Between love and behaviour management: the psychodynamic reflective milieu at the Mulberry Bush School

ABSTRACT

This article presents findings from a qualitative research study of the Mulberry Bush School (MBS), a therapeutic residential primary school caring for children with severe social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. The article notes the challenges of working with children who have experienced traumatic relationship breakdown, and reviews ideas and practices developed at MBS to support the children’s development. There is a discussion of the research study’s methodology and main findings. The researchers argue that the therapeutic milieu at MBS maintains a creative tension between a secure, playful context and one where emotional disorder and disturbance are not suppressed. The study describes how a particular psychodynamic model of reflective practice has been successfully instituted at MBS to create a ‘staff therapeutic milieu’ supporting the group living and group learning through which therapy principally occurs. The article closes with comments on the applicability of this model to residential child care practice generally.

KEYWORDS:

• Mulberry Bush School
• therapeutic milieu
• relationship-based
• reflective practice
• psychodynamic
• residential child care

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the support given by our research practice supervisor, Mike Maher (McIver Maher Consultancy).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Informed consent was obtained from children and their parents and carers for the interviews as well as the observations. Efforts to protect anonymity have been made in terms of what is and isn’t included in direct quotes. Participants were aware, before consenting to participate, that MBS would be named and that therefore anonymity could not be guaranteed.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Mulberry Bush Organisation.

Notes on contributors

Heather Price

Heather Price is a Senior Lecturer in Psychosocial Studies at the University of East London. She is particularly interested in practice-near psychosocial research into the emotional well-being of children and young people.

David Jones

David Jones is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the Open University. He is interested in the relationship of the individual to the wider social group, particularly when that relationship appears to be problematic.

Jane Herd

Jane Herd is a consultant clinical social worker and the founder and CEO of Orb8, which provides a range of services for traumatised, hard to reach and marginalised children and young people.

Alice Sampson

Alice Sampson is a criminologist researching organisations committed to solving social problems. She is a Fellow at the Mannheim Centre for the Study of Criminology and Criminal Justice, part of the London School of Economics.