Dr ALEXANDER ESTERHUYZEN
BSc Hons, MB ChB, MRC Psych, CCST, IAAP, ISST
Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists with Certificates of completion of Specialist Training in (1) Psychotherapy (Individual, Group and Systemic)
and (2) Psychiatry of Disability
Senior Psychoanalyst with the Independent Group of Analytical Psychologists
Sandplay Therapist, Teaching member of International Society for Sandplay Therapy
Summary of Employment and Experience
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
(commencing most recent)
CONSULTANT PSYCHIATRIST IN PSYCHOTHERAPY and Head of Service, East Surrey Psychotherapy and Art Psychotherapy department: Shaw’s Corner, Reigate) October 2005-continuing.MEDICAL LEAD TRUST WIDE PSYCHOTHERAPY SERVICES (5 services located in different locations throughout the county)
CONSULTANT PSYCHIATRIST IN PSYCHOTHERAPY Buckinghamshire Mental Health Trust; Psychotherapy Service Lead. Psychotherapy Tutor, Co-Director of Thames Valley Complex Needs Service.Jan 2004- Oct 2005
CONSULTANT PSYCHIATRIST IN PSYCHOTHERAPY/ HON SENIOR LECTURER IN PSYCHOTHERAPY :SW London and St George’sHospital Mental Health Trust. Clinical lead at Henderson Hospital,an inpatient unit for people with severe Personality Disorders. (Jan 1999-2004)
SENIOR REGISTRAR:
Psychotherapy. Specialising in Individual, Group Analytic Therapy and Systemic therapy. (1995-98) St George'sHospital, London.
Psychiatry of Learning Disability. St George'sHospital, London (1992-95) with a remit to promote use of psychotherapy and psychodynamic principles in clinical aspects of this speciality.
CLINICAL RESEARCH FELLOW: St George's Hospital Medical School, London.(Feb.1991-Aug. 1992) Attachment, Psychopathology, Behavioural disturbance and Bereavement in Adults with Learning Disability.
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING IN PSYCHIATRY as REGISTRAR:
ST GEORGE'S PROFESSIONAL TRAINING SCHEME, LONDON. (1988-1991). (Royal College approved)
OTHER HONORARY POSTS HELD CONCURRENTLY:
2003- present: Vice President International Society of Sandplay Therapy (ISST)
2009- President Elect ISST
2002-2010 President of British and Irish Sandplay Society, co-ordinator of Training Programme for professional membership.
2006- continuing: Director RCC Counselling Centre. A charitable organisation providing low cost, medium to long term psychodynamic psychotherapy.
TERTIARY EDUCATION
(Commencing most recent)
Qualification and Date Name of Establishment
IAAP Membership1999 International Soc of Analytical
Psychologists
ISST Membership 1999 International Soc. for Sandplay Therapy
CCST Psychotherapy (1997) RoyalCollege of Psychiatrists London
CCST Psychiatry of Disability(1997) RoyalCollege of Psychiatrists London
MRC Psych. (1992) RoyalCollege of Psychiatrists London
M.B.Ch.B (1986) University of Cape Town
B.Sc.Hons (1977) University of Cape Town
EXPERIENCE OF TEACHING AND SUPERVISING CLINICAL WORK, AUDIT AND RESEARCH:
University of London ( St George’s Hospital medical school): 1999-2004: Teaching of medical undergraduates in psychological medicine, applications of psychodynamic approaches to clinical practise. Multidisciplinary post graduate teaching on various courses in Psychodynamic Therapy and its applications.
Extensive supervision of individuals and multidisciplinary teams and management groups as part of my role as Consultant Psychotherapist.
International Teaching and supervision:
Participate in IAAP teaching to developing groups in Hong Kong, Moscow, South Africa and Bulgaria, ISST as above and also Holland, Ireland, USA, Brazil, Australia, Switzerland. NHS programmes in Italy and Sweden; using psycho-social treatment for personality disordered patients. Extensive experience in training and assessment for admission to Professional societies (e.g. IAAP, ISST). Assessment through clinical and academic performance. Devised and delivered courses for professional membership of ISST and IAAP. Assessed students personal development, academic and clinical knowledge and skills.
