Welcome to my website

This is what I do
I reach out to inform and inspire, working alongside people taking action in their communities. I do this through clinical work, group projects and writing

Consultation • Training • Clinical Supervision • Psychotherapy • Mentoring

This is how I started
Studying for my degree in Drama at Manchester University made me curious about the dramatic events in our lives that enrich and transform us. I became fascinated by our stories continually unfolding, descriptions of the characters that appear, disappear and influence us forever.

After this I collaborated with children and adults writing and performing plays about their own experiences which were performed on the streets, playgrounds, community centres and pubs during the seventies. I developed this work in many countries including Australia, Zimbabwe, Israel/Gaza, and the USA where I also undertook parenting research for my Churchill Fellowship.

Much later I trained at the Kensington Consultation Centre in systemic family therapy; I am a UKCP registered narrative/systemic psychotherapist and supervisor.

Subsequently I worked within the NHS and privately for over twenty years.I am best known for my work with children and their families, but I also work with adults.

My clinical work supports families and individuals to overcome difficulties by identifying stories in their past and present lives which highlight their strengths and abilities. It is informed by

• Systemic theory
• Narrative
• Appreciative Inquiry
• Family tree work

I am also a Writer, writing alone and with other people:

Alone I write articles about the issues related to my work. I have two blogs: Spider's Web about daily life, strange encounters,swimming, knitting, forays into stories from the past and Little Voice, about the development of my work and ongoing reflections.
With other people I use writing in therapy and in reflective practice with other professionals.

Here are three recent programmes that I initiated - they all took place within CAMHS .

Baby’s First Year – Patterns for a Lifetime - A year long programme that aims to support the relationship between new mothers and their babies during the first year of life. The programme uses

• Home-visiting to give one to one support and also to capture mother and baby on video;
• Creative group work enabling peer friendships and grounding the mother within a community;
• Writing and photography - using arts to empower and create a community around these women, establish identity and support change.

  I am providing ongoing consultation for programmes using the Baby’s First Year approach to reach different types of groups including refugee/asylum-seekers and young mothers leaving care.

• An exhibition of writing and photographs by and about the mums is available for hire.

  Seeing is Believing A programme using video to help parents of babies/toddlers strengthen parenting skills by increasing sensitivity and ability to respond to cues. Parents see their own and their children’s strengths and consider their infant’s perspective through self-observation on video. It is a short term intervention, therefore cost-effective, but is still attentive to individuals’ stories. Implementation can take place, anywhere where parents feel safe, by a wide range of professionals and para-professionals supported by training and supervision.

  Imagine Belonging A digital arts and creative writing programme with young people on adoption.

If you would like more information

please contact me

carry@carry-gorney.co.uk