencies over the coming months.

As a practice there are several others ways in which we seek to support parents and carers to strengthen and build the relationships with their children:

We offer various direct therapeutic services for children, young people and their families such as DDP, Theraplay, Sensory Integration Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing (EMDR), Family Systems Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. The therapy offered will depend on the difficulties presented and on a psychological formulation, or understanding, of these, which is developed during an initial consultation with one of our psychologists.

We also offer assessment as a standalone service where this is helpful for the planning of placements or support services, or where an assessment can help a network to better understand a child’s presentation. We offer various types of psychological assessment including assessment of children’s attachment styles and relationships, and full cognitive assessment, both of which can be helpful to carers and parents in meeting the needs of the children they care for.

If you are interested in attending any of our future PACE workshops, or would like details of our bespoke training events, please email sam.morley@psychologyassociates.org.uk or call 0845 026 7260.

NHS Change Day 2013

2013-03-13T07:12:00.004-07:00

NHS Change Day is aiming to bring together the innovative thoughts thousands of NHS staff to improve care for patients, their families and their carers.

Here at Psychology Associates we are supporting Dr Alys Cole-King and her pledge to share the message that we can get through distress and suicidal thoughts.

Alys along with her colleagues recently devised the new College of Emergency Medicine Mental Health Toolkit which promotes compassionate assessments of anyone who attends ED with suicidal thoughts or following self-harm. The tool kit was launched at the College of Emergency Medicine at the end of February and can be viewed here.

As of 10.30am this morning over 130,000 pledges had already been made. You can read more the pledges and messages of support here.

We’d love to support further pledges aiming to tackle mental health issues so please let us know your pledge by commenting below.

International Women’s Day 2013

2013-03-08T04:17:00.000-08:00

"The story of women's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights" Gloria Steinem

Today mums, aunties, sisters, daughters, wives and grandmothers across the globe are celebrating what marks the 100th International Women’s Day. Here at Psychology Associates we wanted to take time to consider some of the great female figures who are inspirations to us.

Camila Batmanghelidjh is a psychotherapist and founder of The Kids Company. For 17 years Camila has lead her organisation fighting to help and support vulnerable children across London who are faced with emotional and mental health difficulties, homeless, sustained trauma and substance misuse to name just a few. As psychologists we experience too often some of the vulnerable situations which children and young people are sadly exposed to – Camila works with such energy and passion to remove children from these cruel surroundings and is an inspiration.

A second female figure who has been at forefront many of our minds of late is Malala Yousufzai. Malala is a Pakistani school girl who was shot by the Taliban in October 2012 for advocating girls' education. Malala has become renown around the world for her levels of courage and bravery in campaigning for female rights for education, a basic human right for most of us. As another inspirational figure Malala continues to hold her beliefs that young women in Pakistan should be able to pursue their dreams of education despite being a victim of the Taliban.

Take a few minutes this afternoon to find out how women across the world are celebrating:

http://www.internationalwomensday.com/

Self Injury Awareness Day 2013

2013-03-05T06:34:00.000-08:00

Today is Self Injury Awareness Day.

Self injury is often misunderstood and hidden. Sometimes it is the only way we seem to be able to cope with difficult experiences and emotions. Sometimes it is a way of communicating how bad we feel when words don’t seem enough or don’t seem to get through to others. Thankfully there are a number of different therapeutic interventions, such as those we offer, and organisations available to help and support people across the life span who maybe experiencing these difficulties.

LifeSIGNS (Self Injury Guidance & Network Support) for example is one of a number of organisations who work hard to raise awareness. The charity also provide information and support to people of all ages who are affected by self-injury and are urging people to take a look at some of the small things people can do to make a difference.

If you want further information it may help to visit their website which provides a voice to people who self injure; as well as information for families, friends, schools and/or colleges. We have particularly found the fact sheets very helpful in sessions with young people and their families.

Alternatively if you wish to arrange an appointment with one of our team of Clinical Psychologists please call us on 0845 026 7260 within usual office hours.

HMP Aylesbury TV Series - what do we think?

