Paul Dennison Psychotherapy                       Tel: 0207 924 5601

PhD, UKCP, BPC

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Effects of early relational trauma on later adult life

Events that occur in the earliest years of life before verbal language develops may not be ‘remembered’ in the usual way, but nevertheless leave powerful ‘feeling memories’ or deep templates that can affect future relationships. Psychotherapy can help to re-member and integrate these early traces.

The effects of adoption are a special interest of mine, having worked intensively with a number of adults who were either adopted themselves, or were the child of an adopted parent, or the partner of an adopted spouse.

Mindfulness

Although my core practice is in the Western tradition of psychoanalytic psychotherapy, I have over 30 years experience teaching and practising mindfulness techniques mainly based on the breath, but also on movement. Mindfulness as an adjunct to therapy is now recognised (in National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines) as more effective than CBT in preventing relapse in chronic depression.

In addition to over 10 years experience offering clinical group supervision to psychotherapists in the NHS, as well as privately, I have a special interest in supervising and working with Staff Groups. These are sometimes known as Team Development and Reflective Practice groups, and have included Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs) and groups of senior nurses.

The principles can be applied to work teams in any context, and are particularly powerful in increasing team effectiveness and in reducing the risks of Burnout.

Having had previous careers as a research physicist and then in business, I am able to offer consultation to establish such groups in a wide range of settings, and to offer training to potential group facilitators.