Libby Nugent

Dr Libby Nugent | Substack I am a clinical psychologist and trainee group analyst

Im now on Substack ! substack.com/@drlibbynuge...

Living in the Bearskin: Waiting Lists, Moral Injury, and Leadership in CAMHS I have been revisiting the fairy tale Bearskin in preparation for an upcoming workshop. It is a story that helps me think about what it means to arrive depleted, and about the ethics of waiting when p...

Not all injury is dramatic. Some of it accumulates in the long stretch between knowing what’s needed and being unable to act. www.libbynugent.com/post/living-...

Power, Therapy, and the Electrified Matrix: Rethinking Dependency in the Clinical Encounter Following some research for my group analytic training, I have found myself thinking differently about online therapy and about the current preoccupation with power in psychotherapy more broadly. I am...

Power in psychotherapy is often framed as something happening between therapist and client.
But online work shows us something else: the relationship now sits inside systems—platforms, policies, surveillance, data infrastructures.
www.libbynugent.com/post/power-t...

The Death Mother and the Singing Bone: A Day of Reflective Group Practice A reflective training day exploring trust, neglect, and imaginative repair in mental health services through story and group analysis.

The Death Mother and the Singing Bone
A reflective practice day for mental health professionals exploring organisational neglect, buried truths & imaginative repair.
19 May 2026 | Birmingham www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-death-...

The Cost of Overfunctioning: When Competence Becomes a Disguise I keep returning to the old tale of the fisherman and the flounder. It turns up in supervision and in my own thinking at moments when effort feels endless and strangely unquestioned. In the story, a p...

When institutional containment collapses, clinicians overextend - holding more than their role was built to bear. The fairytale of the Fisherman’s Wife captures this emotional logic of boundary creep. www.libbynugent.com/post/the-cos...

Thank you. Yes - it is so easy to become overwhelmed or burnt out.

The Cost of Overfunctioning: When Competence Becomes a Disguise I keep returning to the old tale of the fisherman and the flounder. It turns up in supervision and in my own thinking at moments when effort feels endless and strangely unquestioned. In the story, a p...

When institutional containment collapses, clinicians overextend - holding more than their role was built to bear. The fairytale of the Fisherman’s Wife captures this emotional logic of boundary creep. www.libbynugent.com/post/the-cos...

Quarterly Reflective Practice Group for Psychologists in Leadership A supportive space for clinicians to reflect on their personal and professional journeys and share challenges.

Quarterly Reflective Practice Group for Psychologists in Leadership
www.eventbrite.com/e/1753346970...

The Death Mother and the Singing Bone: A Day of Reflective Group Practice A reflective training day exploring trust, neglect, and imaginative repair in mental health services through story and group analysis.

The Death Mother and the Singing Bone
A reflective practice day for mental health professionals exploring organisational neglect, buried truths & imaginative repair.
19 May 2026 | Birmingham www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-death-...

Cinderella Services and the Glass Fit In the old versions of Cinderella, before the glass slipper and the pumpkin coach were polished into Disney sheen, there is grief. The loss of a mother and the intrusion of an unchosen life. The fairy...

My latest blog: Cinderella Services and the Glass Fit

In clinical life, containment often operates in the background: shaped by policy, maintained through administration, and carried out in the discernment of teams.
www.libbynugent.com/post/cindere...

Greek Myths and Fairy tale in Psychoanalysis and Group Analysis Exploring depth psychology through Greek mythology and fairy tales in a Group Reflective Space.

Just a few spaces left for this series.
All welcome.

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1358225873...

Leadership as a Riddle of Relationship: In Indian folklore, vetalas are spirits that dwell in cremation grounds and are said to animate the dead. Although unsettling, they are powerful beings who, if subjugated, can be of great use to human...

This post 'Leadership as a Riddle of Relationship' explores the symbolic and ethical dimensions of leadership through the Indian folktale The King and the Corpse.

Read more by following the link below: www.libbynugent.com/post/leaders...

Quarterly Reflective Practice Group for Psychologists in Leadership A supportive space for clinicians to reflect on their personal and professional journeys and share challenges.

Quarterly Reflective Practice Group for Psychologists in Leadership
Begins Tuesday, September 30, 1:30 - 4:30 pm. Space still available. www.eventbrite.com/e/1396982084...

The Tiger Who Came to Tea: Stories of Uninvited Visitors A favourite childhood tale of mine is Judith Kerr’s The Tiger Who Came to Tea. On its surface, it is a charming story of an unexpected guest who eats all the food in Sophie’s house and drains the taps...

I now have a newsletter ‘Symbolic Currents’ on LinkedIn. It focuses on group process and ethics through story.

This is the first edition - exploring The Tiger Who Came to Tea

www.linkedin.com/pulse/tiger-...

This reflective practice group for @DCPPreQual clinical and counselling psychologists #reflectivepractice @BPSWestMids @BPSEastMids @DCPWales @nebranchdcp www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/reflective...