2013-02-26T09:15:00.000-08:00

Following last night’s second part of the observational documentary filmed in HMP Aylesbury, young offenders institution, viewers witnessed some difficult scenes. We support the view that young offenders have often had very challenging early lives due to abuse and neglect, resulting in difficulties in developing healthy attachments and thus in self-soothing and feeling safe. This impacts on every aspect of life: managing emotions, developing healthy relationships, dealing with stress, being able to focus and pay attention. Things are changing very gradually and there is lots we can do to help.

We support the development of youth offender systemic approaches based around attachment which help the young persons to develop trust, to manage emotions and to gain self-confidence, rather than perpetuating the neglect they experienced in early life.

You can watch the documentary here: https://www.itv.com/itvplayer/her-majesty-s-prison-aylesbury

New experts join our team

2013-02-21T04:14:00.002-08:00

Our practice is delighted to welcome 4 new associates to our team of expert clinical psychologists.

Dr Rachel Clarke is an accredited psychotherapist and registered social worker based in the South West of England. Rachel provides capacity assessments, cognitive assessments, parenting assessments and forensic assessments, as well as offering therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing.

Dr Maggie Cormack joins Psychology Associates offering adult mental health and therapy services also across the South West of England. Maggie has extensive experience in training and research and in recent years her clinical expertise has included community adult mental health services and cardiac rehabilitation.

Clinical psychologist Sharon Collins offers specialist services for people who are affected by complex trauma, injury related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and various difficulties. She provides assessments and interventions such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. Sharon is able to take on cases in the South West, the Midlands and also Wales.

Dr Susan Vivian-Bryne offers expert witness services for civil, criminal and child-care proceeding - specialising in assessment of risk for violence and sexual offending, personality disorder and psychopathy, cognitive functioning and mental health difficulties. Susan also provides assessments for mentally disordered offenders in secure or prison settings.

All of our psychologists are CRB checked; they are registered with the Health & Care Professions Council, and have the appropriate professional indemnity insurance.

To instruct one of our experts, to view full CV’s or to find out more about timescales please call Nicola in our Clinical Administration Team on 0845 026 7260.

The Compass Therapy Centre opens up to students this University Mental Health and Wellbeing Day

2013-02-20T05:54:00.001-08:00

Today on University Mental Health and Wellbeing Day 2013 Psychology Associates are ensuring that individuals living and working in Higher Education throughout Devon and Cornwall are aware of our specialist services which can help individuals with personal, emotional and psychological concerns.

The Compass Therapy Centre is run by our very own Dr Mary Welford, Clinical Director of Therapy Services and founding member of the Compassionate Mind Foundation (please see notes to editor). Mary is supported by our team of expert clinicians who work across the lifespan and also in collaboration with a range of other ethical organisations to offer a range of therapy services to help improve psychological well being.

The Centre is committed to making psychological services more accessible for people living and working close to our practice in Cornwall and offers reduced rates for therapy sessions starting from £20 per hour. The therapy sessions can help support both students and teaching professionals who are experiencing signs of anxiety, depression, stress, trauma or any other mental health issues which are affecting their academic performance, work life or day to day lives.

Our clinicians will offer an initial consultation then based on the information discussed they will then recommend and offer the most suitable therapeutic approach.

If you would like to find out more about the therapies we offer, or if you are concerned about someone, please call us on 0845 026 7260.

Successful and Schizophrenic by Elyn Saks

2013-01-28T08:49:00.001-08:00

Wrirren By ELYN R. SAKS

Published: January 25, 2013

LOS ANGELES

Angie Wang

THIRTY years ago, I was given a diagnosis of schizophrenia. My prognosis was “grave”: I would never live independently, hold a job, find a loving partner, get married. My home would be a board-and-care facility, my days spent watching TV in a day room with other people debilitated by mental illness. I would work at menial jobs when my symptoms were quiet. Following my last psychiatric hospitalization at the age of 28, I was encouraged by a doctor to work as a cashier making change. If I could handle that, I was told, we would reassess my ability to hold a more demanding position, perhaps even something full-time.
Then I made a decision. I would write the narrative of my life. Today I am a chaired professor at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. I have an adjunct appointment in the department of psychiatry at the medical school of the University of California, San Diego, and am on the faculty of the New Center for Psychoanalysis. The MacArthur Foundation gave me a genius grant.

