The Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families (AFNCCF) Parent–Toddler Group model in a homeless hostel

ABSTRACT

This paper describes psychoanalytic community work, through a parent–toddler group run in a homeless hostel. The theoretical background and context for the group are explored, as well as the challenges that present in this type of work and the interventions developed to meet these.

KEYWORDS:

• Psychoanalytic community work
• toddlerhood
• Anna Freud
• Parent–Toddler Group

Acknowledgments

Many thanks to Dr Inge-Marie Pretorius for all her support and encouragement.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Eva Crasnow

Dr Eva Crasnow is a senior clinician working at the AFNCCF and in the NHS. Her particular interest is in Early Years and adopted and looked after children. She qualified as a psychoanalytic child and adolescent psychotherapist from IPCAPA in 2013.

Sabine Lammer-Triendl

Sabine Lammer-Triendl currently works as a clinical psychologist in a child and adolescent psychiatric setting in Germany and is also a child and adolescent psychotherapist in training.

Fiona McKinstrie

Fiona McKinstrie is a psychodynamic psychotherapist working with children, young people and families. She currently works in a large secondary school in South London, establishing a therapeutic service for students and families.

Christina Macadam

Christina Macadam is a psychodynamic psychotherapist working with children, young people and families. She trained at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust and works in CAMHS in London.

Saher Ashary

Saher Ashary completed the MSc in Psychoanalytic Developmental Psychology at the Anna Freud Centre. She has started her own parent–toddler messy play group in North West London.