How a change of mindset put Alistair on a new path. "Before joining CHT in July 2023, I had worked extensively with people living with autism, experiencing street homelessness and with young people exiting gangs. While mental health was a contributing factor in all of these, I had never worked directly in the mental health field. One of the requirements of the role of the Service Manager at Highams Lodge was to complete a Level 7 Diploma in Relational Practice in Mental Health successfully. Looking at the academic work required, I was a bit nervous. I understood the importance of the course when it came to supporting our residents and understanding CHT's clinical model, but honestly, my preference at the time would’ve been to start the role without having to commit to the diploma. It felt like a big change because I hadn’t done adult education for decades. I felt a degree of imposter syndrome, and it made me question my ability to complete the course. But then, I stepped back and thought, " But what if I can do it? What will that mean for me, and what would I have the opportunity of learning?" Taking this role with CHT was such a big opportunity for me, and by changing my mindset, I felt more able to accept the challenge. The importance of positive risk taking I started the programme in September 2023. One of the great things about the course was studying alongside other colleagues who had similar reservations. The reflective practice at the end of each day proved to be a very supportive process. Having a safe space to express my feelings and ask questions, along with others, made my apprehensions about studying again all the more manageable. It turned out I wasn't the only person who had returned to study after a long hiatus! Alistair delivering a presentation Over the programme of multiple seminars, I learnt so much, particularly regarding interpersonal dynamics, which also included mental health perception, suicide, working with groups and families, and relational safeguarding. I delivered six presentations at the end of each term, which initially put me outside my comfort zone, but the positive feedback was encouraging and helped me know that my understanding of the seminars was correct. Alongside this, and maybe most importantly, the course helped me develop as a person. It also enabled me to have a greater understanding of my role within a relationship. This applied not only in the workplace but also in my personal life. By putting myself out there and being courageous to try something new, I have an appreciation for the opportunities that present themselves when you embrace change and the possibility of failure and try something new. At CHT, a big part of our residents’ recovery pathway is about positive risk-taking and the unknown. I thought a lot about this when things felt tough for me or when I was feeling a bit stretched. By framing the experiences as learning opportunities, I developed my skills in a way that I might not otherwise have been able to, and surprised myself during the process. I'm going to miss the person I was while studying. When the course came to an end a couple of weeks ago, it felt really poignant saying goodbye. It wasn't really a goodbye to my fellow students, many of whom I’ll see again at work! It was more of a goodbye to the experience of studying and the person I became during the diploma. It was refreshing being a student again once a week, and not having to think about my everyday responsibilities. Studying alongside others who have different roles at CHT, as well as people outside our organisation was an experience I thoroughly enjoyed. It felt like we were all students on the same level. We were all there to learn and there was a feeling of freedom and camaraderie attached to that. I’m proud that I embraced this new experience, it’s changed me in many ways and I've probably formed a new neuro pathway or two along the way, which is an added bonus and something I could never have expected." Alistair Dinsmore is the Service Manager at Highams Lodge, our high-support, CQC-regulated mental health recovery community in Waltham Forest.

We are delighted to announce Marilyn Ruttley as the winner of the Original Article category for the 2025 Elly Jansen Award. Marilyn is a senior caseworker with expertise in attachment, trauma, and therapeutic communities, and is also an expert-by-experience speaker. Her article, "I had skills to offer; I wasn't just a patient", examines the educational activities and aspirations of former patients at a therapeutic community in England. Through personal experiences, interviews, and focus group discussions with four former patients, Marilyn suggests that involving people with lived experience in research can improve confidence and skill development and act as both an educational and psychosocial intervention alongside traditional therapeutic approaches. "I was personally really excited to read the winning article of the 2025 Elly Jansen Award. There's too much in the article to do it justice here, but if I can take one phrase, it would be from the title: 'I'm not just a patient.' This captures so much of what Elly Jansen held to be important, and what we at CHT believe is important in therapeutic communities (TC) and psychologically informed environments (PIE): every 'patient' is an integral part of creating, containing, sustaining and (in this article's case) evaluating the service." Dr Peter Cockersell, Chair of the Elly Jansen Award Committee The award will be presented at the 46th Annual TCTC Conference  taking place on 7-10 September. During the conference, Marilyn will present on her article, and we will also announce the dates for the 2026 Elly Jansen Awards. Marilyn's article will also be published in the International Journal of Therapeutic Communities , the only peer-reviewed journal dedicated to publishing international fin dings related to therapeutic communities. About the Elly Jansen Award The Elly Jansen Awards, established by Community Housing and Therapy and funded by Elly Jansen OBE (pictured), a prominent figure in the development of therapeutic communities globally, aims to encoura ge new research and recognise inspiring writing that explores creative approaches to therapeutic communities and relational practice. The Award also provides a valuable platform for voices in the field, including new w riters and those from international communities, to share their insights and experiences.

