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Training clinical psychologists to be able to work with those who will use their services in ways that are not 'othering' or stigmatising and that facilitate a safe, compassionate and accepting place from where psychological therapy can be undertaken, is an essential task for trainers. Although simulation training is widely used in some healthcare professions, it is a relatively new method in clinical psychology training. In this article we describe a simulation training exercise as one effective way to achieve the goals described above.

This article reports on an exploration of social workers' perspectives on the social policy and agency processes that shape their experiences of working in child protection services. A qualitative constructivist grounded theory methodology was employed, and 17 qualified social workers and managers were recruited. Social workers described working within an oppressive system, balancing unrealistic demands placed on them, and struggling to restore balance and hope. They shared how this filtered into the work they do with families and the role that relationality and peer support has in surviving the work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the results of a study exploring sibling stories of parental mental distress and the societal discourses that may have contributed to the adult siblings' sense‐making. Four sibling pairs were purposively recruited and interviewed, using a narrative inquiry approach. Two main plots were constructed through analysis of the participants' narratives: 'The story of us' and 'We are who we are because of what happened'. Results highlighted that the identity construction of each sibling and the collective identities of the sibling pairs are influenced by the parental mental health context. The findings also suggest a change in the siblings' meaning‐making from childhood to adulthood. These findings are considered along with the implications for systemic practice and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experience of psychosis can sweep into a life like a violent storm. In this paper, I first attempt to fully imagine the experience of such a storm by drawing on first person accounts and then consider the clinical encounter between mental health practitioners and those who find themselves amidst this storm. I reflect on ways we can better support meaning-making of, and purposefully living with, these potentially intensely distressing and disturbing experiences. Drawing on narrative and collaborative practices, I consider grounding the embodied experiences related to psychosis, honouring the stories of severe and enduring mental health problems and the life experiences that lead to them, accompanying people in their meaning-making of these experiences and joining in the fight against stigma. In particular, the importance of walking alongside those in the throes of the storm and bearing witness to their suffering is highlighted. Finally, the implications for the training of mental health professionals are considered.

When a parent is less able to meet their children's needs due to a severe and enduring mental health problem (MHP), other adult family members often help with childcare. We present a Grounded Theory of how children's family caregivers construct meaning about the parental MHP and communicate about it with children. Nineteen caregivers participated in qualitative interviews. Each supported at least one related child aged 4–17 years with a parent with MHPs. We found that caregivers engaged in a Core Social Process of providing protection in uncertainty. This comprised three categories as follows: shaping the interactional space, communicating through the developmental process, and engendering a sense of safety. Caregivers appeared to act from a Key Social Positioning of developing a caregiver identity. The findings implicate family‐focused provision of mental health and social care. Clinical recommendations are made for whole‐family interventions and the role of marital and family therapists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a lack of research concerning therapists' emotional responses to the suicide of clients and/or friends and family and yet, professionally, therapists commonly manage suicide risk of their clients and need to abide by relevant policies. Using a purposive sampling technique, twelve female clinical psychologists working in the UK were recruited via social media platforms. A qualitative method was adopted to offer an in-depth understanding into the lived experiences of losing a loved one and/or client to suicide. The semi-structured interviews took place via video-call or via telephone for up to one hour. Three themes were identified as follows: how talk is experienced as a way of making sense of suicide the messiness of being human,and an experience that helps psychologists face suicide. This study brings to light the dilemmas experienced by clinical psychologists who are both clinicians and survivors of suicide. The findings highlight the lack of conversation relating to bereavement by suicide within mental health services. This study offers insight into how clinical psychologists experience suicide bereavement, and discusses the clinical and UK policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The profound and lasting impact of losing a child to adoption or foster care has been powerfully described, and the importance of offering therapeutic support to birth relatives is a requirement in most parts of the UK. However, little is known about effective counselling for this group. In this article, we report on the experiences of four counsellors and a project worker who offer counselling to birth relatives whose children have been removed following care proceedings. We present their reflections under four themes, namely: 'It's all about the person, it's all about the relationship'; 'Meeting clients where they are'; 'Having a sense of achievement'; and 'This work can really get into you'. These accounts offer valuable reflections for others offering counselling to birth relatives and their supervisors, as well as those who commission and design these services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Muscular dystrophy is a terminal muscle-wasting condition, whereby families face continuous challenges as their child's health deteriorates. This research explored accounts of parenthood following bereavement of their child to muscular dystrophy. Narrative inquiry was used to analyse interviews with four couples. Findings suggest an importance in narrating adversities (waking up to different futures) and positive influence (creating legacies). The research highlighted how humour is often used to support others to witness painful accounts (humour through the struggle). Parents appeared to co-regulate the painfulness of narrating loss (storytelling together). Further research is needed on conjoint narrative interviews and how these may enable participants to address shared loss experiences. Practitioners who support bereaved parents could consider the potential value highlighted in this study of meeting with parents conjointly, which include that, through co-regulatory, collaborative processes, families seemed to be supported to reach narrative cohesion, sensitively and safely, when facing loss and bereavement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birth relatives of adopted