Welcome to the first edition of ‘Four’; the quarterly newsletter from us guys and girls in Studio III.

Our aim with each edition of this newsletter is to provide you with an array (fancy word here) of interesting "stuff" articles, viewpoints and stories that can make working in this field evermore enjoyable and fascinating (and maybe even frustrating)!

Have you ever wondered who is behind Studio III? How do the cogs and wheels of Studio III get oiled?

Over the coming issues you will get the inside track of who's who in Studio III and what they do. You'll find up to date information on what’s going on and when it’s happening and even if it is happening and if its not happening, maybe you could tell us and we'll try to make it happen!

We've got book reviews, guest writers and special interest stories. We'd love to hear what you think of Four, so email us at here

So sit back in your chair (risk assessment permitting) pull up your favourite beverage and enjoy the read!

Beth and Stevie your Editoria

My first day as an Assistant Psychologist for Studio III and it was at an away day with most of the staff which felt slightly nerve racking! Apart from being completely swamped by a load of acronyms I got the gist of current issues and started to work out the training and clinical parts of the company. It was nice to meet the real people too rather than imaging them from the website photos and I was pleasantly surprised! At one of my interviews I was told that the company was ‘Quirky’, I think I am starting to understand just how quirky now. I started the day feeling nervous about the job, people and expectations and walked away after spending most of it laughing at the training team’s endless wisecracks and thinking I’d definitely made the right choice to get on board the studio III ship of quirkiness.

Left the house at 6am for a three hour drive to Carmarthen. It was dark, cold, blowing a gale and hammering down with rain. After hitting my second load of roadworks and only being able to see a few metres of road ahead I began to wonder what I was doing, I’d left a job with a warm office with a nice desk for this......
After meeting my colleague, attending some meetings and getting an insight into EBD schools I soon remembered what it was I was doing and just how good this job could be. I feel I have a steep learning curve ahead but feel energised, excited and nervous in a very good way!!

Visited a children’s residential unit and got to sit in on a therapy session today which was brilliant. After playing the feelings game and having to embarrass myself by talking about when I’d done stupid things (like dropping my mobile in the dogs water bowl) it was time to start looking at paperwork and psychological assessments I would have to get to grips with. The day went really well and helped to start building up a picture of what was expected of me and what my days would be like. I mentally glossed over the part where I got lost due to flooded roads and my car overheated for fear I may never return to work the next day.

I visited two more care units today. Firstly I got to spend time with the manger of one and really get a feel for how they run, legalities etc. This is my first job working with young people in care so there is a lot to take in and learn. It feels as though it’s going to be a good area to work in though, certainly going to be keeping me on my toes by all accounts! In the afternoon I went to another unit and got to sit in on a relaxation session, thankfully managing to stay awake myself. I’m starting to understand just how varied the work is going to be which really excites me.

Spent my day looking at risk assessments, behavioural plans and client’s folders to get an understanding of how Studio III benefits their clients and the work they can do. This time I was at a supported housing project for adults with learning disabilities, this is where my background is so I felt more relaxed and able to help out and get my hands dirty.

Overall it has been a varied, busy and interesting week. My mind seems to be adjusting to the fact that no day will be the same and my car will become my mobile office. I feel excited about the months to come, there is going to be a lot to take on board and it will be very hands on learning process but that works for me. Now all I have to worry about is the upcoming Christmas do, yes in January, what was it I got told.... Studio III are definitely quirky – but it works!!!!

Janet Hardman

Position:
Consultant Clinical Psychologist

Janet has worked for Studio III Clinical Services for about 5 ½ years as a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Co-ordinator. Prior to this Janet had also been a trainer for the company.

I first heard about studio III when doing clinical training and was on placement with Andy and NO! – he did not teach me everything I know – contrary to the popular myth!

How long have you worked for Studio III?

Too long!!! Just over 5 years – that’s longer than some marriages!

What is your role as Consultant Clinical Psychologist?

Whatever needs doing at that particular time – juggling all the balls and make sure most of them stay up in the air!!

My main contract is working within a secure children’s service; working with adolescents who are on remand, have been sentenced or are considered a danger to themselves and others. This includes, 1 : 1 work, staff training and support, supervision and some research.

I also do some short term work such as assessments, investigations, court reports – pretty much anything!

Your role as Clinical Co–ordinator is very different from that of Consultant Clinical Psychologist; how do you find this role?

It’s like a management role; I get the stresses and strains from our staff rather than other people’s. I like the role itself, and I don’t really see it as a different role, as I have been managing staff for a long time.