Joey Vines is our Community Psychotherapist at our Lilias Gillies House . As he reaches the end of his professional journey with CHT, he shares his thoughts about therapeutic endings, community connection and reflects on his own experience of saying farewell. We’ve all been there… ambling awkwardly towards the final moments of an important experience and the usual platitudes seem to tumble out of our mouths, almost by default. ‘Keep in touch’, ‘it’s not goodbye’, ‘until next time’ – words that act as an antidote to the strong emotions that are bubbling up inside of us. Of course, I’m thinking more of ‘social’ moments here - the end of a trip taken where we’ve connected with new people, a leaving party at work, and so on. But the same kind easily occur in ‘therapeutic endings’, be it in 1:1 therapy or in a therapeutic community. I myself have had therapists say to me when we’re ending: ‘remember, my door is always open to you’. I get it – it’s a kind and genuine enough offer in the moment and yet, I’ve always felt it takes something away from the experience and shields us from the finality of what’s occurring. Put frankly, endings are hard. Having observed many of them during my 18 month stay at CHT, my own is soon approaching and I can feel myself rationalising it all and playing it down despite all I know about its importance. All endings are important in our communities. Why? Because every single person who walks through our doors offers something unique that we leave behind and also carry with us in our hearts. They are a poignant marker of our contribution, our service and, most importantly, to the mutual connections we’ve made. Joey Vines, Community Psychotherapist at Lilias Gillies House They’re a celebration of our time here and can be joyous occasions. But they can also provoke feelings of profound loss, sadness and even grief. These feelings aren’t mutually exclusive, of course. Perhaps the best we can offer is to lean into whatever arises and be present with it, even if it’s difficult. In some way, my sense is that by fully experiencing the ending, it can help us ‘move on’. I hold this as an intention for my own upcoming ending but also know that I’ll carry a piece of each and every person I’ve encountered with me. Thank you all. Bookmark this page, or register for our e-newsletter  for more.

Our new blog series sharing reflections and perspectives on change. Endings naturally evoke strong feelings in all of us.  Whether that’s a sense of loss, letting go of an identity, or the anxiety that accompanies the unknown, or the possibility of leaving things undone and with regrets. When we part ways with the people and places we’ve become attached to, we face uncertainty and change. Allowing time for thought and reflection about endings is a powerful tool to process difficult emotions. It gives space for positive feelings to exist alongside the challenging ones. It can also provide an opportunity to celebrate the journey shared and the meaningful connections made along the way, reminding us that while endings can be difficult, they can also be an opportunity for a new beginning and new opportunities. In our special blog series, over the coming weeks, we’ll explore different perspectives on endings through stories from staff and residents within our communities. We hope it will encourage you to reflect on your own experiences and responses to endings. Bookmark this page, or register for our e-newsletter for more.

