JSA share knowledge throughout team with Therapy Information Morning

If you would like to learn more about any of the therapy models described below, be sure to follow the links embedded in this article, which will direct you to the relevant areas of our website.

Yesterday morning, members of the therapy team gave presentations about their particular specialist forms of therapy, and how they fit into their models of practice. The goal of this seminar was to share understanding between the different clinicians. However, it has had the added benefit of enabling JSA’s operations staff to answer clients’ queries about the work that they are involved in with greater confidence while making appointments, or while liaising with other industry professionals.

Delegates from residential children’s home provider Life Change Care attended as well. They were able to gain a deeper understanding of how JSA’s therapy packages are integrated with the support that they provide for looked after children. The clinical interventions that we provide for adolescents in the care system are dependent on a holistic environment of emotional regulation that is facilitated by their care workers between sessions. In this way, we aim to equip the therapeutic carers with the knowledge they need to best implement techniques that will promote healing and recovery in their children’s homes. 

The primary focus of the information morning was a play therapy workshop run by our therapists Heidi Graydy, Katy Walker and Tanya Lyons. Play therapy is a clinical approach that, in the simplest terms, provides children and young people with the opportunity to express and connect with their inner feelings where they might otherwise struggle to effectively engage with a talking-based therapy. This form of therapy is extremely effective in this regard, even for older clients. When working with adults, drama and creative arts therapy is typically more age-appropriate, though both work with the same core principle.

Delegates take part in an exercise illustrating the use of visualisation to reveal subconscious feelings and ideals

Cognitive Behavioural Therapist Alastair Barrie also provided an overview of the versatility of CBT. He addressed how the popular talking therapy helps clients deconstruct their perceptions of the issues that they experience, and how crucial this is to the recovery process. Linking the framework inherent to both presentations was a summary of the NMT model provided by Principal Psychotherapist Julie Stirpe. This detailed the importance of neurological development when formulating a course of therapy to ensure that trauma-informed, evidence based practice is achieved.

Julie, demonstrating the sequence of brain development and its relation to treating mental illness

We’re planning to schedule another event like this one soon to cover more topics and broaden the knowledge of our staff team. We hope to set aside a full day next time to explore the more targeted forms that a course of CBT can take, such as trauma-focused CBT or schema therapy, as well as Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and Emotion Focused Therapy.

After the presentations concluded, all of us at the office got together for a Jacob’s join, organised by Senior Practice Administrator Alicia Barrett. With everyone in the company contributing to the shared meal, it served as a fitting end to the morning.