Therapy Today Therapy For counselling May 2013 and psychotherapy Vol. 24 / Issue 4 Therapy professionals www.therapytoday.net Today BACP Register: Haveup you yet?page signed See 48 May 2013, Vol. 24 Issue 4 24 Vol. 2013, May Pre-trial therapy Working with cult survivors When parents aren’t good-enough Therapy Today is published Editor Therapy Today is the official journal May 2013 by the British Association for Sarah Browne of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy 01455 883317 Counselling and Psychotherapy. Volume 24 BACP House e: [email protected] Views expressed in the journal, and 15 St John’s Business Park signed by a writer, are the views of Issue 4 Lutterworth le17 4hb Deputy Editor the writer, not necessarily those of t: 01455 883300 Catherine Jackson BACP. Publication in this journal f: 01455 550243 01455 206369 does not imply endorsement of the text: 01455 560606 e: [email protected] writer’s view. 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Printer © British Association for Warners Midlands plc Counselling and Psychotherapy The British Association for Patron Chief Executive Counselling and Psychotherapy Helen Bamber Laurie Clarke aims to: • Promote the understanding President Treasurer and awareness of counselling Michael Shooter Keith Seeley and psychotherapy throughout society Vice Presidents Divisional journals • Increase the availability of John Battle BACP also publishes a quarterly trained and supervised counsellors Robert Burden journal for each of its divisions: • Maintain and raise standards Robert Burgess • Association for Pastoral and of training and practice Bob Grove Spiritual Care and Counselling • Provide support for counsellors Lynne Jones (APSCC) and those using counselling Martin Knapp • BACP Children & Young People skills, and opportunities for Juliet Lyon • BACP Coaching their continual professional Glenys Parry • BACP Healthcare development Pamela Stephenson Connolly • BACP Private Practice • Respond to requests for David Weaver • BACP Universities & Colleges information and advice on • BACP Workplace. matters relating to counselling Chair • Represent counselling at Amanda Hawkins To join a division, please contact national and international levels. Divisional Officer Deputy Chair Julie Camfield Registered charity 298361 Elspeth Schwenk e: [email protected] Contents I am grateful to Peter Jenkins for guiding us In many cases, Peter writes, there is a lack through the complex area of pre-trial therapy, of awareness even among therapists as to an area that we will surely be hearing much the specific requirements of pre-trial therapy. more about given the number of arrests of One mother of a six-year-old boy who was ageing celebrities currently being made for having nightmares and trouble sleeping historic sexual abuse following Operation was told by the police that her son could Yewtree. As Peter explains, pre-trial therapy have counselling if he was really ‘falling apart’ is viewed in the criminal justice system prior to the trial. When she tried to engage a as problematic because of its potential to counsellor to work with him, however, they all ‘contaminate’ evidence. Despite there being refused saying that the police would not like it. Sarah Browne clear guidance on pre-trial therapy for child From the therapist’s point of view there is and adult witnesses, in practice there seems the legal context of the therapy to consider, Editor to be much confusion about this. For example, not least the issue of confidentiality – or, rather, in the recent tragic case of Frances Andrade the lack of it. Not only may the police and who killed herself during the trial of her Crown Prosecution Service need to be kept former music teacher, Andrade was allegedly closely informed but both the prosecution warned by the police against having therapy and defence solicitors have access to the even though she was clearly a reluctant and therapist’s records. However difficult and vulnerable witness – her husband has said alien this work may be to counsellors, it that she had been completely distraught would seem also to be terribly important if at the idea of the past being churned up. the voices of victims are to come to the fore. 10 The magical mystery cure 24 When parents aren’t good-enough Features Richard Shrubb reports on controversial Joanna North explores how therapists can trials using Class A drugs to treat depression help children process the knowledge that and post-traumatic stress disorder. their parents couldn’t look after them. 14 Pre-trial therapy 35 Research in practice Peter Jenkins outlines the reforms needed Joe Armstrong, Amanda Hawkins and Mhairi to ensure witnesses and victims of crime Thurston discuss the benefits for counselling have access to expert pre-trial therapy. of practice research networks. 18 Working with cult survivors Gillie Jenkinson reveals how cults take Cover illustration by Clare Nicholas over their members’ minds and lives. 3 Editorial 30 Dilemmas Regulars 4 News Transgender disclosure 6 Columns 32 The interview Rachel Freeth Scott Miller Angela Smith 38 Letters Mel Perry 43 Reviews Barry McInnes 58 Classified 23 Talking point 59 Mini ads Alain de Botton 62 Recruitment 29 How I became a therapist 62 CPD Eugene Ellis 47 From the Chair BACP 48 BACP Register Colin Feltham ‘in conversation’ with Gillie 50 BACP Awards Jenkinson; Clare Nicholas explores the ideas 52 BACP Policy behind her illustrations; in ‘From the archive’ 53 BACP News Nina Rye writes about empowering parents 53 BACP AGM or carers as agents of therapeutic change; the 55 Professional standards TherapyToday.net Noticeboard with notices 56 BACP Research about supervision, placements, research and 57 Professional conduct networking; and our rolling news bulletin. May 2013/www.therapytoday.net/Therapy Today 3 News Time to Change misses targets The Time to Change anti- and decrease discrimination were published in a special in public intended behaviour stigma campaign has failed reported by people with issue of the British Journal there was no improvement to convince the public of mental health problems. of Psychiatry in April. These in reported behaviour. the effectiveness of But the evaluation of its found that Time to Change Service users reported psychotherapy to treat social marketing campaign failed to achieve its target a small reduction in mental health problems. strand found that, while five per cent positive shift discrimination from family, The four-year Time to there was an increase in the in public attitudes towards friends and in their social life, Change programme was numbers of people agreeing people with mental health but no improvement in the launched in England 2007 that ‘psychotherapy can be problems and five per cent attitudes and behaviours of with £16 million from the an effective treatment for reduction in discrimination mental health practitioners, Big Lottery Fund and £4.5 mental health problems’ by 2012. There was no or the police or housing, million from Comic Relief. each time there was a media significant improvement education and other public It also received funding and publicity ‘burst’, overall in public knowledge; some sector provision. Training support from the Department levels of agreement dropped initial improvement in public medical students achieved of Health. Its aims were to over the period of activity. attitudes dropped back after only short-term improvement measurably increase public Evaluations of all the 2009 and, despite some in their attitudes (less than awareness of mental health strands of the programme significant improvement six months).