Many of us love Christmas but those who work in the counselling and psychotherapy field know it can be a difficult time for even the most cheerful. Take yourself. There is all the pressure of celebration which begins with the school carol service ( notice it’s always the same night as a long standing professional commitment), proceeds seamlessly through Christmas get togethers and thank you’s with colleagues, the staff celebration and finally our own family and friends gatherings. That doesn’t take into account the task of Christmas shopping, which is fun but have you noticed that some people end up with multiple gifts while others seem impossible to buy for? No wonder we come to Christmas Day, ready for a break from all responsibility including our professions. we just want a holiday!

We know that we are the lucky ones for Christmas can be lonely and difficult time for many of our clients. Families who have been estranged all year will yearn for reconciliation and the fantasy Christmas celebration, only to be dissappointed when the reality is experienced. Others will be experiencing the pain of family separation and seeing children for only half their usual celebration. For some, Christmas will be spent alone at a time when EVERYONE else is with loving family. No wonder this is a time when life can become too painful to bear. So, at a time when we as helpers most need a rest, our clients need support.

It is this reality that has made us reconsider our services over the Christmas, New Year break. We have decided to remain open and to offer appointments to our own clients and also to others whose usual practitioner may be unavailble. For the latter we will meet their immediate request and then redirect them back to their previous practitioner when they are again available with the offer of liason to ensure continuity of care. We may not be able to fill everyone’s stocking but even a little may help.  

Bower Place is Opening Hours during the Holidays

When confronted with the distressing, horrifying and often inexplicable fact of child abuse many practitioners find themselves overwhelmed by the horror and enormity of the situation. We find ourselves searching for guidance and clarity to make sense of the matter before us and to guide our practice in order to achieve the best possible outcome for the child and their family.

It is with great relief to encounter two chapters written by Arnon Bentovim which promise the clarity and direction we crave. The paper “Physical and Sexual Abuse” which appears in a text on Child Psychiatry published by Cambridge University Press in 2006, clearly identifies the different forms of abuse against children, and aims to identify coherent themes which may influence the way that professionals act. Further it outlines the appropriate role and tasks of the treating professional. The paper takes a fully systemic view as it clearly defines different forms of abuse, the impact of such experiences and guidelines for interviewing and management. At each stage the practitioner is reminded that abuse occurs in a broad context inclusive of the child, their family, school, welfare and legal systems.

A second paper “Interventions: What Can Services Achieve Which is Useful and Effective?” appeared in a text on Evidence Based Practice in the Welfare Field published in 2007. This chapter explores “levels of intervention, specific ways of helping children and young people recover from the effects of abuse and neglect and addresses which families, under which circumstances, might benefit from particular interventions.” It also details ‘core knowledge’ including assessment of the child’s needs and understanding of different types and severity of harm necessary for the practitioner to plan appropriate intervention. “The ultimate goal of intervening in the lives of children who need to be safeguarded is prevention.  The aim is to prevent harm in the future, ensure children are wanted and cared for adequately, are protected and exposed to as few risks to their development as possible, and they live in a context where their needs are met.  Adequate safeguards will make certain that they achieve their developmental potential.  Through this approach the emotional and physical health of the present and future generations is assured.” 
Both papers are clear, well written, thoroughly referenced  and above all compassionate of all who find themselves caught in the horror that is child abuse.