Although I fought my diagnosis for many years, I came to accept that I have schizophrenia and will be in treatment the rest of my life. Indeed, excellent psychoanalytic treatment and medication have been critical to my success. What I refused to accept was my prognosis.
Conventional psychiatric thinking and its diagnostic categories say that people like me don’t exist. Either I don’t have schizophrenia (please tell that to the delusions crowding my mind), or I couldn’t have accomplished what I have (please tell that to U.S.C.’s committee on faculty affairs). But I do, and I have. And I have undertaken research with colleagues at U.S.C. and U.C.L.A. to show that I am not alone. There are others with schizophrenia and such active symptoms as delusions andhallucinations who have significant academic and professional achievements.

Over the last few years, my colleagues, including Stephen Marder, Alison Hamilton and Amy Cohen, and I have gathered 20 research subjects with high-functioning schizophrenia in Los Angeles. They suffered from symptoms like mild delusions or hallucinatory behavior. Their average age was 40. Half were male, half female, and more than half were minorities. All had high school diplomas, and a majority either had or were working toward college or graduate degrees. They were graduate students, managers, technicians and professionals, including a doctor, lawyer, psychologist and chief executive of a nonprofit group.

At the same time, most were unmarried and childless, which is consistent with their diagnoses. (My colleagues and I intend to do another study on people with schizophrenia who are high-functioning in terms of their relationships. Marrying in my mid-40s — the best thing that ever happened to me — was against all odds, following almost 18 years of not dating.) More than three-quarters had been hospitalized between two and five times because of their illness, while three had never been admitted.

How had these people with schizophrenia managed to succeed in their studies and at such high-level jobs? We learned that, in addition to medication and therapy, all the participants had developed techniques to keep their schizophrenia at bay. For some, these techniques were cognitive. An educator with a master’s degree said he had learned to face his hallucinations and ask, “What’s the evidence for that? Or is it just a perception problem?” Another participant said, “I hear derogatory voices all the time. ... You just gotta blow them off.”

Part of vigilance about symptoms was “identifying triggers” to “prevent a fuller blown experience of symptoms,” said a participant who works as a coordinator at a nonprofit group. For instance, if being with people in close quarters for too long can set off symptoms, build in some alone time when you travel with friends.

Other techniques that our participants cited included controlling sensory inputs. For some, this meant keeping their living space simple (bare walls, no TV, only quiet music), while for others, it meant distracting music. “I’ll listen to loud music if I don’t want to hear things,” said a participant who is a certified nurse’s assistant. Still others mentioned exercise, a healthy diet, avoiding alcohol and getting enough sleep. A belief in God and prayer also played a role for some.

One of the most frequently mentioned techniques that helped our research participants manage their symptoms was work. “Work has been an important part of who I am,” said an educator in our group. “When you become useful to an organization and feel respected in that organization, there’s a certain value in belonging there.” This person works on the weekends too because of “the distraction factor.” In other words, by engaging in work, the crazy stuff often recedes to the sidelines.
Personally, I reach out to my doctors, friends and family whenever I start slipping, and I get great support from them. I eat comfort food (for me, cereal) and listen to quiet music. I minimize all stimulation. Usually these techniques, combined with more medication and therapy, will make the symptoms pass. But the work piece — using my mind — is my best defense. It keeps me focused, it keeps the demons at bay. My mind, I have come to say, is both my worst enemy and my best friend.

