Making Sense of the Madness

In the final episode of the series, Rob and Merryn reflect on their journey and explore what the world might look like if some of the principles advocated in their podcast were taken up more widely in our society.

Rob and Merryn take a deep dive into psychotherapy and explore a range of different disciplines within the field, from psychodrama to art therapy to couples therapy to group therapy... and beyond!

Professor James Nazroo talks to Rob and Merryn about his research into how race interacts with mental health within the UK and what can be done to improve mental health outcomes for people of colour and people from minority ethnic backgrounds.

Psychotherapist Sophie Jones describes her job as an art therapist in a mens' prison; Sophie Butler explains her role as a liaison psychiatrist in A&E. Rob and Merryn reflect on the support available for people in crisis and how a person's environment contributes to their mental wellbeing.

Dick Blackwell breaks down how the forces of managerialism, neo-liberalism and the triumph of the statistical over recent decades have created the conditions which allow CBT to be over-prescribed within our NHS today.

Farhad Dalal talks to Merryn and Rob about his highly influential and polemic book on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), providing compelling evidence that suggests the treatment is nowhere near as effective as its own statistics and research claims.

Merryn breaks down for Rob the differences between psychiatry, psychology and psychotherapy. Rex Haigh and Vanessa Jones speak about the evolution of Therapeutic Communities and why it is that they now find themselves under threat.

Rob interviews Merryn about the service in the Maudesley hospital that she was clinical lead for, unpacking what the service offered, what we mean by personality disorders, why they are often such a challenge for the NHS to treat and why the service's closure is indicative of wider patterns across the UK.