Intellectual Disabilities: A Systemic Approach(The Systemic Thinking and Practice Series)

The application of systemic ideas and principles in working with people with intellectual disabilities, their families and their service systems, has grown over the last decade in the UK. This book, for the first time, brings together the writings of a group of practitioners who have been using this approach in their clinical practice. It is hoped it will inspire others to try out different ways of working with people with intellectual disabilities and their wider systems, so that they can have the choice of a wide range of therapeutic approaches. It is also hoped that systemic practitioners who are unfamiliar with this client group might give consideration to extend their practice to also work with people with intellectual disabilities.

Table of Contents:
Series Editors’ Foreword , Foreword , Introduction , Working systemically with intellectual disability , The use of the systemic approach to adults with intellectual disabilities and their families , Lifespan family therapy services , Setting up and evaluating a family therapy service in a community team for people with intellectual disabilities , Engaging people with intellectual disabilities in systemic therapy , New stories of intellectual disabilities , Supporting transitions , Who needs to change? Using systemic ideas when working in group homes , The practitioner’s position in relation to systemic work in intellectual disability contexts , So how do I . . . ?

About the Author :
Sandra Baum is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist with Newham Primary Care NHS Trust. She has a post-graduate certificate in systems approaches to families and organisations from the Tavistock Centre. Her clinical work and research interests focus on using systemic approaches with families and staff teams, and on improving services for parents with intellectual disabilities. Henrik Lynggaard is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist with Camden and Islington Mental Health NHS Trust in London and is currently completing his systemic psychotherapy training at KCC. He was born and brought up in Denmark but has trained and worked mainly in the UK, where he has developed a strong interest in adapting systemic and narrative approaches in his conversations with people with intellectual disabilities.

Review :
'This book feels like a big step toward solidarity. It is freeing that the book carefully turns our usual descriptions of 'them' to describing and including 'us'. Yes, this is a book of inclusion and it holds the ambition that all those who have not had speaking voices and therefore not been heard, now shall be given that possibility.' - Tom Andersen, Tromso, Norway