How our horticultural therapy programme at Highams Lodge is helping to grow resilience, nurture wellbeing and support mental health.   Highams Lodge is our CQC-regulated, high-support mental health recovery community in Waltham Forest, through which we provide a safe, supportive, containing   environment for people living with profound mental health challenges. Our formulation-based recovery programme integrates trauma-informed practices into care, promoting understanding, supportive, positive relationships, and personal growth and recovery.    Extensive studies have shown that gardening and being in nature can benefit physical and emotional health [1] [ 2 ] [ 3 ]. So, in 2024, when residents suggested they would like to learn more about horticulture and use the communal garden, we thought this would be a perfect addition to our therapeutic programme.     We partnered with Thrive , a charity that supports people with physical or mental health conditions to engage with gardening, to pilot a horticultural therapy programme for our residents with the aim to;     Support residents to learn valuable life skills through hands-on gardening experiences.  Improve physical and mental wellbeing by being outdoors in nature, engaging in physical activity and learning about nutrition and healthy eating.   Help create a sense of community and belonging by creating a beautiful outside space where residents can connect.     Together with residents, we codesigned a programme of gardening activities tailored to our residents' skills, interests and abilities. We established a consistent weekly schedule that offered flexibility, allowing residents to participate in full-day gardening sessions or drop in as they wished, progressing at their own pace.   Every Tuesday, Richard, an experienced Horticultural Therapist, led activities that included planting herbs, vegetables, and bulbs and maintaining the garden. He supported residents to learn about ecological principles and sustainability and set up tasks that could be completed throughout the week without supervision, such as watering plants, harvesting fruits and vegetables and making nourishing meals for the community.    The impact of the pilot was profound. Residents told us that it was empowering to be involved in the entire lifecycle of gardening, from planning and planting to nurturing and harvesting. Sixty percent of residents to who took part reported improvements in their physical health , while seventy-five told us feelings of anxiety reduced . The meaningful activities encouraged teamwork, creativity, and skill development, and eighty percent of residents told us that they learned something new and were eager to continue gardening.     "When the residents were engaging in these activities, they were calm, happy, relaxed and smiling, and all spoke positively about how hopeful working with their hands and seeing things grow and be nurtured made them feel. It was clear that this was a profoundly meaningful experience for them, not just in the moments when they were engaged but the moments in between, allowing seeds of possibility to grow and future hopes for themselves to blossom."   Observation from CHT's staff team   Residents shared that caring for and nurturing the plants contributed to their sense of responsibility. Many told us they were thrilled that they could choose what they would like to plant in the garden, as this created a safe space for self-expression and to celebrate cultural diversity. One resident chose to plant a callaloo (pictured), a West Indian vegetable, because she wanted something that reminded her of her culture and celebrated her identity.    “[Thrive] has made me more sociable. It has made me more active  and go to more activities.” Resident at Highams Lodge   This hands-on experience also helped to improve residents' connection to nature and each other, with sixty per cent reporting increased social interactions as a result of participating in the programme.   This year, our horticultural programme is once again blossoming thanks to generous grant support from organisations, including The David Family Foundation and Westfield Health. The garden is already full of herbs and seedlings that will be ready for cultivation later this year, and we are so excited to report back on the outcomes of this project in 2025. Thank you to everyone who makes our work possible.     "The Thrive horticultural therapy program has proven to be an invaluable resource for residents in our therapeutic community, yielding significant benefits in mental health, skill development, and social interaction. Just as mycelium networks underground, connecting various plant species and facilitating nutrient exchange, our horticultural therapy programme has created a network of support among residents, mirroring mycelium's natural growth and interconnectedness in nature."   Valentina Chiricallo , Psychotherapist, Highams Lodge A delicious meal made from vegetables grown in the garden [1] Soga M., Gaston K.J., & Yamaura Y. (2017). Gardening is beneficial for health: A meta-analysis.   Preventive Medicine Reports, 5,  92-99   [2] van den Berg, A.E., & Custers, M.H. (2011). Gardening promotes neuroendocrine and affective restoration from stress . Journal of Health Psychology, 16 , 3–11  [3] Wilson, J.F., & Christensen, K.M. (2011). The relationship between gardening and depression among individuals with disabilities .  Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture, 21,  28–41

