A one-day workshop

21st November 2009 at the Modern Records Centre, the University of Warwick.

This workshop aims to open up a discussion on the relationship of the historian, the therapeutic community and the archive. How can exploration of the archive enrich our historical knowledge about key figures associated with therapeutic community theorising? In what ways might therapeutic community theorising be brought into engagement with theories employed by historians? How might the management of historical practice relate to the management of therapy in therapeutic communities? We hope to bring together historians and practitioners to explore these issues.

The day will include three papers and discussion.

Speakers:
Craig Fees, Archivist at the Planned Environment Therapy Trust Archive and Study Centre. He will give a paper on: "A Fearless Frankness: The professional formation of psychiatrist Donald Winnicott, and a crucial lost episode in the history of therapeutic residential child care."

Elaine Boyling, Research Student at the University of Birmingham Centre for the History of Medicine,. She will give a paper on: ‘Being Able to Learn: Researching the History of a Therapeutic Community’.

Jonathan Toms, Research Fellow at the Centre for the History of Medicine, University of Warwick. He will give a paper on: ‘Moral Therapy?: History and Therapeutic Communities.’


The day will be organised as follows:

10.00-10.30 Coffee
10.30-10.40 Introduction
10.40 Craig Fees’ paper.
11.40 Elaine Boyling’s paper.
12.40 Lunch
13.40 Jonathan Toms’ paper.
14.40 Coffee.
15.00 Discussion.
16.00 Close.

Email: Hist dot Med at warwick dot ac dot uk