Compassion focussed working in secure forensic care

Journal of Criminological Research, Policy and Practice,Volume 3, Issue 4, Page 287-293, December 2017. Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe practices associated with compassion focussed therapy (CFT) in a secure forensic setting for men with a learning disability and personality disorder. The values of this model for both therapeutic work and the organisation of residential practices in a secure setting are considered. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents a conceptual discussion of the use of CFT with an offender population. Findings The paper describes the use of CFT as a framework for working with offenders with an intellectual disability and personality disorder. The paper discusses the organisation of service practices alongside more formal therapeutic interventions. Practical implications CFT offers a unique integrated model for working with offenders. The core CFT model invites staff teams to consider the safety seeking aspects of challenging behaviours and to understand these behaviours in the context of evolved threat processing mechanisms. The focus on emotional processing that is central to the model invites services to develop deep understanding of the functions of violence and other offending behaviours and to balance work in these areas alongside the development of capacities that offer individuals methods for effective emotional regulation. Originality/value The paper provides a unique discussion point for the organisation of forensic...
Source: Journal of Criminological Research, Policy and Practice - Category: Criminology Source Type: research