Into the Woods: A Reflective Practice Companion for Mental Health Professionals

A psychologically informed reflective companion for people whose work depends upon relationship.Work has its own forest. Paths disappear, familiar roles begin to chafe, and teams can lose the language to say what they already know.Written by clinical psychologist and group analyst Dr Libby Nugent, Into the Woods at Work draws on five stories-Bearskin, Pinocchio, Snow White, The Fisherman and His Wife, and Little Red Riding Hood-as shared objects for thinking about professional life.The journey moves through five widening circles: - Self - Craft - Team - Organisation - The Wider FieldEach psychologically informed reading is followed by generous writing space structured around three lenses: - Me in my role - Between us - In the wider systemCreated for clinicians, mental-health practitioners, supervisors, coaches and leaders, the companion can be used privately, in supervision or coaching, or as a shared object in reflective groups and teams.The stories do not provide fixed interpretations or easy workplace solutions. Instead, they create enough distance to notice what has become difficult to say, distinguish personal responsibility from organisational strain, and consider where change might begin.Follow the thread into the working woods and see what becomes thinkable there.