Family Trauma series: Supporting mentalizing in adoptive families

About this webinar

The Anna Freud Family Trauma Team’s new live webinar series provides practice insights into key clinical practice areas affecting families, children and young people.

Children who have been adopted can experience a mix of complex emotions and relational challenges, often rooted in developmental trauma. This can impact on their relationships, behaviours and impact on their developing sense of self and identity as they grow up. These difficulties can sometimes be hard for adoptive parents to make sense of and to know how to help.

This webinar will explore the relationship between mentalization, developmental trauma and attachment relationships, and how these relate to the needs of adoptive families.

Aims of this webinar

This webinar aims to explore:

• the relationship between mentalization, developmental trauma and attachment relationships

• the therapeutic needs of adoptive families

• how we assess the therapeutic needs of adoptive families and provide interventions when needed.

Speakers

Dr Sophia Milsom – Deputy Head of the Family Trauma Department

I am Deputy Head of the Family Trauma Department of Anna Freud's Clinical Division. I am the Clinical Lead for our project supporting Adoptive and Special Guardianship Families and for our project offering Family Trauma Assessment and Treatment work.

I trained as a Clinical Psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire (2014). I have worked in NHS and Social Care Services across London, specialising in working with children, young people, parents and carers whose families are affected by developmental trauma. I have many years of experience working with children and adolescents who have experienced maltreatment, abuse and neglect. I am experienced in supporting parents to develop their parenting abilities to care for their children safely.

I use an integrative approach to therapy, meaning I tailor the way I work to the needs of the individuals and families I see. I draw on different models based in an understanding of attachment and trauma, including CBT, narrative therapy, Mentalization-Based Treatment and systemic therapy.

Dr Natasha Nascimento (she/her) – Family and Systemic Psychotherapist, Family Trauma Team

I am Family and Systemic Psychotherapist and Psychologist. I am part of the Post-adoption Team in the Family Trauma Clinical Team, where we offer Mentalization-Based Therapy for Children and Families). I am also seconded to work with Coram post-adoptive families.

I worked in the NHS for over 17 years, in different CAMHS clinics across London and in an inpatient unit. I was part of the Parenting Assessment Team in the Marlborough Family Service (CNWL NHS Mental Health Trust) for 5 years, where I run Multi-Family Therapy groups for families often in court proceedings and I was also an expert witness for the Family Courts. I also worked with children with disabilities in the charity sector for around 5 years.

I graduated from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello, Caracas, Venezuela as a Psychologist in 2000. I completed an MSc in Child Focused Practice in 2006; MSc in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy in 2008 (both in the Institute of Family Therapy in London). A few years ago, I completed a Professional Doctorate in Advanced practice and research in Systemic Psychotherapy in the Tavistock Centre. I am currently training as a Systemic Supervisor at the Tavistock Centre. I have trained in different models of therapy, including Mentalization-Based Therapy for Children, Attachment-Based Family Therapy for depressed Adolescents, Emotional- Focused Therapy, Multi-Family Therapy, and Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy. I am an Honorary Lecturer at UCL and guest lecturer in different university doctoral and master’s programmes. I speak English and Spanish.

Who is this webinar for?

Solicitors and professionals working with families, children and young people.