Earlier this month, four staff and four residents from our Lilias Gillies House , our CQC-regulated high-support residential recovery community in Croydon, attended our first Experts by Experience 'Train the Trainer' session. Facilitated by our Lived Experience Coordinator, Vikki H, this half-day training covered designing and facilitating online and in-person training, learning theories and considerations, and support for facilitators with Lived Experience. Resident training is a key part of our Expert by Experience programme, made possible thanks to generous funding from the National Lottery Community Fund , which aims to empower residents to shape decisions that affect their lives through enhanced involvement in the design, delivery, and evaluation of our services, training, and communications. The project also helps residents build confidence and skills they can carry with them after leaving our communities and create a peer-support network to help our residents thrive. This Train the Trainer session follows our first training course, " An Introduction to Trauma-Informed Practice " which we delivered in December for residents who were about to move into roles in the NHS or were considering volunteering. The training covered topics including the definition, prevalence, and impact of trauma, models for understanding and working with trauma, and the impact of working with trauma. Participants in the Train the Trainer session reported a positive experience, highlighting the inclusive and interactive nature of the training. When asked about their key takeaways, participants included grounding techniques when presenting, the importance of boundaries, and how to be confident and engaging as their key learning. "Practical examples and experiences really brought [the training] to life and made it make sense in practice" Train the Trainer participant We are now offering the Train the Trainer programme to staff and residents at all our communities as we continue to develop and expand our Expert by Experience training offer. If you have any questions about our Experts by Experience Programme, please email Vikki .

Alice Turay is a Student Mental Health Nurse at Anglia Ruskin University on a nine-week placement at Highams Lodge , our CQC-regulated high-support mental health recovery community in east London. "My name is Alice, and I'm in my first year of training as a mental health nurse at Anglia Ruskin University. I have always been interested in mental health, but my decision to become a nurse followed a personal experience where someone I knew faced some challenges, and I didn't know how to support them. I wanted to empower myself and help others. This placement with CHT is my third clinical placement, but the first one where I've seen staff and residents interact in such a relational way. Here at Highams Lodge, residents are involved in their own care and can raise concerns at community meetings, which other residents and staff members can hear and respond to. My first community meeting was fascinating. One of the residents was chairing the meeting; another was taking minutes. I hadn't seen this level of responsibility and autonomy in a mental health setting before. I've really enjoyed the hands-on experience and getting to know the residents. On Tuesdays, I'm involved in community meetings where staff and residents discuss all community matters. We also have a reflective group where staff and residents are able to share what's gone well for them that week and raise concerns or discuss challenges. In budget meetings, residents can place their food orders for the week, decide what they want to cook for the community and order their ingredients. On Friday, there's a movie night, and residents choose which movie to watch. Then, there's the therapeutic programme, which includes gardening, psychosocial groups, and psychotherapy. I think all these things really help residents take ownership over their own lives.   In other placements, I've had minimal interactions with people being treated, outside of administering medications. Here, it's different. It really feels like a community - like a home. I really get the sense that staff are here to support, not to do things to or for residents. It feels more equal. So much so that, on my first day, I mistakenly thought a resident was a staff member! I am gaining so much valuable learning from this placement, and I cannot wait to share my experiences with peers on my course!" "Alice's placement is our third from Anglia Ruskin University, and having her part of the team has been absolutely brilliant. She's engaging, friendly, and enthusiastic. From day one, she was introducing herself to the community, getting involved to make the service run smoothly, supporting our residents effectively, and attending all the therapeutic groups on offer. It's been so beneficial to our community to have her positive energy at Highams Lodge" Alistair Dinsmore , Service Manager at Highams Lodge __________________________________________________________________________________ We are proud to have a dedicated team of staff and volunteers , like Alice, who are committed to improving the lives of residents in our seven recovery communities across London and the South East. Learn more about clinical placement or employment opportunities .

Last month, staff and residents at our Lillias Gillies House community in Croydon came together to create homemade jewellery, cards, bookmarks, worry stones, and beautiful original artwork for their stall at the Coulsdon Easter Market. Together, they raised an incredible £166 towards buying communal outdoor and sports equipment for their community, which will help support their physical and mental wellbeing. Activities like these are an important part of our therapeutic program at CHT, as they bring residents together in enjoyable ways and encourage positive risk-taking. They also support building confidence and new skills that residents can carry with them after leaving our communities Residents identified the need for accessible outdoor equipment that everyone could enjoy during one of our regular community meetings. Together, they created a list of the items they would like: a table tennis set, badminton equipment, a free-standing punching bag, and a hammock for relaxing in. With support from Therapeutic Practitioner, Elodie, they cocreated a fundraising plan, organised the stall, and came together as a community over several week to create their beautiful craft items (pictured below). The money raised along with the positive feedback from the public on the day (who remarked on how beautiful the craft items were), and the market organisers offering stall space for future events has been really encouraging for our Lilias Gillies House community, who are now planning more activities to help them reach their fundraising target of £370. To find out more, or support their fundraising, please visit: https://www.totalgiving.co.uk/appeal/lillias-sportsquipment