Extensive supervision of Individuals and groups.
Educational supervisor of Specialist Registrars (Psychiatrists specialising in Psychotherapy) and SHO’s (Doctors specialising in Psychiatry) in Psychotherapy: Supervision of clinical and managerial responsibilities. Overseeing fulfilment of training requirements. Developing, delivering, evaluating and auditing local training. Teaching Theory of psychodynamic psychotherapy and sandplay therapy; applied training in assessment and treatment of a wide range of cases. Experiential training using Balint Groups to explore the impact of working in a mental health setting on junior doctors.
Multidisciplinary Teaching (social workers, psychiatric nurses, psychologists on various aspects of Psychodynamic work in clinical practice/ applied theory. Devised and delivered various programmes in Sandplay Therapy (e.g. National course for BISS), Analytical Psychology and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy.
Supervision and Teaching of PhD students in Counselling Psychology, University of Surrey (2006- continuing)
Supervision of Psychology PhD student research e.g. Addressing Psychological aspects of Physical problems through sandplay: A grounded theory study of Therapists views (2008-2010: University of Canterbury)This study aimed to explore therapists' understanding of how people with a widerange of physical problems address the psychological aspects of these problems through sandplay,
what happens for them in the process, what changes they experience and what sandplay cancontribute to working with such people.
Tutor:ForensicPsychotherapy section of the Diploma in Forensic Psychiatry, Dept of Forensic Psychiatry, St George's Hospital Medical School.1998
Personality Disorder Teaching Modules: Regular contributor to a 10 week day release course for professionals working with PD clients. Designed and delivered modules on Personality Disorder and Learning Disability in local Trust and previously to various Mental Health Trusts.
Course Tutor:Psychotherapy Course for Mental Health Professionals on the SWL and St George’s Psychotherapy department one year course in psychoanalytic principles and practice in individual and group work: involved teaching weekly teaching seminars and weekly supervision groups for individual patients taken on by course participants.
Annual participation, teaching on the Tavistock 1 year course for psychotherapy with people with disability .
Annual Death, Dying and bereavement Course held at St George's: Regular formal teaching and group work on attachment and loss (1992-1995);
Monthly Disability Psychotherapy Seminars; Psychiatry of disability, St George's medical school (1992-1994)
Workshops and Training Courses on the dynamics of mental illness, dynamics of disability; personality disorders and therapeutic communities: for nurses, social workers, health and social services residential facility staff in local London Boroughs. Also for: Berkshire Social Services Dept., Chichester Community Mental Health Training Services, and Roehampton Training Services and Psychology Department at the University of Surrey etc.
Lectures and workshops to Voluntary Agencies e.g. CRUSE, La'Arch Community, Norwood: Basic concepts in Psychotherapy; Family work with families who have a developmentally disabled member; Attachment Theory and its relevance to psychodynamic work, bereavement and disability.
Supervision of small group psychotherapyand Individual psychotherapy and
Art, Drama and Music therapists
Supervision of Clinical Audit and Research: Supervising Registrar and Senior Registrar doing a follow up of Bereavement study and other outcome research.
CLINICAL EXPERIENCE:
PSYCHOTHERAPY
ASSESSMENTS
Suitability for Psychotherapy: weekly (1992-); suitability for psychotherapy, and particular kind of therapy, i.e. individual or group psychotherapy, couple work, cognitive or behavioural work, family therapy, Arts therapies, out-patient or inpatient treatment, or advising Psychiatric teams on psychodynamic aspects of psychiatric management.Advising courts on dangerousness and also ability to parent (the later in relation to Learning Disabled parents in particular).
Assessment for treatment as inpatients (Henderson): Weekly multidisciplinary assessment of patients attending for assessment of suitability for Therapeutic Community treatment.
