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Practitioner Articles

This section will feature contemporary and relevant practitioner articles demonstrating best practice in Low Arousal Approaches. This series of articles written by Studio 3 key staff and trainers show how Studio 3 principles of Low Arousal Support and positive psychology are used in practice by members of our team. 

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UNDERSTANDING THE STUDIO 3 APPROACH TO PHYSICAL INTERVENTIONS: Part 3 - Pseudo Martial Arts

By Professor Andrew McDonnell

In this article, Professor Andrew McDonnell discusses the traditional approach to crisis management skills, which he describes as ‘pseudo martial arts,’ and why we need to find alternative ways to keep distressed and vulnerable people safe.

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UNDERSTANDING THE STUDIO 3 APPROACH TO PHYSICAL INTERVENTIONS: Part 2 - Listening to Consumers

By Professor Andrew McDonnell

This is the second in a series of articles on physical interventions training in the crisis management industry. Here, the author focuses on the importance of learning from lived experiences of physical interventions, restraint, and seclusion. 

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THE ROLE OF EXERCISE IN STRESS REDUCTION

By Matt Cotterill

This practitioner article explores the science behind how exercise can help reduce stress levels, and provides practical tips on incorporating physical activity into daily routines; for both individuals being supported and caregivers alike.

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UNDERSTANDING THE STUDIO 3 APPROACH TO PHYSICAL INTERVENTIONS: Part 1 - Terminology

By Professor Andrew McDonnell

This is the first in a series of articles on physical interventions training in the crisis management industry. Here, the author focuses on the issue of terminology. 

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EXPERIENCES OF CRISIS MANAGEMENT TRAINING: CONSUMER REFLECTIONS

By John Moriarty

This article uses a case study to demonstrate some common experiences of crisis management training in care settings, and discusses some examples of poor implementation and delivery of crisis management training.

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THEMATIC ANALYSIS: A QUALITATIVE APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING AN INDIVIDUAL'S LIVED EXPERIENCE

By  Lauren Naismith

The purpose of this article is to provide a rationale and framework for the use of a Thematic Analysis approach in clinical practice in order to better understand an individual's lived experience and support them with this. 

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RESTRAINT AND SECLUSION IN IRISH AND UK SCHOOLS

By  Lauren Naismith, Andrew McDonnell, Rhiannon Ansemous and Karolina Morgalla

The use of restraint and seclusion in school settings is an international problem. It has been the impression of the authors that there has been an alarming increase in the acceptance of these practices in school environments.In this article, we outline some of the key issues, and use our knowledge of behaviour management to recommend solutions.

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BEHIND THE GATES OF A GATED COMMUNITY: SYSTEMIC NEGLIGENCE IN RESIDENTIAL SERVICES

By  John Moriarty

In this article, we will look at some of the issues residential services can face, including toxic working environments, safeguarding violations and abusive practices, and attempt to discuss the wider implications of poor practice for care services across the UK.

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DISABILITY AS A SOCIAL GRACE: MAKING THE INVISIBLE VISIBLE

By  Stephanie Bews-Pugh

In this article,  I reflect on my experience of having a hidden disability and how this informs my practice as an Assistant Psychologist. Throughout I use some illustrative examples, both from my personal life and from a clinical case study.

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MALIGNANT ALIENATION: OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

By  Lauren Naismith and Marion O'Shea

The purpose of this article is to make practitioners more aware of malignant alienation, why it occurs, how it affects our work, and the best way to manage it.

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AUTISTIC WOMEN AND SELF-INJURY: A Low Arousal Framework to Support Coping

By Karolina Morgalla

This article discusses the prevalence of self-injury in autistic women and describes a Low Arousal Framework to support coping.

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PRACTICE-BASED EVIDENCE: A PATHWAY FOR PERSON-CENTRED SUPPORT

By Marion O'Shea

In recent years, there has been a move towards making research more representative of the diversity that we see around us. This article discusses the need for practice-based evidence to inform support in the context of neurodiversity.

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ANGER, THE CLIENT-PRACTITIONER RELATIONSHIP, AND THE LOW AROUSAL APPROACH

By Manfred Davies and Ethan McGuirk

The primary purpose of this article is to help practitioners, families, and wider communities support individuals with a learning disability presenting with anger. This article briefly describes how anger arises in the learning disability community, shows fictitious examples of anger and provides tangible actions.

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PHYSICAL INTERVENTIONS: Reducing Restrictive Practices in Schools Using the LASER Approach

By Gareth D. Morewood and Andrew McDonnell

This short article describes how the Studio 3 LASER Programme approaches the difficult topic of reducing physical interventions and other restrictive practices within schools and other educational settings.

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THE EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER: Applying the Low Arousal Approach to Persons Who Engage in Behaviours of Concern

By Karolina Morgalla, Andrew McDonnell, Carl Benton and Tarendeep Johal

This article provides a case study in Low Arousal, demonstrating the application of Low Arousal Approaches to a person who is distressed.

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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STAFF STRESS AND
COPING

By Ethan McGuirk and Matthew MacGillivray

The key aim of this article is to provide a personal perspective that demonstrates the power of stress management and Low Arousal approaches in real-life settings.

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THE FAMILY PERSPECTIVE

By Hannah McAuliffe and Marion O'Shea

Autism is a condition that continues to be misunderstood and stigmatised in society today. This can make it increasingly difficult for autistic individuals and their families to access support structures. This article offers an insight into supporting autistic individuals from a family perspective.

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EMPATHIC STRESS SUPPORT

By Professor Andrew McDonnell

The second in this series of practitioner articles, this article goes on to describe a more ecclectic, humanistic approach to supporting distressed individuals, moving away from behaviourist techniques and philosophies. Professor Andrew McDonnell discusses a new model for working with vulnerable adults and children: Empathic Stress Support (ESS).

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THE RECOVERING BEHAVIOURIST

By Profesor Andrew McDonnell

As a Clinical Psychologist with almost 30 years experience, Professor McDonnell describes himself as a 'behaviourist in recovery'. From his roots as a 'radical behaviourist' in the 1980s to his current, eclectic approach to clinical supports, Professor McDonnell shares his journey and why he no longer subscribes to the behaviour psychologist philosophies of his early career. 

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