Organisations can be very complex and working in them can, at times, be a confusing and difficult experience. Reflective group practice is designed to work creatively organisations to help them be able to make sense of and resolve with their problems.
Reflective practice groups provide organizations under stress an opportunity for a team to stop and think and talk about the experiences they have working together, with the help of an external consultant. The group can work to understand what is going on in their team/organisation in a safe setting that promotes good communication where issues can be talked about and ultimately resolved.
You may be reading this because your organisation is under some sort of pressure which is creating challenging situations. Perhaps your organisation is undergoing change. Change is a common feature of organisational life and this can be hard for individuals and teams to manage. Often people in organisations undergoing change can feel uncertainty and become uncertain about the future of their jobs causing them to feel anxious and apprehensive. Under these circumstances, relationships between staff members can become strained, staff morale can dip leading to high rates of staff turnover and sickness.
The COVID-19 pandemic has placed additional stress upon many organisations and those who work in them. Frontline organisations and staff have been exposed to an unprecedented burden of trauma and risk. The need for space and time to process and deal with these experiences has never been more important for the psychological health and well-being of all concerned.
I have over thirty years’ experience of working in front line mental health services in the NHS – for twenty of those years I managed teams for practitioners working in a diverse range of settings and services. My training as a Group Analyst and my involvement in training other practitioners in reflective practice at the Institute of Group Analysis in London, has equipped me with the practical experience and theoretical knowledge to help individuals, teams and organisations with the problems and issues they encounter.
If you are team manager you may be wondering whether it would be helpful for you to talk to someone about your team or if the team as a whole would benefit from some input from an external consultant, I can help by talking with you about the issues/problems in your organisation or team and we can think together to see if a reflective practice group would be of benefit.