INDIVIDUAL PSYCHODYNAMIC WORK
Long term individual psychoanalytic psychotherapy (1992- continuing) Patients seen for 1 to 3 sessions per week for a period of 1 to 4 years.
Short term individual analytic therapy (15-20 sessions): (1992-contiueing) a treatment modality offered in response to patient and referrer demands.
THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY: Henderson Hospital Jan 1997-2003.
GROUP AND SYSTEMIC WORK
Analytic Psychotherapy Groups, weekly since 1988 Various psychotherapy group treatments for a variety of patients. Some specific e.g. men’s group, groups for personality disordered patients, mixed slow open groups etc
Staff Groups (1999-cont.).
Facilitate Staff Team Awarenessmeeting to address staff relationships and functioning in the context of work with this very disturbed client group and setting.(Medium secure units; Acute Psychiatric inpatient ward staff groups, Geriatric long stay ward Staff group, CMHT and Drug and Alcohol Team)
Staff supervision groups for clinical supervision and understanding impact of disturbed clients, current organisational and clinical issues on the staff group.
Balint Groups for Psychiatry trainees: experiential reflective practice groups which develop awareness of the patients psychological landscape and its impact on the clinicians as well as the impact of contextual systems on clinical practice.
OTHER EXPERIENCE:
Forensic Psychotherapy: One day a week at Broadmoor Hospital Psychotherapy department for 6 months.
Personal Analysis: 4 times per week for four years with a male I.G.A.P. training analyst; 4 times per week with for four years with a female I.G.A.P. training analyst.
Infant Observation: (14 months weekly 1hr infant observation, and 1 ½ hr supervision seminar supervised by Dr Geraldine Fitzpatrick, Consultant Child psychiatrist and Psychoanalyst)
Attendance at Clinical Supervision and Academic Seminars: (Jan 1995- continuing and July 1991- 1995 respectively) as part of analytic training.
EXPERIENCE OF SERVICE DEVELOPMENT AND ORGANISATIONAL DYNAMICS:
Consultant Psychiatrist in Psychotherapy and Head of Service, East Surrey Psychotherapy Department: (October 2006-continueing)Lead a multidisciplinary team of therapists of various trainings including art therapists. A key feature of my work in this service has been integrating psychodynamic expertise with generic mental health services so as to support and educate staff and teams working with complex patients with severe and enduring mental health needs. Conduct staff supervision and reflective practice groups. Medical Lead for Psychotherapy: Involved in managing 5 Psychotherapy Services each with their own team. Contribute to Service development and Senior Medical Strategy Meetings. Promoting Psychotherapy as a product in the new market orientated NHS.
Consultant Psychiatrist in Psychotherapy and Psychotherapy Lead.Managing psychotherapy department. Overseeing the merging of Mid- and South- Bucks outpatient departments into a Trust-wide service. Modernising the department. Ensuring integration of psychotherapy and other secondary and tertiary mental health services.Chair: Consultants and Managers Meeting and Regional Psychotherapy Advisory Board. Regional College Psychotherapy Representative.Co-Director(Buckinghamshire). ThamesValley Personality Disorder Initiative. Buckinghamshire Mental Health Trust: (Jan 2005-October 2006) Set up a service for complex patients but with a focus on intensive psycho-social therapy as day (out) patients. This was integrated with generic mental health services to enable seamless movement across teams and the inpatient service.
HendersonHospital :(Jan 1999- Dec2004 inclusive);
Clinical Lead for 29 bedded inpatient Therapeutic Community for people with severe Personality Disorders. (Part of St George’s Hospital, London)
Member of planning and Senior Management Team and Service Marketing committee.
Clinically managing and supporting a staff team of 28 (16 nurses and 8 social therapists (working shifts); 1 art therapist and 1.25 social workers; 2 junior doctors (1 SpR and 1 SHO) in the day to day clinical work of treating up to 29 patients with severe personality disorder.
