Learning about Active Planning

10th June 2015

Introduction


Active Planning captures the most important aspects of one of the Core Features of AMBIT, which is Working with your CLIENT.

It is in an important sense simply the application of The Therapist's Mentalizing Stance to the broader field of planning and managing a therapeutic intervention over time.

It is therefore an opportunity to start to develop beyond merely theoretical knowledge about Mentalization into more practical applications.

Learning Objectives


  1. To develop existing theoretical understandings of Mentalization into more practical applications in therapeutic work.
  2. To understand the nature of Active Planning as an active balancing between Scaffolding existing relationships and Managing Risk (with the need for Governance to hold this) and the mentalizing therapist's need to maintain Engagement/improve the Relationship to help.
  3. To understand the fact that this has two applications:
    1. As an aspect of team CULTURE
    2. As a process that balances structure and flexibility (Active Planning and the therapeutic journey) so as to shape and support collaborative therapeutic work.
  4. To practice elements of Active Planning and the Mentalizing Stance - particularly:
    1. Active Planning and the therapeutic journey
    2. Active Planning: a core process with clients

Didactic Material (1) - 40 mins

  1. The Therapist's Mentalizing Stance
  2. The Mentalizing Loop
  3. Other Mentalizing manoeuvres
Break for...

Exercise (1) - 30 mins

Role Play - set up a scenario to practice the Stance and Loop - note Advice about Role Playing

Didactic Material (2) - 40 mins

  1. Theoretical foundations of Family Work - why intervening in the mentalizing capacity of families makes sense.
  2. Active Planning as a balancing act, and it's application:
This is a 10 minute teaching session on Active Planning by DickonBevington at a training for AMBIT Local Trainers:

    1. Active Planning in the team culture
    2. Active Planning and the therapeutic journey

Exercise (2) - 30 mins

Role play: Active Planning - Exercise - different destinations - to practice Active Planning and the use of the Mentalizing Stance.

Time allocation

Total 2 hrs and 20 minutes (70 minutes + 70 minutes)