THAT is why it is so distressing when doctors tell their patients not to expect or pursue fulfilling careers. Far too often, the conventional psychiatric approach to mental illness is to see clusters of symptoms that characterize people. Accordingly, many psychiatrists hold the view that treating symptoms with medication is treating mental illness. But this fails to take into account individuals’ strengths and capabilities, leading mental health professionals to underestimate what their patients can hope to achieve in the world.
It’s not just schizophrenia: earlier this month, The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry posted a study showing that a small group of people who were given diagnoses of autism, a developmental disorder, later stopped exhibiting symptoms. They seemed to have recovered — though after years of behavioral therapy and treatment. A recent New York Times Magazine article described a new company that hires high-functioning adults with autism, taking advantage of their unusual memory skills and attention to detail.
I don’t want to sound like a Pollyanna about schizophrenia; mental illness imposes real limitations, and it’s important not to romanticize it. We can’t all be Nobel laureates like John Nash of the movie “A Beautiful Mind.” But the seeds of creative thinking may sometimes be found in mental illness, and people underestimate the power of the human brain to adapt and to create.
An approach that looks for individual strengths, in addition to considering symptoms, could help dispel the pessimism surrounding mental illness. Finding “the wellness within the illness,” as one person with schizophrenia said, should be a therapeutic goal. Doctors should urge their patients to develop relationships and engage in meaningful work. They should encourage patients to find their own repertory of techniques to manage their symptoms and aim for a quality of life as they define it. And they should provide patients with the resources — therapy, medication and support — to make these things happen.
“Every person has a unique gift or unique self to bring to the world,” said one of our study’s participants. She expressed the reality that those of us who have schizophrenia and other mental illnesses want what everyone wants: in the words of Sigmund Freud, to work and to love.

A law professor at the University of Southern California and the author of the memoir “The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness.”

Source: New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/27/opinion/sunday/schizophrenic-not-stupid.html?_r=0

Adoption blogs

2013-01-23T04:23:00.002-08:00

We’ve recently stumbled upon a couple of new blogs written by adoptive parents which we would like to share with our readers. We found them through recommendation of Sally Donovan.

The One Hand Man

http://www.theonehandman.co.uk/

The Puffin Diaries

http://thepuffindiaries.wordpress.com/about/ - (We particularly enjoyed reading your recipe page!)

Thanks Sally for the recommendation!

Please feel free to share some of your regular reads below...

Barnardo’s Fostering and Adoption week 2013

2013-01-23T03:16:00.002-08:00

Today marks day 1 of Barnardo’s annual Fostering and Adoption week.

With the UK’s child adoption list having recently reached 7,000 (the highest since 2007) and a recruitment target 9,000 foster carers, Barnardo’s 2013 campaign is very much centred at raising awareness of the reasons as to why some children are not being adopted and encourages people to consider becoming a foster carer or adoptive parent.

Barnardo’s kick started their campaign this morning by projecting images of children on the V&A Museum of Childhood in London. The images highlighted the difficulties which are stopping children from finding their new families. You can see the campaign underway here: www.barnardos.org.uk/news/Barnardo8217s_Fostering_and_Adoption_Week/latest-news.htm?ref=85514

As a private psychology practice we are always looking at ways to support new carers and adoptive parents which our specialist services as we understand how difficult it can be to help a child recover from a traumatic experience. The role of a psychologist can play an integral part in helping to shape new healthy relationships between a child and their foster carers or adoptive parents and we offer a number of different services to support the fostering and adoption process.

Our Clinical Psychologists, Dr Emma Greatbatch is running a 2 day PACE workshop in Plymouth on 6^th and 20^th March. The sessions are specifically designed for adoptive parents and foster carers whose children have experience trauma in their attachment relationships. You can find our more about our PACE training here: www.psychologyassociates.org.uk/events/97.pdf

If you would like to find out more about the psychological services which we offer in fostering and adoption, or if you are concerned about a child please call us on 0845 026 7260.

New support staff vacancies

2013-01-18T04:34:00.003-08:00

We have just announced two new job vacancies within our practice. If you have any questions please call us on 0845 026 7260.

Business Manager

Salary: £27,000 - £30,000 per annum

Due to reorganisation we have an exciting opportunity for a dynamic, motivated team player to join our practice in Saltash. The successful candidate will administratively manage the practice and have experience of working in a similar level role. We require applicants to understand our sector and have knowledge of the sensitivities. Experience of competitive tendering, PBR and other business development activity an advantage. The post holder will be a motivating manager, have excellent networking skills, be creative, a good communicator, flexible, personable and want to grow with the practice.
The role is subject to an enhanced CRB check and references.

