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Working with self-harm: a relational approach
A 1-day workshop led by Clive Turpin and Cheryl Delisser
Event Hashtag: #CATshr17
This event has now passed
Some feedback from the day: what was most useful, interesting or enjoyable?
Experiential exercises.
Mapping and cases presented.
Loads of open discussion & plenty of experience.
Small group exercises, mapping.
Learning styles.
Seeing you both do the mapping on the board while we’re talking.
I really enjoyed the whole day – lots of knowledge, experience, ideas & opportunity to share & reflect.
Small group discussions – listening to case presentation.
Integrating ‘formal’ risk assessment into a reciprocal framework. Mapping risk with a partner. Hearing other’s honesty. Hearing clinical examples.
Date: Friday 17th November 2017
Time: 9:30am to 4:30pm
Venue: Elizabeth Gaskell’s House, 84 Plymouth Grove, Manchester, M13 9LW
Fees: ACAT member :: £125.00
non-ACAT member :: £140.00
People who self-harm can present in many health settings from general practice to IAPT, specialist psychological therapy services, home treatment teams, inpatient and outpatient psychiatry settings, A&E and other physical health settings.
Self-harm and attempts to die by suicide can raise powerful, difficult and at times conflicting feelings, naturally in the person experiencing the distress and also within others who have contact with them, whether family, friends or services. Concern and anxiety are often experienced. Reactions and responses made in an attempt to manage risk can feel, or be, controlling and disallowing. Sometimes these may over rely on service risk procedures and protocols, and limit the time taken for exploration or understanding of what underlies the wish to self-harm. This can complicate the helping relationship and therapeutic alliance, potentially create re-enactments of unhelpful relational patterns, and contribute to things remaining stuck.
As helpers and therapists we can find ourselves in a dilemma between the client’s need to be heard, contained and understood, whilst also actively working with risk and risk management. Remaining open, compassionate and truly collaborative with clients can be challenging while managing personal and organisational concern and anxiety.
This workshop aimed to provide a space to acknowledge these challenges and support participants in their roles. Cheryl and Clive shared their experience and skills in using a cognitive analytic therapy approach when working with people presenting with self-harm, with a view to helping participants develop confidence and transferable skills to build into their practice.
The day was designed to help participants:
- Develop confidence to ask about and explore self-harm and risk
- Establish and enhance a relational understanding of self-harm
- Reflect on personal and professional pulls that might be encountered when working with risk
- Develop skills in mapping relational patterns which incorporate self-harm
- Explore the use of CAT mapping in a collaborative approach to risk assessment, risk management and safety planning
- Remain mindful about the emotional impact of working with high levels of distress and risk
Who was it for?
Qualified and trainee CAT therapists and other therapists with an understanding of CAT (particularly reciprocal roles and mapping).
Facilitators: The workshop was facilitated by Cheryl Delisser and Clive Turpin
Cheryl Delisser I’m a UKCP Registered CAT Psychotherapist and ACAT accredited CAT supervisor working in Manchester. I currently work as an Adult Psychotherapist offering individual and group CAT to adults with secondary care mental health needs in an NHS specialist psychotherapy service. I have enjoyed working in adult mental health for over 15 years in a diverse number of roles and settings. This has included working directly with patients on acute psychiatric wards, working with families whilst based in a Community Mental Health Team, and in a specialised group therapy service offering a variety of modalities.
Clive Turpin I’m a UKCP registered Cognitive Analytic Psychotherapist and ACAT accredited supervisor with over 24 years experience of working in the NHS in varying areas of mental health including acute/intensive care, an adolescent therapeutic community and research. Currently I work in a Psychotherapy Service in North Manchester offering individual CAT and have co-facilitated running CAT groups. I have extensive experience of working with self-harm, offering very brief Psychodynamic Interpersonal Therapy (PIT) and CAT. Additionally I’ve consulted on research projects to establish therapy within prisons for women who self-harm and provided therapy supervision. I have a particular interest in brief work, promoting therapeutic and relational approaches, and highlighting the benefits of using these skills during assessment.
Self-Harm-Flyer-17-Nov-2017.pdf