Stories of Psychological Practice from Neonatal Care

An Anthology of Creativity, Connection and Courage

Häftad, Engelska, 2026

AvDavy Evans,Ruth Butterworth,Ellie Atkins,Rebecca Chilvers,Samantha Cole,Jacinta Cordwell,Anita Durso

639 kr

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This insightful book offers a rich collection of practice stories written by forty-eight psychological professionals working in neonatal care in the UK, illuminating the compassionate human endeavour of holding distress as families and teams navigate the storms of neonatal care. Through diverse voices, including clinical and counselling psychologists, child and adult psychotherapists, counsellors and psychological wellbeing practitioners, these evocative narratives reveal what it means to bring forth and hold stories that make sense of overwhelming experiences for others.Organised across four thematic sections—exploring the 'what?', 'how?', 'where?' and 'who?' of neonatal psychological practice—the book weaves together first-person narratives, reflective pieces and conversations with conceptual commentaries that provide theoretical and empirical context. Chapters address the nature of psychological intervention during ongoing trauma, the therapeutic processes of holding and containment, clinical and ethical dilemmas arising from positioning within multidisciplinary teams, and the mutual influence between practitioners' selves and their work. Topics span transitioning into parenthood, neonatal loss and trauma, parent-infant relationships, staff support, personal and professional boundaries and experiences of leadership, offering both anchor and compass for this rapidly evolving field.Written with accessibility in mind, this book assumes no background in psychological training and speaks to a wide readership: psychological professionals seeking to learn about or deepen their neonatal practice; allied health professionals, nurses, medics and other multidisciplinary team members wanting to understand their colleagues' roles; parents and families who have experienced neonatal care; and anyone interested in discovering what psychological professionals can offer within the neonatal system. By celebrating diverse approaches, this anthology of creativity, connection and courage opens up new possibilities for practice while honouring the complex reality of this profoundly human work. Additional resources that support readers' reflection on and engagement with the stories, including a read-along guide, are available as an eResource on the book's online profile, on the Routledge website.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2026-11-12
Mått174 x 246 x undefined mm
FormatHäftad
SpråkEngelska
Antal sidor200
FörlagTaylor & Francis Ltd
ISBN9781032880358

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Davy Evans is a consultant clinical psychologist in NHS paediatric and neonatal psychology services in Birmingham, UK, and was previously Lead Psychologist for the West Midlands Neonatal Operational Delivery Network.Ruth Butterworth is a consultant clinical psychologist and Lead Psychologist for the NHS North West Neonatal Operational Delivery Network.Ellie Atkins is a consultant clinical psychologist and Lead Psychologist for the London Neonatal Operational Delivery Network.Rebecca Chilvers is a consultant clinical psychologist and Lead Psychologist for the East of England Neonatal Operational Delivery Network.Samantha Cole is head of adult psychological health services in the NHS in Bristol, UK, and Lead Psychologist of the South West Neonatal Operational Delivery Network.Jacinta Cordwell is a consultant clinical psychologist and Lead Psychologist for the Thames Valley and Wessex Neonatal Operational Delivery Network.Anita D'Urso is a consultant clinical psychologist and Lead Psychologist for the East Midlands Neonatal Operational Delivery Network.

