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Outreach work at England's Lane Hostel
A parent infant group psychotherapist brings her specialist skills to Englands’ Lane hostel and works alongside the health visitor at its baby clinic. This joint service has developed over five years. The physical and emotional needs of this vulnerable population are joined up in an accessible psychoanalytically informed service.
Aims
- To offer a group experience for parents and babies around mats, chairs and toys at a level suitable for playing with babies.
In this setting, babies can be given priority over competing pressures which, through homelessness and other external difficulties, can take precedence in the adult mind. A culture is built where models for interactive relating and play are offered so that this diverse population is able to learn from each other and their babies’ experiences.
The Team
The multi-disciplinary team comes together from their different professional perspectives to offer support within the baby clinic setting. They are able to observe parent and baby relationships, identify risk, make interventions within the clinic and refer when appropriate.
Our Approach
This approach is unique because it brings parent infant psychotherapy services to a non-stigmatising, ordinary health service baby clinic. Unlike conventional baby clinics, parents and babies are not passively awaiting professional contact, but are encouraged to value being together on the mats and take this opportunity to support their infants’ development.
Contact Us
For further information please contact Sara Mitchell on +44 (0)20 7794 2313 or email sara.mitchell@annafreud.org
The group is open to residents of the England’s Lane Hostel, with babies
