The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust

23/09/2025

Supporting children through difficult conversations can be a daunting task, even for the most experienced practitioners.

In our latest article, Adi Steiner introduces our new online self-study course and tactics to make your engagements more effective and therapeutic.

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Do you feel daunted when faced with the task of talking to children about difficult and painful issues? Looking for new ways to improve your communication skills with young people?

18/09/2025

Today marks 92 years since the Portman Clinic saw its first patient on 18 September 1933. The Portman continues to offer specialist long-term help for adults, children and young people with disturbing sexual behaviours, criminality and violence.

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The Portman Clinic, a treatment, research, and teaching clinic, deeply interested in why people behave the way they do…

12/09/2025

Huge congratulations to our postgraduate students celebrating their yesterday! 👏 🎓

We're so proud of everything you've achieved, and of the difference you'll make in improving . Wishing you the best of luck in your next chapter!

09/09/2025

Want to develop your understanding of the complex area of parental mental illness?

We've created an online course in partnership with Our Time, the UK’s only charity supporting children of parents with a mental illness. You’ll learn from a range of professionals with expertise in parental mental illness, and hear personal stories from those with lived experience.

Start at any time 👉 https://tavistockandportman.ac.uk/courses/supporting-children-of-parents-with-a-mental-illness-a-systemic-approach-daa021/

Delivered online, this CPD-certified training course will provide you with the skills to support children and young people affected by parental mental illness.

03/09/2025

📖 We're delighted to have opened our newly renovated library!

The refurbishment follows a wide consultation with students, staff and external members and offers a more sustainable, accessible and modern space for study and collaboration.

27/08/2025

Did you know that we teach the UK’s longest running university-validated course in systemic therapy? Our unique course was the first of its kind in the UK and has been changing lives since 1975.

Systemic therapy is also known as family therapy, and is revered for its ability to explore mental health and relational problems within the context of what’s happening for a family or group as a system.

As society grapples with the complex global mental health crisis uncovered by the pandemic, this oft-sidelined form of therapy could offer a way through, using its whole systems approach.

Read more 👉 https://tavistockandportman.nhs.uk/news/from-patients-to-therapists-this-systemic-therapy-course-is-changing-lives-2/

AFT - The Association for Family Therapy & Systemic Practice

From patients to therapists, this systemic therapy course is changing lives…

21/08/2025

At least 1 in 5 women develop a mental health problem during pregnancy. If untreated, perinatal mental health problems can have a devastating impact.

Jo Brook, our Perinatal Mental Health Training and Service Development Lead, explains more about this topic and why it's important for professionals to be well-trained in this field.

19/08/2025

We’re honoured to be hosting our first International conference on psychoanalysis and complex trauma. The event will be hosted online in collaboration with South African Psychoanalytic Clinics Johannesburg (JHB) from 14 to 15 November 2025.

We’re currently inviting presentation proposals for the event and the themes for this can be found on our conference page.

Discounted early bird tickets are available to buy before 31 August 2025.

Learn more 👇

This global online conference brings together practitioners to explore different psychoanalytic approaches to working with traumatised individuals.

15/08/2025

Our staff and alumni recently released two new books, highlighting the importance of and the continuing impact of our pioneering mental health research.

Read more 👉 https://tavistockandportman.nhs.uk/news/recent-psychotherapy-book-releases/

12/08/2025

Did you know about our Sigmund Freud statue?

The sculpture was created by Croatian artist Oscar Nemon. He studied in Vienna in the 1920s, where he first developed an interest in Freud's work. He later moved to Brussels, becoming a well-known portrait sculptor. In 1931 he received the commission to sculpt Freud for Freud's 75th birthday. Freud was a little uncertain, but agreed to let Nemon sketch him in brief sessions between one patient and the next.

Overnight Nemon produced a preliminary clay and that won Freud over. Nemon continued to work for several years visiting Freud whenever he passed through Vienna, and then finally in London in 1938, after the political situation led both men to leave mainland Europe.

It is these London sittings that led to the final harsher, more abstract sculpture in terracotta which were used for the bronze sculpture that now resides outside the Tavistock Centre.