Chapter 1Introduction: Learning Through StoriesDavy Evans, Ruth Butterworth, Ellie Atkins, Rebecca Chilvers, Samantha Cole, Jacinta Cordwell and Anita D’UrsoChapter 2The Psychological Impact of Neonatal Care: The ‘Why?’ of Neonatal Psychological PracticeDavy Evans, Ruth Butterworth, Ellie Atkins, Rebecca Chilvers, Samantha Cole, Jacinta Cordwell and Anita D’UrsoSection 1The ‘What?’ of Neonatal Psychological Practice: Peri-Trauma WorkChapter 3Neonatal Psychological Practice as Peri-Trauma Intervention: Conceptual CommentaryDavy Evans, Ruth Butterworth, Ellie Atkins, Rebecca Chilvers, Samantha Cole, Jacinta Cordwell and Anita D’UrsoChapter 4Waiting Outside the Walls: Working With Complex Trauma on the Neonatal UnitJo O’MaraChapter 5Grief and Survival: Keeping Hope Whilst Facing LossAdele Faller and George FisherChapter 6Weathering the Storm of Neonates: Finding Safety in UncertaintyRosa Reed-Berendt and Hannah DeJongChapter 7Faith, Hope and Clarity on the Neonatal Unit: A Letter to My Former SelfKerry TaylorChapter 8Relational Seismology: Working With Couples Following the Earthquake of Neonatal AdmissionAntonia ReayChapter 9The Versatile Role of a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner: A Letter to My Former SelfEmily HaywoodChapter 10What Can be Done in a Single Session? Single Session Therapy in Neonatal CareDavy EvansChapter 11The Dance of the Feeding Relationship on the Neonatal Unit and BeyondClare Coppock and Rosie HurlstonChapter 12Surrounded by Love: An Experience of Supporting Staff After a Baby’s DeathKaysha LucesChapter 13A Staff Debrief After Sudden LossStephen BakerChapter 14Walking with Families Through DiagnosisFarzana Sutcliffe-KhanChapter 15A Bridge Between Two Worlds: Inpatient and Post-Discharge WorkSusannah McNultySection 2The ‘How?’ of Neonatal Psychological Practice: Containment and MentalisingChapter 16Containment and Mentalising as Common Factors in Neonatal Psychological Practice: Conceptual CommentaryRuth Butterworth, Davy Evans, Ellie Atkins, Rebecca Chilvers, Samantha Cole, Jacinta Cordwell and Anita D’UrsoChapter 17The Emotional Landscape of Holding and Containment in a Neonatal UnitAdele FallerChapter 18Where Do I Begin? Thinking Skin-to-SkinAnya SuschitzkyChapter 19Bearing Witness: Providing Containment to Neonatal StaffAiveen HigginsChapter 20Ghosts in the NICU: Making Space for Babies’ Selves Amongst the Legacy of LossMariane de Freitas CordeiroChapter 21Allowing Babies’ Voices to SurfaceCatriona MatthewsChapter 22Bridging the Gap: Navigating Parent–Infant Bonding in Neonatal CareBethan ManfordChapter 23Babies as Tiny TeachersSophie BurgessChapter 24Organisational Observations in the Neonatal UnitTierney Tindall and Nicola AndertonChapter 25Why Would I? Why Would I Not? Touching Babies as a Psychologist on NICUDavy EvansChapter 26Grounded in Experience: A Letter to My Former SelfJo O’MaraChapter 27With a Gentle Hand: A Neonatal Psychologist’s Role in Connecting With PainCharlotte HamesChapter 28Mum & Baby: A Tug of Needs in Cot Space SevenFrancesca WoodSection 3The ‘Where?’ of Neonatal Psychological Practice: Positioning Inside and Outside the TeamChapter 29Positioning Neonatal Psychological Practice Inside and Outside the Team: Conceptual CommentaryJacinta Cordwell, Davy Evans, Ruth Butterworth, Ellie Atkins, Rebecca Chilvers, Samantha Cole and Anita D’UrsoChapter 30Embedding a Psychology Service in a Neonatal Team: “Have You Got a Minute?”Abby LovattChapter 31The Foundations of Fluffiness: Safe not SoftKatie Snow and Tracey TwymanChapter 32Changing Roles, Evolving Identity: A Letter to My Former SelfSue AucuttChapter 33Tuning Into Trauma: Psychological Work as Relational Music in the Neonatal UnitMel WisemanChapter 34“I Couldn’t Do My Job Without the MDT”: Exploring and Sustaining Neonatal MDT Connections Through Collective Narrative and Poetic PracticeRosie Hurlston, Clare Coppock and Cynthia WongChapter 35The Dad in Bed Four: Developing Neonatal Units as Psychologically Informed EnvironmentsEllie AtkinsChapter 36Finding Space: Developing a Reflective Practice With a Neonatal Transport TeamDanika SolieriChapter 37A Colleague Versus the Therapist: Challenges and Reflections on Delivering Individual Staff Psychological Support Within a Neonatal UnitVivien SmithSection 4The ‘Who?’ of Neonatal Psychological Practice: Mutual Influence Between the Self and the WorkChapter 38Mutual Influence Between the Self and the Work in Neonatal Psychological Practice: Conceptual Commentary.Ellie Atkins, Davy Evans, Ruth Butterworth, Rebecca Chilvers, Samantha Cole, Jacinta Cordwell, Anita D’UrsoChapter 39Building My Secure Base: A Letter to My Former SelfBeth CarringtonChapter 40The Bridge Between the Neonatal Unit and MiscarriageHolly MillardChapter 41Matrescence as a Neonatal PsychologistJayne O’BrienChapter 42Where I Am Today: Layers of Being on the Neonatal UnitLaura SennenChapter 43Ethically Intruding on the Sacred in a Neonatal UnitLorna Nelson and Davy EvansChapter 44The Occupational Hazard of SadnessHena Syed-SabirChapter 45The Body Comes to the Neonatal UnitHannah MatkinChapter 46The Personal is the Political: Talking About Ethnicity and Race as Friends, Colleagues and CliniciansEloise Wynter and Philippa HattonChapter 47“Dear Future Student”: Experiences of Training Placements in Neonatal CareKikelomo Thomas-Smith, Kaylie Sunshine, Elisha Hussain and Nidah ChaudhryChapter 48Run Towards the Roar: Courage and Connection in COVID-19Rebecca ChilversChapter 49It’s Just a Job: The Mixed Feelings of Leaving a Neonatal JobDavy EvansChapter 50How Much is ‘Good Enough’?Ellie AtkinsChapter 51Concluding Reflections on Neonatal Psychological PracticeDavy Evans, Ruth Butterworth, Ellie Atkins, Rebecca Chilvers, Samantha Cole, Jacinta Cordwell, Anita D’Urso

