Training

This workshop provides an overview of the various types of psychiatric drugs and why and when they are prescribed. Participants are encouraged to reflect on their own views and any prejudices regarding the prescribing and use of psychiatric drugs, and what informs those views.  They are also provided with a framework for thinking about the influence of drugs on the therapeutic process and whether a drug is helping or harming a client.

This workshop offers a conceptual overview of psychiatric diagnosis, the common classification systems (DSM and ICD), and its role within contemporary mental healthcare.  This includes considering key debates and controversies.  Of particular relevance for practitioners is the exploration of potential meanings of psychiatric diagnosis for clients: for example, is diagnosis helpful or unhelpful for them?  What are the implications of this for each individual? We also consider the ways in which psychiatric diagnosis might influence the work of practitioners, taking into account the influence of the working context.

I offer some insights into how psychiatrists assess mental functioning and explore mental phenomena: what generally might be understood as ‘symptoms and signs’ of disturbance.  We go on to consider how some forms of mental disturbance may impact on the therapeutic process. We also go on to explore when psychiatric advice or a referral to mental health services might be needed.

The aim of this workshop is to help practitioners consider some of the issues around working with suicidal clients.  We explore the concept of mental capacity and the ethical principle of respecting autonomy.  We also look at how to consider and assess risk and when and how to intervene on behalf of a suicidal client – even perhaps against their wishes.  Throughout the workshop there is encouragement to reflect on our own values and beliefs about suicide, our own emotional responses and how these influence our practice.

Initially we shall explore the key assumptions and values of the medical model and how these might influence a variety of helping activities, both within and outside traditional medical and healthcare settings.  We shall expand on this exploration by looking at how clients may be influenced by medical model thinking and values and the challenges this may present to practitioners who operate from a different paradigm.  We are encouraged to reflect on our own attitudes and responses to the medical model and how this informs our clinical practice.

Beginning with an overview of the psychiatric diagnosis of personality disorder, including debates and controversies about this diagnosis, this workshop enables practitioners to reflect on their own attitudes and feelings about working with people who have been given this diagnosis. We will consider what expertise and support may be needed to practice effectively, particularly the need for careful assessment.

The aim of this workshop is firstly to provide a theoretical and conceptual overview of psychosis, particularly psychiatric perspectives and how this influences approaches to treatment within mental health services. It then provides an opportunity for practitioners to reflect on how they might work with people who experience psychosis, and consider when and how counselling and psychotherapy may be helpful or unhelpful.

In this workshop we explore different ways of conceptualising low mood, for example, when it is considered to be a medical condition or perhaps a spiritual or religious experience. Given the range of different perspectives we then go on to explore the range of different helping responses, including the prescribing of psychiatric drugs, managing risks of suicide, and the role of counselling and psychotherapy.

This workshop invites participants to explore their own understanding of experiences that might be described as spiritual or which could alternatively be described as symptoms of mental disorder (psychopathology). It considers the range of views and understandings of spirituality within mental health settings. A particular aim is to encourage and support practitioners to attend to spiritual perspectives in their work and to consider some of the implications of doing or not doing this.