Ok, here we go…my day 2 & day 3 #BIGSPD26 summary & reflections. Plus overall conference reflections ❤️

My #BIGSPD26 silence is a reflection of how jam packed the days have been & how enthralled I was with it all. Now processing it & I will share my day 2 & day 3 experiences & reflections. What a great conference!! Always filling my cup (to steal the line from @elliewildbore.bsky.social 😊)

People who are interested in the underlying research and want to download and read the papers can follow this link (use the password: interweave): www.psycho-trauma.nl/persoonlijkh...

The Mental Elf@thementalelf.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Our next keynote speaker at #BIGSPD26 is Prof Ad de Jongh @adjongh.bsky.social on: The effectiveness of brief trauma-focused treatment for personality disorders. Can short, trauma-focused therapy really shift a PD diagnosis? Here's what he's planning to cover. THREAD below 👇🏽

#BIGSPD26 day 2 done…always forget how exhausting the Wednesday is when there’s so many things you want to join. A lot of food for thought. Thanks to those who came for a chat about my poster at lunch too 😊 Reflections of the day coming later, although it’s the gala meal tonight, so who knows 🤷🏻‍♀️

First day #BIGSPD26 done ✅ The first keynote was from Dr Annette Jones (LSCFT). It got the room thinking about how to create system learning from a successful service (ATS). What is it about ATS that works? The data/outcomes say it works well.

BIGSPD Blackpool is now on until Thursday. Follow #BIGSPD26 to keep up to date. There will be far better posts than mine, & hopefully they give you a flavour of the conference. I will be doing a summary of each day with a thread of posts & my reflections. Stay tuned for my first day posts 😊

The Mental Elf@thementalelf.bsky.social · 2mo ago

The BIGSPDers are gathering in Blackpool for 3 days of talks, workshops and conversation about trauma, mental health, neurodiversity, lived experience and complex emotional needs. Follow #BIGSPD26 from 1.30pm today. I’ll be reporting live. Full programme 👇🏽 bigspd.org.uk/conference-2...

Highlight of day 1 was a symposium linked to this #BIGSPD26

Dr Dan Warrender@danwarrender.bsky.social · 2mo ago

I'll shortly be presenting on risk formulation through using the action/consequences model at #BIGSPD26 in Blackpool. To see more, a webinar where I discuss the model is here. (I start 12 minutes in) youtu.be/sC3CVq10XCM?...

#BIGSPD26 is all go 🥳

I’ve been super quiet on here (sorry). My use of social media has massively reduced in the last 12 months; however, I will be posting here over the next week for #BIGSPD26 in Blackpool! Keep an eye on the hashtag, as lots of others will be posting too. Can’t wait ❤️

Mental Elf Monthly for August 2025 is now LIVE Catch August’s most-read blogs, from trauma to CBT harms, and book your free spot at our difficult-to-treat depression webinar. national-elf-service.kit.com/posts/mental...

What practitioners read most in August; plus a free depression webinar

The Mental Elf Monthly - Your monthly dose of mental health research, evidence, and impact.

national-elf-service.kit.com

In psychotherapy, there are principles and there are preferences. People tend to mistake their personal preferences for principles. We have 400+ therapeutic modalities because of preferences, not principles.

What if unknown male members of staff watching female survivors of sexual violence sleep wasn’t as therapeutic or reassuring as it sounds?

I’ve been asked to do some training on our wards to support psychological skills & compassionate care. But is this really about training? The wards are so stretched. Maybe to start with we need wards where care-givers feel meaningfully cared-for? Then compassionate care may flow more naturally?

As psychologists we can say things like "we're curious", "we try to understand what's going on" etc. It's not "just listening", there's a depth & skill- it's hard to articulate. But it's wise to resist getting drawn in to jargon or psychobabble. At its heart our work is about being real with people.

My #BIGSPD25 poster contribution, challenging the “BPD” diagnosis & current practice of using OOA placement. If you fancy a chuckle at my poor presentation skills give the central QR code a scan & I’ll talk at you for about 15 minutes 😉

Goodbye to another year #BIGSPD25 Hope everyone has a safe trip home 🥰 I’m on the train back & ready to do a few hours work when I get in (the downside of living so close to the venue 😂). However, I’m then off for the weekend as it’s my birthday tomorrow.

two women are standing next to each other in a room and one of them is wearing an orange fur coat .

ALT: two women are standing next to each other in a room and one of them is wearing an orange fur coat .

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Date for your diary #BIGSPD25! The 2026 @bigspd.bsky.social conference will be in Blackpool #BIGSPD26 16-18 June 2026 Sign up later in the year on the BIGSPD website so you don't miss the announcements when they come later this year: bigspd.org.uk/conferences-...

Well deserved 🥳 congratulations @hoppypelican.bsky.social #BIGSPD25

The Mental Elf@thementalelf.bsky.social · last yr.

Congratulations to Hollie Berrigan @hoppypelican.bsky.social The @bigspd.bsky.social ‪Communications Officer, Consultant Lived Experience Practitioner, and just thoroughly amazing human being, who wins the social media award here at #BIGSPD25 in Liverpool 🥳

#BIGSPD25 workshop parallel next with a showcase of a creative writing project by Nuala Cassidy, Marie Coyle, Susan Cull & Roisin Donnelly from Beyond Personality Differences Northern Ireland.

Day 3 #BIGSPD25 started with Professor Brin Grenyer speaking to us all the way from Australia 🐨🦘🇦🇺 (sorry 🤦🏻‍♀️) via the power of the internet. His talk was on the stepped care approach that has been introduced across New South Wales.

#BIGSPD25 day 2 done! 😴 Lots more catching up today with peers old & new, near & far 🥰 that’s some of the best parts of this conference for me. Keep up with the # to find other posts for #beyondtheroom Back again tomorrow for the final day 😊

Last up for the day is Jenifer Dylan who’s talk is Redefining expertise: exploring the synthesis between ‘patient’ & ‘professional’. She starts by saying she’s nervous, but nothing like what she experienced when in services & going into a ward round. Good perspective to share #BIGSPD25

Next are the plenary’s for the end of the day. First up is Michaela Swales talking about new developments in DBT #BIGSPD25

I jumped around for the parallels starting with @keirwales.bsky.social & @hoppypelican.bsky.social debating the for & against inpatient placements for ‘EUPD/BPD’. I thought it would be a clear cut ‘against’ for me….#BIGSPD25

First talk of the day was by the wonderful Peter Fonagy. He was talking about Epistemic Trust, Mentalizing & Trauma. This is an area of great interest for me & I was definitely hanging on every word he said (fan girling maybe?? 😂). Will post more on this talk later #BIGSPD25

Unless professionals are willing to mentalize and understand the perspectives of people with PD and trauma experiences, treatment will not be effective #BIGSPD25

Day 2 Liverpool…I love this city 🥰 ready for another day #BIGSPD25

Good morning! We hope you’re all bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready for kicking off Day 2 at 9:30 today! Today is a full and action packed day, keep up to date by following the hashtag #BIGSPD25

a fluffy cat is sitting on a wooden table with the words morning written on it .

ALT: a fluffy cat is sitting on a wooden table with the words morning written on it .

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Tomorrow at #BIGSPD25 we debate: Private inpatient services have been a life line for those the nhs don’t want to work with If you want places with an enthusiasm for prescribing against NICE guidelines, you have to go to the private “specialist” units www.emerald.com/insight/cont...

#BIGSPD25 day 1 done! 😴 Keep up with the # to find other posts for #beyondtheroom Back again tomorrow for more 😊