children in the UK are entitled to independent support during and after adoption, but types of support vary and there is little evidence of what works. This mixed-methods study is an evaluation of a psychotherapeutic counselling service for birth relatives operating across five areas of England. Case records of 304 birth relatives referred over a two-year period were examined retrospectively. Service user questionnaires and interviews with five service users and five staff members were analysed. The birth relatives had histories of abuse and trauma (59%), mental health difficulties (36%) and learning disabilities (26%). Engagement varied from 29% to 62% in different areas; they were more likely to attend in the later stages of the adoption process, if they self-referred, and if the service model offered counselling close to home and without strict limits on the number of sessions. Birth relatives described: Building a special relationship, experiencing a 'release'; making sense of what happened to my children; being able to make changes; and putting myself back together. This evaluation shows that birth relatives can engage with psychotherapeutic counselling if the time is right and if services are sufficiently flexible, trauma-informed and tailored to their needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible summary: What is known on the subject?: Adults who support an adult family member with a severe and enduring mental health problem often experience carer burden. Over time, this often negatively affects their mental and physical health and social well‐being.Understanding and communicating about mental health problems in families can help to improve resilience and coping among both adults and children. What does this paper add to existing knowledge?: We conducted a review of studies looking at how adult relatives understand and communicate about an adult family member's mental health problem.The findings highlight that how relatives make sense of MHP is related to historical family relationships, their mental health literacy and whether they see themselves as a "carer" or not.The findings also show that little research to date has explored how adult relatives talk with children about their parent's difficulties, and how the adults' understanding might affect what children learn about the MHP. What are the implications for practice?: There is a research gap to be addressed regarding family communication with children about parental mental health problems. This knowledge gap likely impacts family‐focused mental health nursing and therapy provision.Mental health nursing, therapeutic and support workers and advocates are ideally positioned to assist relatives with improving their mental health literacy and confidence communicating about mental health, and to promote inclusion of relatives and children in interventions. Introduction: Relatives are profoundly affected by an adult family member's severe and enduring mental health problem (MHP). The burdens of caring impact on adult relatives' emotional, physical and social well‐being. How relatives make meaning and communicate about the MHP is thought to affect family talk about mental health, and this can impact family coping and well‐being. Aim: No review has yet drawn together research about how adult relatives of people with severe and enduring MHP make meaning and communicate about their relatives' difficulties. We aimed to address this gap. Method: We conducted a systematic review of peer‐reviewed primary research. SCOPUS, PubMed, Psychnet, SCIE, Cochrane and CINAHL+ databases were searched. Results: Nineteen papers qualified for inclusion. Findings are organized under four themes: making meaning about the MHP and affected individual; conceptualizing the self in the presence of the MHP; meaning‐making processes underlying relatives' well‐being outcomes; and relatives' perspectives on family talk about the MHP. Discussion: Historical relationships, caregiver identity and mental health literacy moderate relatives' understanding and talk about the MHP. Implications for practice: Psychoeducation and communication support for relatives should be provided by mental health practitioners. Future research should address familial communication about MHP, including with children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore postgraduate students' lived experiences of managing research ethics committee processes. Whilst there is a wide range of research that explores ethics principles/guidance and committee perspectives upon research ethics processes, there is a lack of research into applicant experiences of these processes. Thus, interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was utilised to explore the lived experiences and personal meaning-making of seven doctoral-level students participating in clinical psychology training. Three main themes emerged from participants' accounts: (1) The emotional intensity and personal impact of the ethics process; (2) responses to and ways of managing the ethics process and (3) challenges within the ethics process. The results of this study highlight the importance of recognising the impact of the relationships between research students, courses and research ethics committees upon applicants' progress through the research ethics process. In particular, an unhelpful 'them and us' dynamic may be maintained by misunderstandings about each other's roles, uncertainty and stereotyping, amongst other factors. Potential ways to change this dynamic and to improve the research ethics process are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Training clinical psychologists to be able to work with those who will use their services in ways that are not 'othering' or stigmatising and that facilitate a safe, compassionate and accepting place from where psychological therapy can be undertaken, is an essential task for trainers. Although simulation training is widely used in some healthcare professions, it is a relatively new method in clinical psychology training. In this article we describe a simulation training exercise as one effective way to achieve the goals described above. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is very little published literature on 'what works' in terms of support for birth mothers following the loss of their children to compulsory adoption or foster care. The aim of this article is to raise the voices of a group of birth mothers, a historically stigmatised, powerless and neglected group, with substantial experience of counselling following the loss of a child. A user of services and expert by experience was recruited to join the research team and was consulted at all stages of the research process. Five birth mothers were interviewed regarding their experiences of involvement with a counselling service for birth relatives post-child removal. These interviews were systematically analysed using an IPA methodology through the lens of the research question: What are the experiences of birth mothers who engage in person-centred counselling following the loss of a child or children to compulsory adoption or foster care? Three master themes were constructed from the data: 'From feeling alone, judged and let down ... to feeling part of a special relationship', 'The healing process' and 'My children are my world'. The clinical invitations extended by these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article documents the experiences of people with