Monthly Archives: January 2017

The Next Limbus Talk: Learning Disabilities Psychotherapy

Farhad Dalal has informed us of the next Limbus talk which will take place at Studio 3, The Space, Dartington Hall on February 25, 2017. The talk Viewing Learning Disabilities Psychotherapy through an Attachment Lens: Theoretical Perspectives & Practical Strategies will be given by Kelly Camilleri & Kathy McKay.

It begins at 10.30 and admission is £20. You can pay at the door or online through the website at limbus.org.uk

If you intend to pay at the door you are asked to arrive well before time to avoid hold ups.

Abstract : This talk aims to explore themes around working therapeutically with people who live with labels of intellectual disability, autism and acquired brain injury. What are the psychological sequelae of being born with or acquiring a disability in terms of attachment and early relations? How might therapy need to be adapted to meet individual cognitive or sensory needs? What is the role of trauma in psychological distress and how might this manifest differently in people with these labels? How is power perceived and played out in our systems of care? The talk aims to provide a psychological understanding from a variety of perspectives, with special consideration for the use of Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) for this group and their systems. Within the context of a short term, goal orientated therapy world how can we provide meaningful support which is individually tailored?

Dr Kelly Camilleri is an independent Consultant Clinical Psychologist. She qualified 19 years ago from Birmingham University and has since worked with children and adults with learning difficulty, autism, and acquired disability. Kelly has worked in a variety of sectors including the NHS, charity and the private sector. She is particularly interested in the role of attachment and trauma for the individual and their systems. Kelly is a keen proponent on the use of DDP for this group which she feels enables a dual approach focusing both on peoples internal and external worlds. She is on the Division of Clinical Psychology Southwest Committee and is the coordinator for local Psychology Against Austerity Group.

Dr Kathy McKay is a Clinical Psychologist who has worked in Learning Disability Services in the NHS since qualifying in 1995. She has also worked in Independent Practice since 2007. Settings have included community Learning Disability teams, In-patient Units and a Secure Forensic Unit. She has also worked in a CAMHS Service in a secure childrens home, and currently provides regular input into a Local Authority Family Centre to support them in taking into account a parents learning needs in their assessment and intervention processes. Kathy has provided training on attachment and trauma in learning disabilities, and further on creating attachment friendly environments in a number of the aforementioned settings. Like Kelly, Kathy has completed training in DDP, which was a driver for this area of work.

Other talks on  2017 Limbus programme

May 20, Sally Weintrobe  Climate Change and the New Imagination

Sep 16, Paul Zeal               Breath, Gender and Nature’s Dreaming

Nov 11, Sue Mizen            Metaphor Making in the Relational Brain

 

Something to consider : Adam Phillips on teaching

‘The only reason to go to school, that I can see, is to make friends whom you love and like. If you’re lucky, you find something that really interests you. You’ve got to learn to read and write and basic numeracy and so on, but, other than that, it’s absolutely pointless to teach children things that they’re not interested in. The education system needs to factor that in. I remember one of my daughter’s teachers saying to me, “She only works at the subjects she’s interested in.” I was thinking, Great! That would be the point. You go to school, and teachers offer you the things they think are good, but you choose them. It’s always true that the student chooses the teacher.’

This is an extract from  Sameer Padania’s 2010 interview with the psychoanalyst and essayist Adam Phillips for Bomb Magazine. The full text of the interview can be found at   http://bombmagazine.org/article/3623/adam-phillips