At CHT, we support around 100 people each year experiencing acute and prolonged mental distress, often stemming from the impact of compound trauma. For many, like Dennis*, this trauma started in early childhood. ​Read about Dennis’ story below, and his transformative recovery journey during his time with us. Dennis had a difficult start in life, growing up in poverty in east London without a safe space to play or express himself. His mother struggled with substance use, and when Dennis was just seven years old, he was placed in foster care. His turbulent home life and lack of stability meant that Dennis was unable to form those critical early attachments to caregivers that all children need to thrive. Dennis struggled to fit in at school, and as he grew older, he felt more isolated and struggled to regulate his emotions safely. He felt like no one could help him, and he found himself prone to aggressive outbursts and risky behaviours that put himself and others in danger. Dennis was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and ADHD when he was 18. By the time he arrived at CHT in 2021, he had been in and out of prison and hospitals, with every placement breakdown intensifying his feelings of isolation and being unable to be helped.  "For the first time I felt listened to and wanted" On arrival at Highams Lodge , Dennis met his key worker and therapeutic practitioner, who welcomed him into the community. Over the next few months, they got to know each other and worked together to create a recovery plan, which Dennis told us helped him feel 'listened to and wanted'. Having clear boundaries and a caring team with him in the happy moments, and moments of distress, helped create a feeling of containment , supporting Dennis in managing his emotions and thinking through strategies to reduce impulsive behaviours. Through regular one-on-one psychotherapy sessions and support from his keyworker, Dennis discovered his self-worth and saw that he had a lot to offer. His confidence grew, and he started regularly participating in psychosocial and reflective groups as well as supporting newer residents in settling in. He also joined the CHT fundraising committee, sharing ideas for activities across the whole organisation. In 2023, Dennis moved into one of our self-contained move-on flats at Fairhall Court and adopted a rescue cat named Alfie. He told us he values seeing the other residents regularly at community meetings but having a new level of autonomy feels incredibly powerful after spending so long in hospitals with limited independence. He continues with one-to-one psychotherapy on-site, and his care team have noticed a big difference in his confidence as he participates in more activities independently, including learning karate with a local club.   If you would like to make a referral to CHT, or to find out more about the referral process -  visit our referrals page . ---- *Dennis' story is a composite case study, which combines the details from several residents and their experiences in our communities to create a single, representative story that does not disclose personal information or compromise the privacy of our residents.

We round off Mental Health Awareness Week with a thoughtful account from Joey Vines, our Lilias Gillies House Community Psychotherapist, about his Learning From Action (LFA) experience in Italy. Each year a handful of staff experience what it’s like to live in a therapeutic community. Gaining a deeper understanding and appreciation for the realities of living in a close knit community; immersing themselves in the structure of the day, navigating often difficult decision making, engaging in group activities and forming social relationships with strangers. (From left) Holly Moore, Lena Norman, Alistair Dinsmore & Joey Vines In a beautiful, mountainous alcove just north of Milan (Italy) 30 plucky souls joined forces in a pristine convent to form a temporary therapeutic community for this year’s Learning From Action (LFA) experience. I was joined by three of our Service Managers (Alistair Dinsmore, Holly Moore and Lena Norman) as we sat down for our first ‘community meeting’. Silence descended on the group as we exchanged unknowing glances. Those who were brave enough to break the silence spoke in English and Italian, some was translated and some wasn’t. And as we were to learn, that was kind of the point – to pick up on non-verbal cues as we developed our makeshift alliance as a community. Soon we had split off into sub groups – one for cooking, one for cleaning and one for planning leisure time, and the focus shifted to planning these activities. The focus was as much about the unconscious processes that were occurring within our groups and between individuals as it was about getting the tasks completed. Lurching from one decision to the next, we were peppered with tantalizing and often cryptic clues and questions from the psychoanalytic consultants who joined us. I, and I’m sure my colleagues, left with a new found respect for those who live in our communities. Decision-making was harder than expected and it took a lot of stamina to complete our tasks and, particularly for the introverted among us, to be in such close proximity with others for this condensed period. And… I’ll confess, there were times when I got angry, sulky and didn’t want to reflect. So kudos to those who put their heads above the parapet in our communities. It’s not easy. Days later and I’m still reflecting and digesting, humbled by the experience and grateful to every single soul who attended and, for those we support every day. For what it’s worth, we made a lovely risotto. Ciao Joey