Call Sarah on 0845 026 7260 for a recruitment pack.

Closing date: 4^th February at midday
Interview date: 11^th February

Administration Assistant

Salary: £13,500 per annum

This excellent opportunity is a full time administration role within an expanding company based in Saltash and will include a variety of tasks. Therefore, the ideal candidate will be professional, helpful and organised and be able to demonstrate the following:

Strong communication and interpersonal skills
Excellent all-round administration skills
Diary management with the ability to multi task
Comprehensive knowledge of Microsoft Office and strong typing skills

The role will be working closely with the company directors and administration team, so a strong work ethic and a friendly can do attitude is key.

The role is subject to an enhanced CRB check and references.

Closing date: Friday 1^st February 2013
Interview: Friday 15^th February 2013

To apply send your CV with a handwritten covering letter to 41-43 Lower Fore Street, Saltash, Cornwall, PL12 6JQ

Clinical Lead for Therapy, Dr Mary Welford to hold event on integrating CFT with familiar CBT approaches

2012-12-28T05:45:00.000-08:00

Dr Mary Welford, founding member and chair of the Compassionate Mind Foundation will lead the training session, How to integrate Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) within familiar CBT approaches on 19th February (2.30-4.30pm) at the Guildhall, Saltash. You can find out more by emailing samantha.hastings@psychologyassociates.org.uk or visit our training & events page http://www.psychologyassociates.org.uk/training/events.aspx to download the flyer. The cost for the training is £20.00

The Adandoned Illness - a report by the Schizophrenia Commission

2012-11-14T06:43:00.003-08:00

The Schizophrenia Commission have today published their latest report; the abandoned illness.

The report demonstrates the need for more intervention early on and that psychological therapies such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy can significantly help individuals who suffer with psychosis and other symptoms of mental health.

With Schizophrenia affecting more than 220,000 people in England alone this means that one in six people will have symptoms of psychosis, such as hallucinations, at some stage of their lives - it remains crucially important that we help and continue to raise awareness of what types of support is available.

The full report can be read here - http://www.schizophreniacommission.org.uk/the-report/

The latest publication for family justice professionals' by the Childhood Wellbeing Research Centre

2012-11-08T09:05:00.002-08:00

Last month saw the publication of a great research review by the Childhood Wellbeing Research Centre. It's called 'Decision-making within a child’s timeframe: An overview of current research evidence for family justice professionals concerning child development and the impact of maltreatment'.

The review brings together key research evidence in the field of child development and attachment and links this with research on time-scales, highlighting a mismatch between children's developmental needs and the delays often experienced in achieving permanence.

There are really useful summary tables detailing things such as, factors associated with future harm to children; the importance of relationships and attachment in shaping the developing brain; key time-frames for brain development; and the impact of abuse and neglect.

The document is written for Family Justice Professionals, but will be of interest to anyone keen to know more about the latest research in these areas.

The review is available in full on-line:
https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/CWRC-00117-2012.pdf

Dr Emma Greatbatch
Senior Clinical Psychologist

Christmas comes early…

2012-11-08T08:13:00.003-08:00

We would like to invite all of our clients to a FREE SRA accredited CPD training event this Christmas.

The 2 hour CPD event will be taking place on Tuesday 11^th December, 5.30pm – 7.30pm at the Guildhall in Saltash, Cornwall.

Our Managing Director, Dr Sue Candy will be presenting the event; demystifying the psychological expert where she will be helping you to understand;

· Judging the quality of your expert - ‘separating the wheat from the chaff’

· The difference between a psychologist, a psychiatrist or a counsellor

· Cross examination issues in respect to psychometric assessments

· The key psychological constructs

We also invite you to join us for wine, cheese and biscuits before the training from 4.30pm at our offices directly opposite the Guildhall.

Limited places are available so please book early by emailing samantha.hastings@psychologyassociates.org.uk

We look forward to seeing you there!

Adoptive parents’ feedback group

2012-11-02T08:31:00.002-07:00

Our Child and Parenting team are inviting adoptive parents the opportunity to join their new feedback group.

