Book launch/CPD - Emotional Neglect and the Adult in Therapy

With: Kathrin Stauffer

We are very excited to be able to invite you to this online Pluralogue CPD event and book launch: The ignored children. The entry price includes a signed copy of Kathrin Stauffer’s new book Emotional Neglect and the Adult in Therapy: Lifelong Consequences to a Lack of Early Attunement.

About the topic:

I have found that the topic of emotional neglect in early childhood (‘being ignored’) is itself rather neglected. Neglect is often just included with abuse as an afterthought. However, I have found that people with a history of neglect are different in important ways from those with a history of abuse, even though there are some similarities. My book is an attempt to share what I have learned about how to understand the experience of ignored children, and how to work therapeutically with these clients who often suffer from severe deficits in their emotional development.

My new book is called Emotional Neglect and the Adult in Therapy: Lifelong Consequences to a Lack of Early Attunement. It is the result of many years of experience working psychotherapeutically with clients with a history of early emotional neglect. They share certain characteristics, the most conspicuous being that they cannot understand what is wrong with them. This lack of narrative for their suffering is quite crippling for some and adds to the already large burden of shame that neglected people carry. Moreover it can make the neglect that these clients have suffered hard to spot for therapists.

I am planning to give a little introduction to the topic, presenting some of the points that I consider important in our understanding of how ignored children function. I will outline considerations for the therapeutic relationship in working with ignored children and also speak a little about specific therapeutic approaches that work well in my experience. I hope that participants will ask questions and share their opinions and their experience.

Many members of helping professions have been ignored children. I am interested in the experience that therapists have had of being ignored and making something creative out of their struggles, and want to especially make space for this topic. I feel that everybody’s experience is a valuable contribution that can promote the deepening of therapeutic skills for this client group.

Please note that I will be addressing how to work with such clients as adults and not how to work with children who may be suffering from ongoing neglect.

The aim is to support therapists’ and clients’ understanding by thinking about questions such as:

• What does it mean to work with deficits rather than conflicts?
• What are the consequences of their specific attachment traumas, and how do they manifest in the therapeutic relationship?
• How can we bear the fierce resistance that these clients bring to therapy?
• What might be ways of speeding the therapeutic process up? 

- Katherine Stauffer

About Kathrin Stauffer

Kathrin A. Stauffer PhD, body and humanistic psychotherapist (UKCP), was born and educated in Switzerland. Originally a research biochemist, she retrained at the Chiron Centre for Body Psychotherapy in London.

She is the author of the book Anatomy & Physiology for Psychotherapists: Connecting Body & Soul (W.W. Norton 2010), as well as a number of papers available from stauffer.co.uk.

She lives and works in private practice in Cambridge as a body psychotherapist, EMDR therapist, supervisor and writer. She is known to many as a former Chair of the Chiron Association for Body Psychotherapists.

Her second book, Emotional Neglect and the Adult in Therapy: Lifelong Consequences to a Lack of Early Attunement is about to be published by W.W. Norton.

About the Pluralogue

For those new to this event, the Pluralogue is a space where we get together to both learn and socialise, meet some new colleagues and find out what others are up to.

The term ‘Pluralogue’ was coined by Doron many years ago, to depict moving beyond monologue to dialogue: to pluralogue (the conversation of many). We hope to learn together and from each other in the form of a learning community in a friendly atmosphere.

The added bonus is that we structure it as a CPD event so you will be able to count it as CPD hours (a CPD certificate will be provided as well).

Programme

2.30pm–3pm: Introduction and interview with Kathrin

3pm–3.30pm: Presentation by Kathrin

3.30pm–4.30pm: Q&A and discussion

Booking information

Places cost:

£35 for Relational Spaces members
£45 for non-members
The entry price includes a copy of Kathrin Stauffer’s new book.

To confirm your booking please email us at therapyroomsuk@gmail.com and we will reply with details of how to pay.

We will also send you a link to join the Zoom meeting nearer the time. You will not need to download any software to take part.

Please use your name + PL29 as reference.

Cancellation policy

Please note we do not offer refunds for our Pluralogue events. However, if you ask to cancel your booking more than 7 days before the event, you’ll receive a one-time use (no-cancellation) credit for a future event.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Warm regards,

Dianne and Doron.

07426 336 322