Stories of Psychological Practice from Neonatal Care: An Anthology of

Description

This insightful book offers a rich collection of practice stories written by forty-eight psychological professionals working in neonatal care in the UK, illuminating the compassionate human endeavour of holding distress as families and teams navigate the storms of neonatal care. Through diverse voices, including clinical and counselling psychologists, child and adult psychotherapists, counsellors... Read more

This insightful book offers a rich collection of practice stories written by forty-eight psychological professionals working in neonatal care in the UK, illuminating the compassionate human endeavour of holding distress as families and teams navigate the storms of neonatal care. Through diverse voices, including clinical and counselling psychologists, child and adult psychotherapists, counsellors and psychological wellbeing practitioners, these evocative narratives reveal what it means to bring forth and hold stories that make sense of overwhelming experiences for others.

Organised across four thematic sections—exploring the 'what?', 'how?', 'where?' and 'who?' of neonatal psychological practice—the book weaves together first-person narratives, reflective pieces and conversations with conceptual commentaries that provide theoretical and empirical context. Chapters address the nature of psychological intervention during ongoing trauma, the therapeutic processes of holding and containment, clinical and ethical dilemmas arising from positioning within multidisciplinary teams, and the mutual influence between practitioners' selves and their work. Topics span transitioning into parenthood, neonatal loss and trauma, parent-infant relationships, staff support, personal and professional boundaries and experiences of leadership, offering both anchor and compass for this rapidly evolving field.

Written with accessibility in mind, this book assumes no background in psychological training and speaks to a wide readership: psychological professionals seeking to learn about or deepen their neonatal practice; allied health professionals, nurses, medics and other multidisciplinary team members wanting to understand their colleagues' roles; parents and families who have experienced neonatal care; and anyone interested in discovering what psychological professionals can offer within the neonatal system. By celebrating diverse approaches, this anthology of creativity, connection and courage opens up new possibilities for practice while honouring the complex reality of this profoundly human work.