To mark Mental Health Awareness Week 2025 and its theme of community, our Head of Psychotherapy, Dr Andreas Constandinos , reflects on the power of community in supporting people to find connection. In Civilisation and Its Discontents, Freud argues that the decisive step towards making us more civilised is the replacement of power from the individual to the community. In other words, in order for us to live in society, we need a community. The original German title of Freud’s book is Das Unbehagen in der Kultur, which can also be translated as something like The Uneasiness Inherent in Culture, which removes the ‘and’ in the current English translation, suggesting that we should not make a distinction between civilisation and being discontent. Again, in other words, whilst we need a community to function in a society, being in a community is challenging, or to use the German word "unbehagen", it is discomforting or uneasy. In 2009, I undertook a clinical psychology graduate work placement at the South London and Maudsley. My primary task during the placement was to set up and co-facilitate a Hearing Voices Group for residents diagnosed with schizophrenia in the borough of Lambeth. We had funding to run the group for eighteen weeks. Eight individuals, five women and three men, attended the first group, and seven of the eight remained with the group until it ended. Despite coming from very diverse backgrounds, the group had a lot in common: All of them had experienced being detained under the Mental Health Act All of them had been taking anti-psychotic medication for many years None of them lived independently, and All of them were extremely socially isolated. They had all experienced a considerable amount of shame around the events that had led to them being diagnosed with schizophrenia and had been silenced from being able to connect with others due to the stigma that comes from hearing voices. During the eighteen weeks of the group, we introduced our members to a psycho-social understanding of what had happened to them, which meant replacing the question of what was wrong with them with what had happened to them. Initially, we had to rely on two very courageous members who took the lead in sharing their experiences. Slowly, as the weeks went on and the group became an increasingly safe space, others started to open up, discovering a degree of shared experience. The group was challenging, or should I say, at times an uneasy place to be, but it also helped a group of very disconnected individuals find connection with others who could understand, at least some of what they had experienced. We had the beginnings of a community. It has been almost fifteen years since the group ended, and I still receive an annual ‘Christmas email’ from one of the members in which I am updated on the fact that after the group ended in 2010, the members decided to continue with the group independently and have continued to meet to this very day every week. Friendships were formed, and this has allowed some of the members to re-enter society by engaging in activities like sport, volunteering, travel, and even study. This is the power of community. Dr Andreas Constandinos , our Head of Psychotherapy

To mark Mental Health Awareness Week 2025, residents and staff at our Mount Lodge community in Eastbourne reflect on how art can be a catalyst for building relationships and facilitating self-expression. This collaborative artwork is more than just a visual piece - it’s a living metaphor for what it means to be part of a community. Each brushstroke, each idea shared, represents the unique voices and experiences that make up the residential therapeutic environment at Mount Lodge . Coming together to create this piece gave residents and staff the space to express our thoughts and feelings, not only about therapeutic recovery but about belonging, growth, and being seen. Just like in the community, the process wasn’t about perfection - it was about showing up and being present. It was about listening to one another, making space for each contribution, and building something meaningful together. In the same way that this artwork emerged from collaboration, trust, and shared purpose, so too does our community. This piece stands as a symbol of how, even in our differences, we can come together to create something whole - something hopeful. This is our community. Our finished art piece.