"An astonishing book, Stories of Psychological Practice from Neonatal Care gives voice (actually 48 voices) to the psychological, visceral and pre-verbal world of the neonatal unit. A rarity, where every chapter feels like a generous, precious, and much needed gift."Michelle Cree, author of The New Motherhood Workbook, and The Compassionate Mind Approach to Postnatal Depression."The powerful narratives in Stories of Psychological Practice from Neonatal Care re-surfaced emotions in me, a NICU dad. These stories are more evidence that psychological services should be a standard of care in every NICU in the world." Michael Hynan, PhD, Executive Council Advisor, National Network of NICU Psychologists, USA."As a neonatologist, I enthusiastically recommend Stories of Psychological Practice from Neonatal Care to professionals caring for critically ill newborns. The book provides the subtext explaining the often seen but incomprehensible communication disruptions among stakeholders and parents."Marilyn Sanders, MD, Professor of Pediatrics, University of Connecticut School of Medicine"Stories of Psychological Practice from Neonatal Care illuminates the diverse, compassionate work of psychological professionals supporting families of fragile newborns and healthcare professionals in the complex, uncertain world of neonatal units. This inspiring resource deepens understanding, fosters empathy, and encourages courageous collaboration."Linda S. Franck, PhD, RN, University of California, San Francisco."Stories of Psychological Practice from Neonatal Care has been tenderly and carefully collated by the editors to reflect the stories of systems that influence and can be influenced by our youngest and often sickest citizens. This book is accessible, informative and highlights the tremendous value of psychological professionals in the neonatal world in the most human way."Professor Nicola Doherty, Lead Psychologist, Regional Trauma Network, Northern Ireland Department of HealthStories of Psychological Practice from Neonatal Care is a beautiful, deeply moving anthology that captures the raw humanity and courage at the heart of neonatal therapy. An invaluable, profoundly compassionate guide to the vulnerability and bravery of families and staff alike.Mary Coughlin, MS, NNP-NCC-E, Trauma Informed Professional™, Caritas Coach®