Helping staff to process, understand and use their counter-transference to this difficult client group in order to facilitate the containment and functioning of the therapeutic milieu of the unit. Specific role in helping staff to understand the impact of the client group on the organisation and staff group functioning as well as the impact of NHS Organisational change.
Member of Advisory Board for HMS Grendon Underwood Prison(Maximum security prison for life sentenced prisoners). Advising on the use of therapeutic community and psychosocial treatment for offenders.
As a medical student I trained as a Counsellor and worked in a voluntary Crisis Counselling service. Subsequently I was involved in setting up a voluntary 24hour telephone counselling service and became a member of its executive committee and director of training.
AUDIT, RESEARCH AND WRITING:
I have been involved in audit and research both directly and through providing supervision throughout my career. A recent departmental audit using CORE (clinical outcomes in routine evaluation) demonstrated that patients taken on for treatment in my department have scores statistically significantly higher on all scales than the average score for a psychiatric outpatient Nationally. They also show improved scores on all scales including risk (statistically significant) subsequent to treatment. An example of a completed research project: Bereavement and Behavioural disturbance.This study set out to examine quantitatively and qualitatively the phenomenology, Psychopathology and behavioural disturbance associated with bereavement in adults with Learning Disability. On the basis of empirical findings it explores the relationship of attachment and loss in the normal adult and child populations in relation to adults with cognitive and developmental deficits.
I have made numerous presentations at International conferences, most recently in Kyoto, Hong Kong, Ireland and Switzerland.
Regular referee of papers submitted to British Journal of Learning Disability and other journals.
I have a number of publications such as:
Addressing Psychological aspects of Physical problems through sandplay: A grounded theory study of Therapistsviews (2010 submitted to Journal of Psychology and Psychotherapy,London)Larissa Lagutina, MSc; David Sperlinger, DrAlexander Esterhuyzen, Dr
Psychotherapy: Psychodynamic understanding of common difficulties presenting to Community Psychiatric TeamsPsychiatry in Learning Disability (ed. S. Read), pp. 332-349. W.B. SaundersLondon: Esterhuyzen, A. (1997);
BJ Psychiatry,170;497-501, June 1997.S Hollins and A Esterhuyzen.The Impact of Bereavement and grief in adults with learning disability
Br. J. Psychiatry; 175: 348 - 350, Oct 1999. E Bonell-Pascual, S Huline-Dickens, S Hollins, A Esterhuyzen, P Sedgwick, A Abdelnoor, and J Hubert. Bereavement and grief in adults with learning disabilities. A follow-up study
Therapeutic Communities (Journal of the Association of Therapeutic Communities)1998 Vol.19 No 4, A Esterhuyzen, M Winterbotham. Surfing the interface: How to make a welfare group a microcosm of therapeutic community functioning.
Abstract: 1996 International Conference of the AmericanAcademy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine: S Hollins, A. Esterhuyzen, J Curren. Recognising and Treating Depression in People with Mental Retardation.
Surfing the interface: How to make a welfare group a microcosm of therapeutic community functioning. This paper explores how to make the resolution of practical welfare problems a part of therapy which also treats the internal psychological world of thepatient. Therapeutic Communities (Journal of the Association of Therapeutic Communities)1998 Vol.19 No 4, A Esterhuyzen, M Winterbotham..
Parallel Processes - Converging Worlds: treatment of a borderline patient with Sandplay Therapy. Paper presented at International Conference 2000 and submitted towards Membership of the International Association of Sandplay Therapy.
Odysseus’ descent to the Underworld; Images of men’s approach to the unconscious. Using collective images such as those appearing in mythology to understand key milestones in the development of masculine psychology.Thesis. (35 thousand words, towards Membership of the International Association of Analytical Psychologists):
OTHER INTERESTS AND HOBBIES
- Horse riding,
- Scuba diving
- Keeping Marine Reef Aquaria
REFERENCES:
Will be supplied if a suitable position is available and I am short listed as a candidate.
A Esterhuyzen
2011
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