The idea of the group is that parents and psychologists can team up to share ideas and opinions on the kind of support we could usefully offer to adoptive families.

As a practice we have been involved in working with adoptive families for a long time through doing assessments and providing therapy and consultation. We hope that these feedback groups will allow us to provide even more support to adopted children and their families by finding out exactly how we can help.

If you were part of the group you would receive occasional emails from us, sharing with you our ideas about what we might be able to offer and requesting your thoughts and ideas on this, as well as any other suggestions you might have.

There may be occasional opportunities to meet together as a group to share ideas and to discuss developments in our service, but there would be no obligation to attend any such get togethers.

As a token of thanks for your input to our service, you would also receive a discount on attendance at our training events.

If you are interested in getting involved or if you have any questions please contact Samantha.hastings@psychologyassociates.org.uk

There will be a limited number of places in our parents' feedback group so do get back to us as soon as you can if you're interested.

Food for thought...

2012-10-25T00:58:00.004-07:00

The Irony Of The Rat Race

A fishing boat docked in a tiny Mexican village and an American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.

"Not very long," answered the fisherman.

"But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American.

The fisherman explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.

The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs... I have a full life."

The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat. With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middleman, you can negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge enterprise."

"How long would that take?" asked the fisherman.

"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American.

"And after that?"

"Afterwards? That's when it gets really interesting," answered the American. "When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!"

"Millions? Really? And after that?" asked the fisherman.

The American replied, "After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village on the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta, and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends!"

External CPD Events in Bristol, Plymouth and Truro

2012-10-12T06:03:00.002-07:00

If you are a solicitor or legal professional in the South West we have just added 3 SRA accredited CPD events to our training calendar which maybe of interest.

Dr Maxine Tostevin, our Clinical Lead for Child and Parenting, will be presenting on ‘the psychological impact of domestic abuse on children’ in Plymouth, Bristol and Truro on the following dates:

Monday 12^th November 2012, 4.45pm – 6.30pm at the Council House in Bristol

Friday 16^th November 2012, 8.15am – 10am at the Hall for Cornwall, Truro

Friday 23^rd November 2012, 8.15am – 10am at the Jury’s Inn Hotel, Plymouth

The events will provide an overview of the latest developments in contemporary research into the impact, both psychologically and neurologically, on children growing up in domestically abusive environment.

We have a limited number of places available at these event so please book early and the price is just £15 + VAT per person.

To book please contact Samantha.hastings@psychologyassociates.org.uk or call 0845 026 7260

Mental health issues for children who are fostered or adopted – workshop 26th September 2012

2012-09-27T07:13:00.002-07:00

Our latest Fostering and Adoption workshop focusing on ‘mental health issues for children who are fostered or adopted’ took place yesterday morning at Exeter Racecourse. The event was lead by our Director of Child and Parenting Services, Dr Maxine Tostevin, and Senior Clinical Psychologist, Dr Emma Greatbatch.

Emma and Maxine used the 3 hour session to define mental health problems for children (explaining how they differ from other difficulties) and also to look at what happens in the brains of children during their early development.

They also explored a number of particular issues that children who are fostered or adopted are faced with, such as development disorders and some of the problems people experience in accessing support services.

The workshop allowed us a fantastic opportunity to meet with social workers from organisations such as Five Rivers Child Care, Pathway Care and Barnados, as well independent social workers and local authorities from all around the south west.

We were delighted to read the responses and comments from the morning. Feedback and requests for additional training about ‘PACE’ and for us to run the workshop as a full day event were greatly received. Comments like these are integral to our training team as we use it to shape the future sessions which we offer.

This event really was just an insight into the complex area of fostered and adopted children and in our half day session it was only possible to give an overview of the issues. We do however have many other sessions on our agenda, including some smaller focused workshops. We therefore encourage everyone to keep an eye on our website which we update regularly with up and coming training and events.

Thank you again to everyone who attended and we look forward to meeting you again soon!

