Childhood, Well-Being and a Therapeutic Ethos

Richard House Ph.D. is Senior Lecturer in Psychotherapy, Counselling and Counselling Psychology at Roehampton University's Research Centre for Therapeutic Education (RCTE), and a trained Steiner Kindergarten and Class Teacher. Del Loewenthal is Professor of Psychotherapy and Counselling, and Director of the Research Centre for Therapeutic Education, at the University of Roehampton where he also convenes Doctoral programmes. He is an analytic psychotherapist, chartered psychologist and photographer. He is founding editor of the 'European Journal of Psychotherapy and Counselling'. He is chair of the Universities Psychotherapy and Counselling Association and former founding chair of the UK Council for Psychotherapy Research committee. He also has a small private practice in Wimbledon and Brighton.

With a foreword by the Archbishop of Canterbury.All is clearly not well with children's well-being in the Anglo-Saxon West, as witnessed by a steady stream of research reports that place children's well-being in the UK and the USA very near, if not at, the bottom of international tables. This mounting cultural and political concern for children's well-being has been buttressed by high-profile media interest in the "toxic childhood" theme popularized by author Sue Palmer, and highlighted in the Open Letter published by the Daily Telegraph; and the chapters in this important new book arose directly from the addresses given by prominent Open Letter signatories to an expert seminar organized by Roehampton University's Research Centre for Therapeutic Education in December 2006.'No-one can now ignore the fact that a serious debate about the welfare of children has at last begun in our society. And, appropriately, it has started to open up a wider debate about the nature of learning and even the nature of human maturity. The essays in this collection are significant not only for what they say about childhood but for what they invite us to think about human growth and wellbeing in general.'- Dr Rowan Williams, The Archbishop of Canterbury'This is a timely and extremely interesting book comprising a series of essays by well-known writers and researchers, including the two authors. A foreword by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, sets the tone of the book.The book is divided into four parts. The first has three essays, including one by Sue Palmer expanding on her theme of a 'toxic childhood', and Bob Reitemeier discusses the recent Children's Society inquiry. Christopher Clouder looks at the challenge of modern childhood and 'our common human sense of responsibility'.The second section includes Sue Gerhardt's reminder of the importance of infant experiences. Section Three takes a more therapeutic stance, with an extremely interesting and challenging essay by Kathyrn Eccleston. Section 4 is devoted to the importance of play, with some case study examples of the roots of playfulness.There is a huge amount of both information and reflection within each of the chapters by the various authors, all of whom are prominent in their respective fields, and so this book will prove a very useful resource to a wide range of both practising professionals and students. It is not an especially easy read, but is rewarding and thought-provoking.'- Reviewed by Dr Maria Robinson, early years consultant and author'The essays in this timely book are a real treasure chest of goodies, which bring different perspectives to the issue of children's well being and what a therapeutic ethos can bring. They will provoke more debate and discussion, and I hope research.'- Martin Large, Hawthorn Press

• Foreword -- Editorial introduction: ‘Therapeutic ethos’ in therapeutic, educational and cultural perspectives -- Childhood in Contemporary Perspective -- Childhood, well-being and a therapeutic ethos: A case for therapeutic education -- What is toxic childhood? -- The challenge of modern childhood -- The Good Childhood: An inquiry by the Children’s Society -- Childhood and Its Discontents the Specific Concerns -- Childhood ‘toxicity’ and ‘trauma’: Asking the right questions -- The changing space of childhood and its relationship to narcissism -- Why love matters in early childhood -- Towards a Therapeutic Ethos for Childhood -- Resisting images of the ‘diminished self’ in education policy and practice for emotional well-being -- The ‘mind object’ and ‘dream consciousness’: A Winnicottian and a Steinerean rationale for avoiding the premature ‘adultifying’ of children -- First catch your child -- Play, Playfulness, and Children’s Well-Being -- The importance of play and playfulness -- Everyday play activities as therapeutic and pedagogical encounters -- From playing to thinking: How the Kindergarten provides a foundation for scientific understanding -- Play—excerpts from They F*** You Up and Affluenza -- Editorial conclusion: Therapeia today (re-instating the soul in human experience)