The team learned about Compassion Focussed Therapy (CFT), a psychotherapy approach helping people who struggle with shame and self-criticism. It aims to support people to develop self-compassion to improve their overall emotional wellbeing.
The sessions were led by Dr Chris Irons, Founder and Director of Balanced Minds, a London-based organisation providing CFT services and resources. Dr Chris was formally an ELFT employee, working as the Deputy Lead for Tower Hamlets’ Multidisciplinary Team of Psychologists.
The training was designed specifically for those psychologists and psychotherapists working in physical health, and was not just open to ELFT clinical health psychology colleagues, but also partners from Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust, specialising in acquired brain injuries and Circle, who provide chronic pain community services across the region.
Commenting on the training programme, Head of Service for Bedfordshire and Luton Clinical Health Psychology Services (BCHS), Dr Sara Rassool, said: “I would like to thank Dr Chris for providing such a thought-provoking two days for colleagues and partners. I have no doubt that our team will take these learnings and implement them across the system here in Bedfordshire and Luton.”
Bedfordshire and Luton Clinical Health Psychology Services work across hospital and community settings to offer, teaching, consultation, and supervision to staff and medical teams. They provide integrated and direct assessments, and evidence-based treatments for people with psychological difficulties rooted in physical health conditions.
The team works across a variety of services, including:
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Cancer and palliative care psychology
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Critical care
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Diabetes
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Integrated pain
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Bariatrics and obesity
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Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
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General medicine
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Prosthetic
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Chronic fatigue syndrome and post-Covid fatigue
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Staff health and wellbeing services for Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust employees