Research Matters Forum - Brief psychodynamic psychotherapy for adolescents and their families in crisis: presentation of a pilot intervention running for almost 3 years in the SAFE adolescent crisis team, in Enfield CAMHS

In this Research Matters Forum presentation, Maria, Catherine, Nikolaos and Fembe will describe a brief psychodynamic crisis therapeutic intervention that was developed within their CAMHS adolescent crisis team, inspired by the work of child psychotherapist Ruth Schmidt Neven’s on time-limited psychotherapy with adolescents and their families. This 12-session intervention offers individual therapy for the adolescent, sessions for their parents, and regular family reviews. Two psychotherapists work closely together on each case – one with the young person, the other with the parents. The brief model views crises as opportunities for deeper understanding, moving beyond diagnostic and symptom-centred approaches, as well as standard risk management and safety-planning strategies, and underlines the centrality of parent involvement in adolescent crisis work. Presenters will discuss the intervention’s theoretical foundation, guiding principles, and practical design, and present some preliminary findings from their pilot study which has now run for almost 3 years. This Research Matters Forum will provide the platform to discuss the potential this intervention has for approaching various adolescent crises, beyond suicidality and self-harm.

The presentation will be facilitated by Maria Papadima, Catherine Campbell, Nikolaos Tzikas and Fembe Nanji-Rowe, and chaired by Dr Elena Della Rosa, Deputy Director of Scientific Research.

Maria Papadima trained as a child and adolescent psychotherapist at the Independent Psychoanalytic Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy Association (IPCAPA), after completing a PhD on trauma and psychoanalysis. She works at the SAFE adolescent crisis team in London. She has a longstanding interest in therapeutic work with adolescents and their families, both short and long term, including work in crisis. In addition to her clinical work, she teaches and supervises at the IPCAPA training in Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy and other institutions, and for a number of years was one of the editors at the Journal of Child Psychotherapy.

Catherine Campbell trained as a child and adolescent psychotherapist at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust Foundation. She is a senior Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist at SAFE, which is the adolescent crisis team in Enfield CAMHS, London. Catherine also works in private practice and supervises. She has a particular interest in working with adolescents and their families.

Nikolaos Tzikas trained as a child and adolescent psychotherapist at the Independent Psychoanalytic Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy Association (IPCAPA). He works at the SAFE adolescent crisis team in London. Nikolaos also works in private practice and is interested in therapeutic work with children and adolescents and their families, both in short and long-term psychotherapy. He is particularly interested in exploring the capacity to play, its role and its significance across different stages of development.

Fembe Nanji-Rowe is a child and adolescent psychotherapist in doctoral training at the Independent Psychoanalytic Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy Association (IPCAPA) and trainee member of the Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP) and British Psychotherapy Foundation (BPF). Fembe is in a full-time clinical placement across Enfield generic CAMHS and Enfield CAMHS Service for Adolescents and Families in Enfield (2022-2026). She has an active interest in cross-cultural phenomena, processes of mourning and the dynamics of race.

Dr Elena Della Rosa

Elena trained at the Tavistock Centre, has worked in the NHS and has been teaching at the Centre for Psychoanalytic Studies at the University of Essex. She is currently working in private practice. She has an interest in research and is a research supervisor on the clinical training at the Tavistock. She is Deputy Director of the Scientific Committee at the ACP.

Please click here to read the paper: Brief psychodynamic psychotherapy foradolescents and their families in crisis: a pilot study.

ABOUT RESEARCH MATTERS FORUM: 

The aim of this bi-monthly forum is to bring together child psychotherapists who want to learn more about research, to enhance their knowledge, skills and to find other colleagues who may be interested in similar topics for potential collaboration.

The research carried out by members has been spurred by their clinical practice and interest in clinical issues. This discussion forum will enable dialogue on how to tackle clinical dilemmas and ethical practice in research.