a physical health condition or disability who have experienced a loss of or change in disability benefits under the welfare reform programme in the United Kingdom. A theoretical model was constructed using in-depth interviews and grounded theory methods. The findings show that participants experienced the benefits system as dehumanising, and felt that they lived in a judgemental and invalidating society, where they were perceived as 'scroungers' and faced discrimination from others. These experiences negatively affected their mental and physical health and well-being. They also negatively affected participants' identity, leading to experiences of shame, hopelessness and social isolation. However, many participants attempted to resist these negative impacts (e.g. through seeking support or taking political action). The findings demonstrate the significant impact of benefit changes on well-being and identity, thus highlighting important implications for claimants, and staff in healthcare, the benefits system and government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There has been an abundance of studies that have employed quantitative methods to research obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and its neurobiology and neurochemistry. However, there appears to be a paucity of research investigating how OCD is experienced by those living with the diagnosis, particularly young people. Method: A qualitative cross‐sectional semistructured interview design was used to address this lack of research. Ten young people, aged 14–17 years old, with a diagnosis of OCD were recruited from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in the United Kingdom. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Results: Four themes were identified: ‘Traumatic and stressful life events’, ‘Responses to signs of OCD’, ‘The battle of living with OCD’ and ‘Ambivalent relationship to help’. Young people reported experiencing stressful or traumatic life events prior to obsessive and compulsive behaviour. OCD behaviours were misunderstood by the young people and others, leading to delays in finding help. A sense of shame among the young people led them to keep their OCD secret due to feeling ‘crazy’. The all‐encompassing nature of OCD led the young people to withdraw socially. Most of the young people experienced an inner conflict between fighting and giving in to the compulsions. Conclusions: Traumatic experiences may be an important factor in the development of OCD for young people, which might indicate a direction for prevention. The sense of shame and stigma needs addressing if young people are to access help earlier. Education of the public, medical professionals and educators should be a priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the lived experience of black and minority ethnic (BME) clinical psychologists employed in the U.K. National Health Service (NHS). A mixed method qualitative approach was employed using repertory grids and interpretative phenomenological analysis. Six female BME clinical psychologists took part. Four master themes emerged from the analysis, including standing out as different, negotiating cultural and professional values, sitting with uncertainty, and feeling proud to be a clinical psychologist. The repertory grid analysis supported these findings and enriched the study. Implications of the study are discussed—namely, the importance of the profession increasing the cultural competency and sensitivity of its members as well as becoming more diverse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experience of psychosis can sweep into a life like a violent storm. In this paper, I first attempt to fully imagine the experience of such a storm by drawing on first person accounts and then consider the clinical encounter between mental health practitioners and those who find themselves amidst this storm. I reflect on ways we can better support meaning-making of, and purposefully living with, these potentially intensely distressing and disturbing experiences. Drawing on narrative and collaborative practices, I consider grounding the embodied experiences related to psychosis, honouring the stories of severe and enduring mental health problems and the life experiences that lead to them, accompanying people in their meaning-making of these experiences and joining in the fight against stigma. In particular, the importance of walking alongside those in the throes of the storm and bearing witness to their suffering is highlighted. Finally, the implications for the training of mental health professionals are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This grounded theory study explored parents' experiences of responding to their children's need for understanding parental mental health concerns. Fifteen parents with severe and enduring mental health difficulties participated in the study. The findings suggest four main social processes that influence parents' talk with their children about parental mental health issues, namely "Protecting and being protected," "Responding to children's search for understanding," "Prioritizing family life," and "Relating to others." Implications of the findings for clinical practice and future research are considered. In particular, the need for more family-orientated services where parents experience parental mental health problems is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The article offers information on the implementation of narrative group therapy by various trainee clinical psychologists in their workplace, and mentions the Tree of Life group that conducts narrative therapy developed by Ncazelo Ncube. Topics discussed include the Team of Life group for dealing with anger difficulties in boys; and the Team of Life group being developed by David Denborough.

This paper reports on a diversity theatre workshop at the University of Hertfordshire Doctorate in Clinical Psychology programme as an example of enabling, rigorous and adventurous diversity learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The child care literature consistently reports a lack of support for birth mothers following their child being taken into care or adopted. This is despite consistent evidence of the long-term consequences of the removal of children on their mental health. The aim of this study is to explore the effects of separation, the subsequent sense of identity and the experience of contact and support throughout the process. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven mothers recruited from birth mother support groups and the transcripts analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Four themes emerged: ‘no one in my corner’; disconnecting from emotion; renegotiating identity; and the children are gone but still here. The findings contribute to our understanding of the experiences of birth mothers whose children are removed from their care and are discussed within a range of psychological theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With ongoing news of hardship and suffering in the United Kingdom and throughout the world, and in the context of austerity, shrinking public services and increasing social inequalities, it is sometimes difficult not to fall into despair, to feel hopeless or ineffectual. In this paper we consider counter‐practices to such despair and hopelessness that we hope will be helpful to all clinicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]