Weaving between and beyond tribal states of mind: revisiting our identity as child psychotherapists

ABSTRACT

In this paper, the authors try to understand the concepts of tribe and tribalism and their effect on our professional identities as child psychotherapists. Firstly, we will define these concepts and retrospectively go through the history and way that child psychotherapy developed and became a profession in its own right. Hearing about the trauma of war and the schisms within the profession between the different groups/tribes (Kleinians and Post Kleinians, Independents and Anna Freudians) motivated us to explore the defensive mechanisms that still keep us, as a profession, apart and divided. We have employed in this paper psychoanalytic and group analytic thinking, as well as some anthropological and neuroscientific perspectives, which all offer us some in-depth ideas about the processes involved and the ways that the different groups of thought within the profession are still kept apart. We will also look beyond these tribal states of mind, suggesting ways of collaborating and debating, to further enrich our theories and clinical practice.

KEYWORDS:

• Child psychotherapy
• tribal states of mind
• tribalism
• British child psychotherapy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Nikolaos Tzikas

Nikolaos Tzikas is currently in his final year as a Child & Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist trainee in the Independent Training, working in a specialist Looked-After Children’s team. He has worked previously with infants, children, young people and their families in various settings in the UK. Alongside his clinical experience, he attended various psychoanalytic courses and he holds an MA in Working with children, young people and families: a psychoanalytic observational approach from the Tavistock and Portman, NHS Foundation Trust.

Victoria Nicolodi

Victoria Nicolodi is currently in her final year as a Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy trainee in the Independent Training. She was a Clinical Psychologist (in Brazil) and holds an MSc in Psychoanalytic Developmental Psychology from the Anna Freud Centre and University College London. She also holds a Post-Graduate Certificate in working with children, adolescents and families from the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust. Victoria’s clinical practice comprised a variety of therapeutic settings in Brazil and in the UK.