I also enjoy the staff development bits, and watching staff develop their own skills. I like knowing what’s happening with other people, so I can support them to move in the right direction. It makes things a bit more varied as a role.

Much of our training tends to focus in the UK and the Irish Republic. We also have flourishing training programmes in Demark, Sweden and Germany. The financial difference between some Southern and Eastern European Services and the Western nations of the EC can be very substantial. Early in 2007 I was invited by Bob Rhodes the former Chief Executive of TACT UK to conduct training in a Greek service for adults with intellectual disabilities. This culminated in two training visits in June and December 2007.

I visited the services developed by a UK organisation TACT (Thames and Chiltern Trust) on a non profit basis; unsurprisingly the service is called TACT Hellas. I delivered training to staff in a large 15 bedded adult service for people with intellectual disabilities in Ioaninna (pronounced Yanina) in Northern Greece. The service users previously resided in a large institution on the island of Corfu. It was immediately apparent that the current environment was a huge improvement for the service users, although large by UK standards

The use of Greek translators was initially a little daunting as it is not my normal custom to speak slowly! The staff did appear very receptive to the low arousal approach. There were some detractors as the individuals had come from institutionalised services with limited risk taking.

Training for staff in the service had also been quite limited, although they also admitted that due to the financial constraints of Greek services they had received relatively little formal training. Most of their training was primarily ‘on the job’. I was struck by the fact that there was much more of a ‘make do’ aspect of the service. They did have some individuals who present with behavioural challenges. The key issues involved focussing on risk taking with individuals. In addition there did appear to be a clash between medical and social models amongst the staff.

This visit has taught me several things. First, the principles of low arousal approaches do tend to transcend cultures. People struggle with getting the balance right between freedom and control. Second, the staggering differences in resources I think, helps me to appreciate how well resourced UK services are in comparison. Interestingly, I got to talk to parents in Athens who were literally running community based services for their children on a ‘shoestring’. It has made we wonder whether we use resources wisely in the UK. Finally, I fully intend to continue my travels and will keep people posted!

Andy McDonnell,
Director.

Having a long interest in therapies that offer clients relief from their problems and pain in a short time frame, the area of energy-based therapies has intrigued me. As such an energy-based therapy, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) purports to (potentially) relieve emotional problems for clients rapidly, often in minutes. Such problems include anxiety, addictions, fears, phobias, depression and post traumatic distress disorder (PTSD), to name a few.

According to Gary Craig (developer of the EFT approach) ‘all emotional distress is caused by a disruption in the body’s energy system’. By tuning in to the problem or painful emotion and rebalancing the body’s energy system, relief can be achieved. It is claimed that this relief is often permanent. The rebalancing process involves tapping, in sequence, various points on the body. It also involves other, seemingly odd looking processes, including humming, eye rolls and counting. The process appears bizarre, to say the least.

The introductory course (‘The EFT course’) I viewed included 8 DVDs and 1 CD together with the manual, downloaded from the website at no cost (www.emofree.com). It presented the basic EFT technique (the sequence of tapping and the other associated processes), some background, theory and live demonstrations of the treatment. The information presented was clear, accessible and user-friendly. I was left in no doubt as to Gary Craig’s enthusiasm for the approach, his skill, and genuine care for the people with whom he worked. But the most impressive aspect of the course was results witnessed, via the live demonstrations. People were achieving what appeared to be complete relief from often complex, longstanding problems before my eyes in (literally) a matter of minutes. Such situations included relieving post traumatic stress symptoms for a group of Vietnam veterans, resolving sexual abuse, addictions and phobias. I was truly moved and touched by what I saw, and excited to know more. I have since purchased the entire training programme!

While I left the programme enthusiastic and hopeful about a new approach to working rapidly and effectively with clients, I had some concerns about how the approach was delivered. In this course no mention was given to the role of assessment in this process, nor its limitations or contraindications. Having been trained in other related approaches, I am aware that these interventions can evoke strong emotional responses in client, including abreactions. As a result they may be unsuitable for some clients, and others may require preparatory therapeutic work. Assessing, for example, psychotic symptoms, dissociation and suicidal thinking can be helpful in this regard. Although Gary openly states that his background is not in the therapeutic field (but in engineering) I was left with additional concerns regarding the ethics of working with clients on stage, in front of an audience, on such personal and emotional issues.

Concerns about the course aside, I see EFT and similar approaches as holding great potential as very effective tools for helping work with a wide range of emotional issues. I wonder if it would benefit many therapists to become more familiar with this developing field of therapies. Though, I do caution professionals who watch this course, it will likely challenge the vast majority of your training in the field, if not turn it completely on its head! More information can be found at: www.emofree.com.