Introducing psychoanalytic ideas on violence, delinquency and sexual deviation (CPD70)

Develop your skills to understand sexual acting out, criminality and violence through a psychoanalytic lens

This course – an online series of monthly lectures and follow-up discussion – introduces the key concepts from the psychodynamic and developmental understanding of sexual acting out, criminality and violence. It is aimed at a wide range of professionals who are interested in gaining some psychoanalytic understanding of these challenging issues.

Aims and learning objectives

By the end of the course, participants will have detailed insight into the developmental trajectories and psychic states of those who enact internal difficulties in ways that bring them, or may bring them, into conflict with the law. There are also networking opportunities for professionals working with clients with similar difficulties across the health, social care and criminal justice systems.

Who is this course for?

This is an introductory course aimed at a wide range of professionals and clinicians. Past cohorts have included delegates drawn from the following settings in the public, private and third sector:

  • criminal justice (including prisons, young offenders’ institutions, chaplaincy, probation services)
  • mental and physical health
  • psychiatry, psychology and therapy services especially treating those with personality disorders
  • women’s refuges
  • support for the homeless
  • pupil referral units

Course details

This course has now closed for bookings. Please ‘Register your interest’ to be informed about future opportunities to take this course.

The course comprises an early evening online seminar once a month for ten months – October to July.

The next course will run on the following dates:

SessionsDateStart timeEnd time
Session 1/1012 October 20236pm7.30pm
Session 2/109 November 20237pm8.30pm
Session 3/1014 December 20236pm7.30pm
Session 4/1018 January 20246pm7.30pm
Session 5/108 February 20246pm7.30pm
Session 6/10 14 March20246pm7.30pm
Session 7/1018 April 20246pm7.30pm
Session 8/109 May 20246pm7.30pm
Session 9/1013 June 20246pm7.30pm
Session 10/1011 July 20246pm7.30pm

This course will be delivered remotely using Zoom.

You will need a device with a microphone and camera together with a suitably fast internet connection. Although mobile devices and tablets can be used, we recommend the use of a laptop or desktop PC for the best experience. Some devices provided by employers may have restrictions in place. Please use this Zoom test link to check your set up before booking.

You will be sent the necessary login link about a week before the course start date. Should you have any concerns about the accessibility of remote delivery please contact us to discuss how we can best help you.

The lecture series will be chaired by the course lead, Dr Reena Manghnani, consultant psychiatrist in forensic psychotherapy at the Portman Clinic. Each month, lectures will be given by leading experts in the field of forensic psychotherapy. After each lecture, you will have an opportunity to discuss the issues raised and to bring up related interests and experience from your own work.

The focus of the talks and discussion will be on those clients/patients who are often referred to as complex, difficult or antisocial: they act out in criminal and/or violent ways or their sexual behaviour damages themselves or other people. Having ways of thinking about and understanding something of this behaviour often helps the people who work with them to manage the challenges they present.

Whilst the course comprises a series of individual lectures, it is intended to be followed in its entirety. The programme has been designed holistically such that later lectures build on ideas from earlier in the series and discussion becomes increasingly integrated as understanding is consolidated.

Programme (provisional)

DateSessionSpeaker
12 October 2023Welcome, an introduction to the course and the work of the Portman ClinicDr Reena Manghnani
9 November 2023Working with offender patientsDr Jessica Yakeley
14 December 2023Self-Murder – Psychoanalytic thinking about suicideMs Gabrielle Brown
18 January 2024Aggression and violenceMs Marianne Parsons
8 February 2024What is perversion?Mr Don Campbell
14 March 2024Female perversion – the violation of care and the bodyDr Andrew Williams
18 April 2024Attachment theory in forensic psychiatryDr Gwen Adshead
9 May 2024Violence as tragedy, violence as tyrannyDr Stephen Blumenthal
13 June 2024Group psychotherapyMr John Woods
11 July 2024Social attitudes towards sexual behaviourMr John Woods

Each lecture will be supplemented with a selection of relevant supporting readings accessible online. Links will be provided to access the materials directly via the library subscription included with the course

During the course, participants are expected to be in a private space, where they can engage with other participants and live course learning, without interruption for the duration of the session and with access to a device with a webcam that is turned on. There is an expectation that participants will set aside sufficient time to read the designated course reading, approximately two papers per seminar.

Library membership

Included in your course fee, you will receive online membership to the Tavistock’s internationally-renowned library for the duration of your course.

Our friendly and knowledgeable library team will help to support you through your specialist CPD course, whatever your level of professional or academic experience. You will have access to an extensive range of eBooks, online journals, all the relevant key databases and our specialist audio-visual collection, plus reference access to all our print books.

Our information skills trainer has made lots of material available on Moodle to help you navigate our comprehensive electronic collections. PCs and photocopiers are available for your use (charges apply for printing and copying), as well as various online resources including audio/video playlists.

Testimonials

“The course has been utterly fantastic. I know that online learning is seen as ‘second best’ to in person, but there is no way I would have been able to travel to London each month if there were not an online version, so this opportunity has been hugely important to me. All the guest speakers were so knowledgeable about their subject that it felt like a real privilege to hear them speak. They were also so friendly towards us. There were some big names which can be intimidating, but I always felt that our questions and comments were really valued. I was really impressed by the breadth of topics offered, and the plethora of extra reading material to go along with it. I feel I have learnt and experienced so much more in the past nine months than I thought I would. The training is very good value for money too!”
Student
“I find the seminars extremely stimulating and I think Dr Manghnani is a superlative seminar leader. Reena is a kind, warm, welcoming facilitator who I felt was a hugely important part of the whole course”
Students
“Utterly fascinating. Very skillfully condensed a lot of relevant information into a very short amount of time in a way that didn’t compromise quality, and was very understandable.”
Student
“I think the standout for me is that with each topic we had a real, bonafide expert in the field speaking to us. I feel it’s quite rare to have every speaker in a series really be at the head of their field, and it’s such a fantastic opportunity for attendees that we just wouldn’t get anywhere else”
Student
“This was an engaging and emotionally meaningful seminar. Although densely populated with theoretical ideas and concepts, it was beautifully illustrated with clinical material. I was deeply moved by this talk and the approach to understanding and working with violence. Thank you.”
Student

Course facilitators

Register your interest

Bookings are now closed. Register your interest to join our waiting list and be the first to hear when this course reopens.

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