Thirty years of disability psychotherapy, a paradigm shift?
| Published date | 09 September 2013 |
| Date | 09 September 2013 |
| Pages | 257-262 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/AMHID-06-2013-0038 |
| Author | Pat Frankish |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Learning & intellectual disabilities |
Thirty years of disability psychotherapy,
a paradigm shift?
Pat Frankish
Dr Pat Frankish is a Consultant
Clinical Psychologist, based at
Pat Frankish Psychology and
Psychotherapy Consultancy
Ltd, Gainsborough, UK.
Abstract
Purpose – This paper charts the development and practice of disability psychotherapy for the author and
for services.
Design/methodology/approach – A personal account relating events to the development of thinking and
practice.
Findings – The author suggests that a paradigm shift has occurred over the 30 years to a position of
“doing with”as opposed to “doing to”.
Originality/value – This has not previously been put forward as a way of understanding present day services.
Keywords Paradigm shift, Psychotherapy
Paper type Viewpoint
Introduction
Pat Frankish was invited to present the psychotherapy keynoteaddress at the joint Congress of
the European Association for Mental Health in Intellectual Disability and IASSID
Special Interest Group in Challenging Behaviour and Mental Health held in Manchester in
September 2011. Pat chose to talk about a process of change that has taken place since she
started workingpsychotherapeutically withpeople who have intellectualdisabilities 30 years ago.
Pat agreedto a transcript of her presentation(which she gave withoutthe aid of PowerPoint) to be
published in this special issue. I have edited the transcript and Pat has approved the version
published here. In the last special issue of Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disability
I edited on psychotherapy,Pat wrote a paper about the history ofthe Institute for Psychotherapy
and Disability (Frankish, 2009) of which she was a founding member and first chair, elected a
Fellow, and has recently stepped down after serving a second term as chair. Pat continues to
provide psychotherapy and train psychotherapists.
Nigel Beail
As some of you will know, together with Valerie Sinason and Nigel Beail, I have spent
a significant part of my career developing the ideas of disability psychotherapy. I can say with
some pleasure, that I have recently been able to award four people with their diploma in
disability psychotherapy, after four years of study. One other person has the same qualification
after two years of study, having taken advantage of advanced standing and completing
a portfolio before doing the research module. I see this talk today to be recognition of the
importance of disability psychotherapy, rather than recognition of me. The European Association
has been a supporter from the beginning, and Anton Dosen, who is here with us this week, invited
Valerie Sinason and myself to speak at the first Congress in 1989. The association also, at that
gathering, agreed to have psychotherapy represented on the committee. I fulfilled that role until
2003, and then Nigel Beail took over from me. It has therefore always felt to be a welcome home
for the ideas and their development.
DOI 10.1108/AMHID-06-2013-0038 VOL. 7 NO. 5 2013, pp. 257-262, CEmeraldGroup Publishing Limited, ISSN 2044-1282
j
ADVANCES IN MENTAL HEALTH AND INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES
j
PAGE 257
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