THE USE AND MISUSE OF PSYCHIATRIC DIAGNOSES - How to feel competent in challenging misuse and educate about alternative frameworks with Dr Margot Sunderland (live stream event, UK time zone)

Bookings for this event are now closed.

Due to COVID-19 we are unable to hold on-site events until further notice.

THIS CONFERENCE CAN NOW BE ATTENDED AS A LIVE STREAM (via Zoom)
The event starts at 10am and ends at 5.00pm (UK time zone) - more details to follow.

Please purchase your place via the online booking link and we will send you full instructions on how to join the live stream. For any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us: info@childmentalhealthcentre.org

'Much of what is written and spoken about mental health problems implies they are illnesses. This can lead us all to believe that we no longer have to think about mental health problems, because illness is best left to doctors. They, and psychiatrists, are the illness experts.'  

(A Straight-Talking Introduction to the Causes of Mental Health Problems, Read and Sanders 2010:15)

About the conference

In serving the child’s best interests, Dr Margot Sunderland will discuss the help and hindrance of the most common child and adolescent diagnoses. This discussion will be supported by the latest neuroscience and psychological research for each diagnosis. Dr Sunderland will emphasise that while some diagnoses are correct and helpful, the worry is that when children or teenagers are given a diagnosis, people stop thinking. This is particularly concerning when childhood trauma is manifesting in ways that can easily and mistakenly be seen as ASD or ADHD. The politics of diagnosis and disorders will be explored, as will alternative frameworks for reflecting on diversity in behaviour and social and emotional ways of being in the world. ASD, FAS, ADHD, Conduct Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and Developmental Trauma Disorder will all be considered so that delegates can be far clearer about the probability of a diagnosis being accurate or inaccurate.

Dr Sunderland will also discuss interventions and in particular practical ways that practitioners can work effectively with dysregulated physiological and emotional states common to many children and teenagers with these diagnosis. This will be taken up in more depth by Paul Harris in his afternoon session.

Afternoon session with Paul Harris
Regenerative Practices for a Digital Age: The importance of Embodiment & Playfulness in Working with Young People On and Off-Line.

The session is designed to help practitioners to engage with regenerative practices that will serve them directly and indirectly with their clinical work with Young People whose own nervous systems are often under stress and under-developed. As such we will be mindful of a trauma informed and non-pathologising protocol that is 'as good for us as it for our clients' in helping to nurture the optimal expression of wellbeing in any given moment. 

Benefits from attending this conference

• Understand the role of brain as well as mind in common childhood diagnoses
• Learn about the current politics around psychiatric labels for children and young people and about alternative frameworks for understanding emotion, relationships and behaviour
• Learn the most up-to-date research (both brain science and psychology) relevant to common child and teenage psychiatric disorders such as ADHD, ASD, FAS, Conduct and Oppositional Defiance Disorders
• Learn how to consider underlying causes as well as presenting behaviours
• Understand the role of relational stress and relational poverty in childre and teenagers who present as mentally unwell
• Learn how to raise the awareness of professionals and parents to signs of alarm and developmental delays
• Be empowered in making assessment and providing interventions for children who show concerning behaviour and ways of being in the world
• Learn how to argue your case with ‘fixed position’ professionals

Speakers

Dr Margot Sunderland

Director of Education and Training at The Centre for Child Mental Health, London. Honorary Visiting Fellow at London Metropolitan University, Associate member of The Royal College of Medicine and Child Psychotherapist with over 30 years’ experience of working with children and teenagers. Author of over 20 books in the field of child mental health. What Every Parent Needs to Know (Dorling Kindersley) won First Prize in the British Medical Association Medical Book awards 2007 (Popular Medicine section). Originator of ‘Helping Where it Hurts’, a therapy programme for troubled children in North London schools. For more details about Dr Margot Sunderland: www.margotsunderland.org

Paul Harris

Registered Integrative Child Psychotherapist. Senior Tutor, Masters Degree programme in Child Psychotherapy (Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education - Academic Partner (University of East London). Groupwork Practitioner (Institute of Group Analysis) for troubled adolescents and young adults who experience problems with addiction. Post-Adoption psychotherapeutic work for many years with extremely challenging children diagnosed with developmental trauma (family, parent-child and individual therapy). Senior Lecturer and specialist in treating children who have experienced complex trauma and their families in a variety of contexts for more than twenty years - including education, the community arts, health and social services. Founder of Ahimsa Associates at Cortijo Verde in Andalusia - an interspecies family and retreat centre dedicated to permaculture and the somatic arts. Qualified yoga therapist and Continuum Movement Practitioner. Principal Educator in Trauma Informed Practice.

Chair: Ellie Baker

Ellie is a UKCP registered Integrative Child Psychotherapist and Co-Director of the Teenage Therapeutic Counselling Diploma (IATE, London). Ellie is a returning guest trainer for Integrative Child Psychotherapy, The Therapeutic Arts Diploma (IATE, London). She is a Lead Trainer for Trauma Informed School UK and is Director of the London Based course. Ellie has been a Chair for The Centre for Child Mental Health for over 15 years and regularly presents for CCMH at conferences. An Educational Consultant, Supervisor and Key-Note Speaker Ellie is also a Consultant and Trainer in Parenting and Communication Skills. Founder of HeartSpace, Holistic, Education and Art Related Therapies. Ellie has worked for over 25 years with children and young people across a variety of settings, including Education, The Community, and CAMHS as well as in private practice. Ellie is passionate about working with the Arts and Storytelling to help develop Emotional Health and Well Being to all people.