Dr Mary Welford, Chair of the Compassionate Mind Foundation joins Psychology Associates to lead the new Therapy Centre

2012-09-25T08:20:00.002-07:00

Dr Mary Welford, a founding member of the Compassionate Mind Foundation joins Psychology Associates as the Clinical Lead for Therapy. Her previous role was as a Consultant Clinical Psychologist for the NHS, Greater Manchester working within a Community Mental Health Team and across a range of research projects.

Mary is currently the Chair of the Compassionate Mind Foundation and has been involved with the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) for many years, in various roles including Branch Liaison Officer, Magazine Editor and European Scientific Committee Member.

Clinically, Mary aims to understand the difficulties people often experience in light of evolutionary, social, developmental and neurophysiological psychology. The approach she uses in individual, group and systemic work is predominantly Compassion Focused Therapy though she also practices a ‘warmed up’ version of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, and Meta-Cognitive Therapy along with other approaches.

When asked about her move to Psychology Associates, Dr Mary Welford said “most therapists enter their profession because they are motivated to alleviate distress. Maybe they have experienced difficulties themselves or have seen those around them struggle. Both are true for me. Having subsequently worked in the NHS for 20 years I have been privileged to work with people who have amazing courage in the face of profound difficulties. Thankfully I have seen how individuals can transform their lives”.

Mary added “However I have also realized that changing systems and the wider society is often a slow, if not impossible, process and I have found this personally very difficult. As such I have decided to get off the train I was on, where I was a small voice in a huge organisation and get on a different one. The opportunity to develop a new therapy centre at Psychology Associates is really exciting. My role here is starting to evolve and I have a lot of ideas; I feel hopeful that I can still abide by my original aim – to alleviate distress – but maybe this time on a much larger scale”.

Dr Mary Welford will be developing the Therapy Centre from Psychology Associates Cornish practice whilst continuing to speak at various events and seminars across Europe. Details of where Mary is presenting are available on Psychology Associates website.

Child Care Law and Practice Conference 2012

2012-09-24T08:27:00.000-07:00

Our Clinical Lead for Child and Parenting Dr Maxine Tostevin will be delivering a training session at the next Child Care Law and Practice Conference in London on 10th October 2012.

The event is targeted at all child care practitioners and Maxine will be presenting on ‘Maltreatment in Babies'.

Find out more about the conference here http://www.clt.co.uk/brochures/CF99094.pdf

Dementia Care Mapping introduced on World Alzheimer's Day

2012-09-21T07:59:00.001-07:00

Today, on World Alzheimer's Day we have introduced a highly specialised tool called Dementia Care Mapping (DCM) which can provide dementia patients in residential settings with an improved level of care throughout their experience of dementia, and increase the effectiveness at which staff are able to interact with them.

Our Dementia Care Mapping tool is a method designed to evaluate and understand the quality of care provided from the perspective of the person with dementia.

It involves using;

· expert observation of a number of people with dementia, their experience of care and their interactions with staff; in terms of behaviour and well-being.

· providing a clear report, and balanced objective feedback.

· this can lead to further staff training on their interactions and provision of care.

Dr Neil Matson is a consultant Clinical Psychologist at our practice who has specialist DCM training. He is experienced in delivering this work, and in supporting staff teams and people with dementia.

This service can help residential care home staff to improve the level of dementia care they provide by:

· helping understand the patient and maintain their individual ‘personhood’

· reducing the chance of displacement

· reducing the chance of behavioural distress

· working with staff teams to increase empathy and job satisfaction

· decreasing stress

Report on Neuropsychology CPD day, by our Clinical Director for Neuropsychology, Dr Steven Roundhill

2012-09-18T05:42:00.001-07:00

I attended one of the Division of Neuropsychology’s regular CPD events on 14^th September. The day was an interesting look into various psychological therapies being used with people with acquired neurological disorders. It was really well attended, impeccably run, and as with most good CPD seemed to raise lots of things to consider, as it felt like another day was needed just to discuss the issues evolving. Due to the packed nature of the programme the brief plenary at the end couldn’t hope to fully answer questions about the presentations let alone offer much opportunity for debate.

