Meet Sagal, a student on ‘Child and adolescent psychoanalytic psychotherapy (M80)‘

“The Tavistock and Portman has a world renowned reputation in Child Psychotherapy training, and highly experienced clinical educators. I feel fortunate that I have been able to begin my training journey here on the Working with children, young people and families: A psychoanalytic observational approach (M7) course, and I will qualify here as a Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist from the M80 course.

The infant observation really moved me and it has demonstrated how powerful something as seemingly innocuous as observing a small baby can be. I think this aspect of the course definitely enhanced my sensitivity to the emotional life of infants.

The journey I have taken since I started studying at the Tavistock and Portman has been transformational, in terms of both my professional and personal life. During the course, I have encountered great minds, in course tutors and peers, and it has been one of the most significant periods of learning of my adult life.

The course has enriched my ability to be able to think differently about the children I work with. It has given me the resilience and courage to enhance my awareness of my own feelings, and unknown parts of my personality, in turn, enhancing my sensitivity and capacity to reflect on the children I work with.

I was fortunate enough to have been a recipient of the Stuart Hall Foundation Scholarship, which was set up to improve accessibility onto the M80 course for BAME students. We are all becoming increasingly aware of how a lack of diversity in the profession impoverishes our thinking. I strongly believe that diversity is something that enriches all of our work and I am very pleased and encouraged that issues of accessibility and diversity have been taken up seriously at an institutional level, and I am hopeful that there will be a new generation of BAME child psychotherapists to reflect this effort.

If someone is considering applying to the Tavistock and Portman, I would say just go for it. But be prepared for a transformational learning experience that will change the way you look at yourself, your relationships and the world around you. I was surprised by how impactful the experiential aspects of the learning at the Tavistock are.”