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Chapter 1 Introduction: Learning Through Stories Davy Evans, Ruth Butterworth, Ellie Atkins, Rebecca Chilvers, Samantha Cole, Jacinta Cordwell and Anita D'Urso. Chapter 2 The Psychological Impact of Neonatal Care: The 'Why?' of Neonatal Psychological Practice Davy Evans, Ruth Butterworth, Ellie Atkins, Rebecca Chilvers, Samantha Cole, Jacinta Cordwell and Anita D'Urso. Section 1 The 'What?' of Neonatal Psychological Practice: Peri-Trauma Work. Chapter 3 Neonatal Psychological Practice as Peri-Trauma Intervention: Conceptual Commentary Davy Evans, Ruth Butterworth, Ellie Atkins, Rebecca Chilvers, Samantha Cole, Jacinta Cordwell and Anita D'Urso. Chapter 4 Waiting Outside the Walls: Working With Complex Trauma on the Neonatal Unit Jo O'Mara. Chapter 5 Grief and Survival: Keeping Hope Whilst Facing Loss Adele Faller and George Fisher. Chapter 6 Weathering the Storm of Neonates: Finding Safety in Uncertainty Rosa Reed-Berendt and Hannah DeJong. Chapter 7 Faith, Hope and Clarity on the Neonatal Unit: A Letter to My Former Self Kerry Taylor. Chapter 8 Relational Seismology: Working With Couples Following the Earthquake of Neonatal Admission Antonia Reay. Chapter 9 The Versatile Role of a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner: A Letter to My Former Self Emily Haywood. Chapter 10 What Can be Done in a Single Session? Single Session Therapy in Neonatal Care Davy Evans. Chapter 11 The Dance of the Feeding Relationship on the Neonatal Unit and Beyond Clare Coppock and Rosie Hurlston. Chapter 12 Surrounded by Love: An Experience of Supporting Staff After a Baby's Death Kaysha Luces. Chapter 13 A Staff Debrief After Sudden Loss Stephen Baker. Chapter 14 Walking with Families Through Diagnosis Farzana Sutcliffe-Khan. Chapter 15 A Bridge Between Two Worlds: Inpatient and Post-Discharge Work Susannah McNulty. Section 2 The 'How?' of Neonatal Psychological Practice: Containment and Mentalising. Chapter 16 Containment and Mentalising as Common Factors in Neonatal Psychological Practice: Conceptual Commentary Ruth Butterworth, Davy Evans, Ellie Atkins, Rebecca Chilvers, Samantha Cole, Jacinta Cordwell and Anita D'Urso. Chapter 17 The Emotional Landscape of Holding and Containment in a Neonatal Unit Adele Faller. Chapter 18 Where Do I Begin? Thinking Skin-to-Skin Anya Suschitzky. Chapter 19 Bearing Witness: Providing Containment to Neonatal Staff Aiveen Higgins. Chapter 20 Ghosts in the NICU: Making Space for Babies' Selves Amongst the Legacy of Loss Mariane de Freitas Cordeiro. Chapter 21 Allowing Babies' Voices to Surface Catriona Matthews. Chapter 22 Bridging the Gap: Navigating Parent–Infant Bonding in Neonatal Care Bethan Manford. Chapter 23 Babies as Tiny Teachers Sophie Burgess. Chapter 24 Organisational Observations in the Neonatal Unit Tierney Tindall and Nicola Anderton. Chapter 25 Why Would I? Why Would I Not? Touching Babies as a Psychologist on NICU Davy Evans. Chapter 26 Grounded in Experience: A Letter to My Former Self Jo O'Mara. Chapter 27 With a Gentle Hand: A Neonatal Psychologist's Role in Connecting With Pain Charlotte Hames. Chapter 28 Mum & Baby: A Tug of Needs in Cot Space Seven Francesca Wood. Section 3 The 'Where?' of Neonatal Psychological Practice: Positioning Inside and Outside the Team. Chapter 29 Positioning Neonatal Psychological Practice Inside and Outside the Team: Conceptual Commentary Jacinta Cordwell, Davy Evans, Ruth Butterworth, Ellie Atkins, Rebecca Chilvers, Samantha Cole and Anita D'Urso. Chapter 30 Embedding a Psychology Service in a Neonatal Team: "Have You Got a Minute?" Abby Lovatt. Chapter 31 The Foundations of Fluffiness: Safe not Soft Katie Snow and Tracey Twyman. Chapter 32 Changing Roles, Evolving Identity: A Letter to My Former Self Sue Aucutt. Chapter 33 Tuning Into Trauma: Psychological Work as Relational Music in the Neonatal Unit Mel Wiseman. Chapter 34 "I Couldn't Do My Job Without the MDT": Exploring and Sustaining Neonatal MDT Connections Through Collective Narrative and Poetic Practice Rosie Hurlston, Clare Coppock and Cynthia Wong. Chapter 35 The Dad in Bed Four: Developing Neonatal Units as Psychologically Informed Environments Ellie Atkins. Chapter 36 Finding Space: Developing a Reflective Practice With a Neonatal Transport Team Danika Solieri. Chapter 37 A Colleague Versus the Therapist: Challenges and Reflections on Delivering Individual Staff Psychological Support Within a Neonatal Unit Vivien Smith. Section 4 The 'Who?' of Neonatal Psychological Practice: Mutual Influence Between the Self and the Work. Chapter 38 Mutual Influence Between the Self and the Work in Neonatal Psychological Practice: Conceptual Commentary Ellie Atkins, Davy Evans, Ruth Butterworth, Rebecca Chilvers, Samantha Cole, Jacinta Cordwell, Anita D'Urso. Chapter 39 Building My Secure Base: A Letter to My Former Self Beth Carrington. Chapter 40 The Bridge Between the Neonatal Unit and Miscarriage Holly Millard. Chapter 41 Matrescence as a Neonatal Psychologist Jayne O'Brien. Chapter 42 Where I Am Today: Layers of Being on the Neonatal Unit Laura Sennen. Chapter 43 Ethically Intruding on the Sacred in a Neonatal Unit Lorna Nelson and Davy Evans. Chapter 44 The Occupational Hazard of Sadness Hena Syed-Sabir. Chapter 45 The Body Comes to the Neonatal Unit Hannah Matkin. Chapter 46 The Personal is the Political: Talking About Ethnicity and Race as Friends, Colleagues and Clinicians Eloise Wynter and Philippa Hatton. Chapter 47 "Dear Future Student": Experiences of Training Placements in Neonatal Care Kikelomo Thomas-Smith, Kaylie Sunshine, Elisha Hussain and Nidah Chaudhry. Chapter 48 Run Towards the Roar: Courage and Connection in COVID-19 Rebecca Chilvers. Chapter 49 It's Just a Job: The Mixed Feelings of Leaving a Neonatal Job Davy Evans. Chapter 50 How Much is 'Good Enough'? Ellie Atkins. Chapter 51 Concluding Reflections on Neonatal Psychological Practice Davy Evans, Ruth Butterworth, Ellie Atkins, Rebecca Chilvers, Samantha Cole, Jacinta Cordwell, Anita D'Urso.

Editor(s)

Biography

Davy Evans is a consultant clinical psychologist in NHS paediatric and neonatal psychology services in Birmingham, UK, and was previously Lead Psychologist for the West Midlands Neonatal Operational Delivery Network.

Ruth Butterworth is a consultant clinical psychologist and Lead Psychologist for the NHS North West Neonatal Operational Delivery Network.

Ellie Atkins is a consultant clinical psychologist and Lead Psychologist for the London Neonatal Operational Delivery Network.

Rebecca Chilvers is a consultant clinical psychologist and Lead Psychologist for the East of England Neonatal Operational Delivery Network.

Samantha Cole is head of adult psychological health services in the NHS in Bristol, UK, and Lead Psychologist of the South West Neonatal Operational Delivery Network.

Jacinta Cordwell is a consultant clinical psychologist and Lead Psychologist for the Thames Valley and Wessex Neonatal Operational Delivery Network.

Anita D'Urso is a consultant clinical psychologist and Lead Psychologist for the East Midlands Neonatal Operational Delivery Network.

Critics' Reviews

"An astonishing book, Stories of Psychological Practice from Neonatal Care gives voice (actually 48 voices) to the psychological, visceral and pre-verbal world of the neonatal unit. A rarity, where every chapter feels like a generous, precious, and much needed gift."

Michelle Cree, author of The New Motherhood Workbook, and The Compassionate Mind Approach to Postnatal Depression.

"The powerful narratives in Stories of Psychological Practice from Neonatal Care re-surfaced emotions in me, a NICU dad. These stories are more evidence that psychological services should be a standard of care in every NICU in the world."

Michael Hynan, PhD, Executive Council Advisor, National Network of NICU Psychologists, USA.

Stories of Psychological Practice from Neonatal Care An Anthology of Creativity, Connection and Courage

Description

Table of Contents

Editor(s)

Biography

Critics' Reviews

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