From the brief points that were aired it was evident that the threats we are all facing in both the NHS and the independent sector need broad discussion and planning around at this kind of Division, Faculty, SIG, or network level. As well as issues of maintaining standards of professionalism in a changing employment landscape it feels like there may be increasing constraints on what we can actually offer our clients, with commissioners necessarily having a close eye on evidenced practice and outcome data. I wonder if the forums we engage with, whether formal or informal, are going to be quick enough off the mark and sufficiently coherent to address these issues before the ‘solution’ is handed down to us and we all just have to get on with it.

Anyway, climbing off my soapbox a minute (but probably not for long I warn you...), what was most encouraging about the day was the evident sophistication of the therapeutic models and techniques in use by neuropsychologists, and the reflective and open nature of the audience. This CPD day was a refreshing acknowledgment of the importance of good therapy in acquired brain dysfunction, and certainly no dry convening of neuro test-bashers!

The topics were ride ranging in nature, easily fulfilling the ‘across the lifespan’ aspirations of many CPD programmes these days. We had information on working with children and families with web-based interventions and in paediatric intensive care, through to using Compassion Focussed Therapy for people living with dementia. Similarly the range of ways therapeutic relationships may develop and inform interventions was highlighted. This was most evident in the seeming disparity between one talk that advocated the therapeutic uses of text messages and another that gave insight in to the mirco-anaylsis of non-verbal signals in short term psychodynamic interventions.

One thing that raised a wry smile for me, working at Psychology Associates where often there is an Attachment Theory orientation, was the use of Attachment models in working neuropsychologically. I’ve had the view that in the last few years that Attachment research and theory has increasingly emphasised neurological and neuropsychological foundations...using ‘hard biological science’ to offer a compelling slant on the application of broader psychological theory...and here we had neuropsychology clinicians now turning to Attachment to inform their work with adult survivors of brain injury. How refreshing is that?!

[n.b. climbing back onto soapbox now]

Working as both an Expert Witness offering medicolegal reports, and as a therapist working with clients, families, case managers, and multidisciplinary teams, it seems to me that there increasingly needs to be this kind of emphasis on interventions rather than assessing and reporting. Or rather, there has always been the need for this kind of emphasis but that historically neuropsychology has neglected it (with some notable exceptions of course).

It will be important also to inform the practise of neuropsychology with other therapeutic models, and to persuade the people instructing us in work that non-neuropsychologists have so much to offer neuropsychology clients. Often it is the case that an expert Neuropsychology report recommends intervention by a neuropsychologist only for the case managers to have difficulty finding qualified neuropsychologists to take up regular therapeutic input. The initial assumption that neuropsychologists need to be the ones doing the neuropsychological intervention may need to be questioned, especially when it transpires is that what would be of most benefit to the client is a systemic approach or coupe’s work rather than cognitive rehabilitation. We need to be working together on this, across traditional clinical distinctions, not only to offer these vulnerable clients the best service we can, but often to offer them any kind of psychology service at all.

Nurturing Children's Empathy

2012-09-17T02:52:00.001-07:00

In her recent article ‘Nurturing Children’s Empathy’ Michele Borba speaks about the importance of helping Children learn to feel for others. Michele suggests 3 ways that parents can help develop this trait.

The short article, featured on Scoop It, can be read here:

http://www.scoop.it/t/empathy-and-compassion/p/2681924123/nurturing-children-s-empathy?_tmc=NPba5JT6H_EIwQGyVnqV9jKgpVdtJiiuofkrOCea85s

Do you have experience of helping your child to understand how others are feeling? If so, please let us know by commenting on this blog post.

World Suicide Prevention Day

2012-09-10T08:14:00.003-07:00

Psychology Associates have today been supporting World Suicide Prevention Day by helping to spread important messages to our online communities.

World Suicide Prevention Day is organised by the World Health Organsiation in a bid to prevent the number of suicides across the globe.

Have a look at the online video ‘U Can Cope’ launched today, which has been produced by Connecting with People - http://www.connectingwithpeople.org/

You can also show you support by helping them to raise awareness of their invaluable messages by giving them a retweet @UcanCope using hashtag #WSPD

Good work!