“Work Discussion Group (WDG) for Catastrophic Situations” – Martha Harris Model, Tavistock
Organized by the IPA PACE Committee & NCP.
About the Work Discussion Group:
The Work Discussion Group (WDG) provides a reflective space for professionals working in catastrophic situations across diverse contexts such as hospitals, schools, and community centers. Grounded in the Martha Harris model developed at the Tavistock Clinic, this approach helps workers process the emotional impact of their roles, fostering deeper understanding and more effective intervention strategies.
History and Key Characteristics of the Work Discussion Seminar
Inspired by Esther Bick’s infant observation method, Martha Harris developed the Work Discussion model in the 1970s at the Tavistock Clinic. She aimed to extend psychoanalytic thinking beyond the consulting room into educational and caregiving environments. By integrating detailed observation of professional interactions with children, adolescents, and families, this model enables practitioners—whether teachers, social workers, or healthcare providers—to recognize unconscious processes influencing their work.
The seminar requires participants to observe and narrate their work experiences in the first person, fostering self-awareness and emotional containment. The discussion format allows professionals to analyze the dynamics of their interactions, enhancing their understanding of the intrapsychic world and its manifestation in interpersonal relationships.
By applying Bick’s observational method in this context, Harris emphasized the importance of recognizing emotional factors in professional relationships. This reflective process deepens comprehension of the professional’s mental state and the individuals they serve, ultimately improving intervention strategies in preventive and therapeutic settings.
Presenters:
Mónica Cardenal (Argentina) Training analyst of Buenos Aires Psychoanalytical Association. Former Scientific Coordinator. Associate Professor in Child and Adolescent Clinic Psychology and Psychiatry, Postgraduate Training at the Italian Hospital University, Buenos Aires. General Coordinator of the Infant Observation Seminar, taught according to Mrs Bick´s method, Tavistock model, Italian Hospital University. Member of the Expert Registry of CONEAU, Comisión Nacional de Evaluación Y Acreditación Universitaria (National Commission of University Evaluation and Accreditation) Argentina since 2014. Chair of IPA Committee on Psychoanalytic Assistance in Crises and Emergencies (PACE). Consultant of IPA Committee on Child and Adolescent Psychoanalysis (COCAP). Academic Advisor and supervisor of the work program with street children and young refugees in Puebla, Mexico, Fundación JUCONI since 2010. Author of international publications and guest lecturer in several countries. Co-author and Co-editor of the books: “Territorios postkleinianos. Una actualización de la tarea Psicoanalítica”, Teseo, Buenos Aires, 2020 and “The Infinite Infantile and the Psychoanalytic task. Psychoanalysis with Children, Adolescents and their Families” IPA, COCAP and Routledge, London and New York 2022.
Dr. Jeanne Magagna (UK) is a Child, Adolescent, and Family Psychotherapist with over fifty years of experience in child mental health. She has significantly contributed to understanding and treating children and families, particularly in high-needs and emotionally complex environments. She led the Psychotherapy Services at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London for 24 years, specializing in self-harm, psychosis, and eating disorders in children. Her extensive clinical experience also includes working with non-verbal, non-mobile children with feeding difficulties. She trained at the Tavistock Clinic in London, where Esther Bick, the founder of the infant observation method, taught her.
Throughout her career, Dr. Magagna has taught Infant Observation worldwide. She believes observing babies can profoundly transform our understanding of children and their families. This work has led to the creation of a specialized nursery in Rome and the publication of Being Present for Your Nursery-Age Child. She has also published several influential books, including The Silent Child: Communication without Words, which focuses on nonverbal communication in children, and Psychotherapeutic Understanding of Children and Young People with Eating Disorders. Additionally, Dr. Magagna is the Joint Editor of various books, including Intimate Transformations: Babies with Their Families, Psychotherapy with Families, and Contemporary Child Psychotherapy. She regularly teaches internationally and has been featured in the Mind in Mind interview series with Jane O’Rourke on YouTube. Dr. Magagna’s career reflects her deep commitment to advancing psychoanalytic thinking and its application in clinical practice, particularly in child development, emotional understanding, and early intervention.
Interview by Mind in Mind: https://mindinmind.org.uk/interviews/jeanne-magagna/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
PACE Member Participant:
Sylvia de Egea (Paraguay) is a clinical psychologist and a psychoanalyst specializing in adults, children, and adolescents. A member of the International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA), she serves as the Vice President of the Psychoanalytic Association of Asunción (APdeA) and teaches at its institute. She is an active member of the PACE Committee representing Latin America. With a longstanding commitment to humanitarian efforts, Silvia was a Red Cross volunteer for many years, during which she became qualified to train Support Psychosocial Trainers. She currently maintains a private practice in Asunción, Paraguay.
