Making Spaces

This book argues for the value and application of psychoanalytic thinking beyond, as well as within, the consulting room. Inspired by a Scottish psychoanalytic tradition that owes much to W.R.D. Fairbairn and J.D. Sutherland, the Scottish Institute of Human Relations has provided a valuable reference point for the work described in the book. It illustrates how the coming together of human beings into a shared space fosters opportunities to create loving, collaborative relationships in which to work and from which to grow. The book's first section explores how psychoanalytic thinking developed in Scotland, while section two focuses on work with children, families and couples, showing how psychoanalytic perspectives can be used to strengthen capacities for loving relationships. The chapters in section three show how psychoanalysis can be applied in such varied settings as psycho-social research, education, institutional development and organisational consultancy. The fourth section pursues this theme further, considering the potential of psychoanalytic concepts to enhance work in religious ministry, in medical and psychiatric services, and in understanding the processes of ageing. The book shows how psychoanalytic thinking can be put to work in a variety of professional contexts to create spaces in which we learn to love, work and grow.

Liz Bondi is Professor of Social Geography at the University of Edinburgh, where she contributes to professional education in Counselling and Psychotherapy, primarily at doctoral level. She began her academic career in human geography, which she continued while training part-time in counselling. After completing her training she joined SIHR. Combining her academic background in human geography (and the social sciences more generally) with her interest in counselling and psychotherapy, she has lead or contributed to a series of research projects about the cultural shaping of counselling and psychotherapy in Scotland. She also applies ideas from counselling and psychotherapy to the developing field of "emotional geographies". She is founding editor of the journal 'Emotion, Space and Society' and author of numerous academic papers as well as co-editor or co-author of several books. She is a COSCA-accredited counsellor who maintains a small practise in the voluntary sector. Kate Cullen is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist in private practice. She trained initially as a teacher and worked in secondary schools in the UK and in West Africa. Her work as a pastoral care teacher led her to train as a counselling psychologist and later to train as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist at the London Centre for Psychotherapy. On returning to Scotland in 2006, she joined SIHR (the Scottish Institute of Human Relations) and worked in the Adult Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Service. She has a private practice in Fife. Judith Fewell is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist in private practice in Edinburgh and Honorary Fellow at the University of Edinburgh. For many years she worked as a freelance trainer within the statutory and voluntary sectors in Scotland delivering workshops and courses based on psychodynamic thinking for professionals and volunteers whilst training as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist at the SIHR. She took up a post at the University of Edinburgh in Counselling and Psychotherapy during the course of which she contributed to the development and delivery of the postgraduate Diploma in Counselling, supervised masters and doctoral students and participated in the research programme. She has held a long term interest in, and commitment to, the single case study as a legitimate form of research into psychotherapeutic practices and understandings. This has led her to explore and write about how personal and professional narratives of the psychotherapist can help illustrate and illuminate psychoanalytic theory and practice. Eileen Francis worked as a speech and language therapist in health and education settings before becoming a lecturer in the Speech Unit at Moray House Institute of Education, Edinburgh. She later became a member of the department of professional and curriculum support studies and was appointed senior lecturer. She is a former President of the Scottish Educational Research Association and chaired the Board of SIHR from 2005-2010. Molly Ludlam is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist with couples, individuals, and parents in private practice and a Full Member of the British Society of Couple Psychotherapists and Counsellors, and Member of the International Council of Editors of Psychoanalytic Journals. She is author, editor and contributor to many books and journals.