Quarterly Reflective Practice Group for Psychologists in Leadership A supportive space for clinicians to reflect on their personal and professional journeys and share challenges.

Quarterly Reflective Practice Group for Psychologists in Leadership
Begins Tuesday, September 30 1:30 - 4:30pm

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/quarterly-...

Greek Myths and Fairy tale in Psychoanalysis and Group Analysis Exploring depth psychology through Greek mythology and fairy tales in a Group Reflective Space.

Greek Myths and Fairy tale in Psychoanalysis and Group Analysis

A Group Reflective Space Exploring Symbolism, Storytelling, and Unconscious Processes

Starting 3rd Nov– Meeting Weekly for Seven Weeks
Mondays, 8:00 – 9:30 PM (UK Time)
Online

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/greek-myth...

Recovering from the Death Mother: Reclaiming Life in NHS & Social Care Work Moving beyond the self-sacrificing archetype, embracing rest, support, and community to reclaim a balanced life.

Recovering from the Death Mother: Reclaiming Life in NHS & Social Care Work

Moving beyond the self-sacrificing archetype, embracing rest, support, and community to reclaim a balanced life.

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 13:30 - 16:00 BST

Online

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1554933109...

Quarterly Reflective Practice Group for Psychologists in Leadership A supportive space for clinicians to reflect on their personal and professional journeys and share challenges.

Quarterly Reflective Practice Group for Psychologists in Leadership www.eventbrite.com/e/1396982084...

Let the Bone Sing: Group Analytic Reflections on the Depressive Position, Bodily Truth, and the Stories We Tell When the Body Won’t Stay QuietFairy tales say things our theories often cannot. They bypass the defended mind and speak in symbols, archetypes, and the secret language of the body. Lately I have been ...

New blog: Let the Bone Sing: Group Analytic Reflections on the Depressive Position, Bodily Truth, and the Stories We Tell

www.libbynugent.com/post/let-the...

The Sister and the System: A Fairy Tale of Relational Change The Seven Ravens is a lesser known Grimm tale that begins with a father who has seven sons and longs for a daughter. When she is finally born, frail and sickly, the father sends the sons to fetch wate...

New Blog - The Sister and the System: A Fairy Tale of Relational Change.
When a plant is wilting, ... we’re told to change its environment... But what does this mean in a group or social context, where the "environment" is made up of other people?
www.libbynugent.com/post/the-sis...

Reflective Practice Group for Aspiring Clinical Psychologists. Begins Tuesday 16th September.

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/reflective...

Ten Reflections on Group Facilitation: A Musical Perspective Recently, I’ve been experimenting with AI to explore new metaphors for group dynamics. Unsurprisingly, there are many, but one of my favourites is music. Much has been written about this connection, a...

Ten Reflections on Group Facilitation. Some thoughts on how musical metaphors can help us reflect on group dynamics.

Read more here: www.libbynugent.com/post/ten-ref...

Friday Fairytale A space to explore stories within a group setting, uncovering the depth of psychological insights they offer at the 'Friday Fairytale'.

Iron Hans’ unveils growth, risk & transformation. Through discussion, we’ll explore symbols (the golden spring, the wild man) & link them to psychology—personal & collective.

All welcome
Book via Eventbrite : www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/friday-fai...

A Group Analytic View: In group analysis, the tale’s dynamics mirror our collective process. Iron Hans & the boy’s bond highlight how groups reflect, challenge & deepen our understanding—symbols & reactions connect us to shared stories. #GroupAnalysis #FridayFairytale

Jungian Lens: Carl Jung views ‘Iron Hans’ through archetypes—the Wild Man as the shadow, untamed yet wise. The boy’s journey reflects individuation: integrating conscious & unconscious to become whole. What hidden parts of yourself might emerge? #Jung #Archetype

In ‘Iron John,’ Robert Bly sees the wild man (Iron Hans) as a symbol of raw, primal masculinity. It’s a call to reconnect with instinct, mentorship & initiation—vital for personal growth in a disconnected world. How do we embrace this energy today? #DepthPsychology

Friday Fairytale A space to explore stories within a group setting, uncovering the depth of psychological insights they offer at the 'Friday Fairytale'.

The next Friday Fairytale online session we will be discussing ‘Iron Hans’

Explore the psychology, symbols & archetypes of this story.

Friday, 27th June 2pm - 3:30pm (UK).

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/friday-fai...

Navigating the Death Mother: Ambivalence and Attachment in the NHS A space to explore the emotional toll of NHS Work and the tension between care and sacrifice.

Navigating the Death Mother: Ambivalence and Attachment in the NHS

A space to explore the emotional toll of NHS Work and the tension between care and sacrifice.

Sat, 2 Aug 2025 10:30 - 12:30 BST

Online

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1372961196...

You can have principles that inform techniques and practice, but you can’t go from principles to manualization.
- Scott Miller