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Charlie Jones

@charliepsych.bsky.social

2K followers 1.4K following 1.5K posts

Clinical psychologist in an acute hospital. NHS. Person-centred care. Relationships & dialogue in healthcare. Health creation. Appreciation of simple things. I'm a dad. Identical twins🤍🤍 Living in Bristol #SpacesForListening

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Charlie Jones @charliepsych.bsky.social · Nov 29

Here's a 25min video about #SpacesForListening

vimeo.com/1033441520?s...

Thanks to @susanresurgence.bsky.social for a lovely conversation with @brigidrussell51 & me.

And thanks to all you wonderful souls who have come to #SpacesForListening over the last 4 years. The fire's still burning bright.

'Spaces for listening': Conversations with Contributors: Brigid Russell and Charlie Jones

A conservation between Editor of The Resurgence & Ecologist Magazine, Susan Clarke and contributors Brigid Russell and Charlie Jones. Read the article:…

vimeo.com

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Charlie Jones @charliepsych.bsky.social · 7h

Hey👋thanks for this, yeah i hear you. It sounds like he did once have an important experience as a patient. By 'staying' I meant 'in an ongoing way', rather than just one off occasional experiences...
Hope all well with you

Charlie Jones @charliepsych.bsky.social · 8h

I'd like to see Wes Streeting commit a couple of hours each week to staying connected with the real human side of NHS. He could do this in so many ways. Obvsly it'd need to be genuine, not stage-managed. It'd be good for deeper understanding, & it'd role model the importance of this to NHS leaders.

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Charlie Jones @charliepsych.bsky.social · 12h

Hey Greg, the whole charade of gambling companies going on about the wellbeing of their customers. 'Take a break', 'as soon as the fun stops, stop', all the bullshit slogans.

It's so toxic, it feels like an abusive relationship- i'll look after you, while I fleece you...

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Charlie Jones @charliepsych.bsky.social · 13h

Hey Ian, thanks for this. Yeah I think we prob do that- it's an achievement to get everyone in the room & then we just kinda assume that everything will flow from there. It just doesn't work like that! There needs to be more intentionality & careful facilitation I think. Could make such a difference

Charlie Jones @charliepsych.bsky.social · 18h

Hey Sarah, yeah- the ticking off of actions as a marker of 'progress', gives us all a sense that we're getting through things... but, what's the quality of the thinking? What's in the room not being said? There's so much potential richness when we come together. Mostly stays unshared...

Charlie Jones @charliepsych.bsky.social · 19h

In 20 years in NHS, I'd say it's rare to find meeting spaces that feel reliably useful & engaging.

There are loads of tools & structures, & ways of chairing/facilitating (maybe too many?).

We know this stuff matters, & yet gathering together in ways that feel useful seems frustratingly elusive 2/2

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Charlie Jones @charliepsych.bsky.social · 19h

An area in NHS we could really improve on is making meetings better- more useful, more engaging, more participation.

We know how with complex problems, we need to bring multiple perspectives together. Great- in principle. But how does this go in practice? It's an area we could improve massively 1/2

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Charlie Jones @charliepsych.bsky.social · 1d

Most of us in the NHS don't need to understand the ins & outs of ICBs/DoH etc. Most of us know our local contexts.

But think it'd make such a difference to feel that 'the people in charge' CARE & get it- about our everyday experiences (patients & staff). I just don't think this comes across enough.

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Charlie Jones @charliepsych.bsky.social · 1d

Hey Ian thanks for this. Yeh that's fascinating isnt it to compare the experiences of being the person in the dark place, with trying to be caring to someone in a dark place. Stuckness can feel terrible & then gets overlaid with self-hatred "I'm not even helping myself"(as if that's always possible)

Charlie Jones @charliepsych.bsky.social · 1d

A key thing to understand when someone's having a really dark time is that the things we all know could be helpful ('reaching out', going for a walk, talking to someone etc), become pretty impossible & part of the stuckness.

Be there, be available, be alongside, hold someone in mind, try to listen.

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Charlie Jones @charliepsych.bsky.social · 2d

Ahh that view...
And the contrails in the sky. I'd love to stand there looking out over that view.
Sending much respect & thanks to you for all the care you give. And breathing in the views is a very important thing too.
See you again soon take care👋🤍

Charlie Jones @charliepsych.bsky.social · 2d

There's a lot of overwhelm out there. False positivity is annoying at the best of times, but atm it's really invalidating & disheartening. Don't do it.

It's OK to name the overwhelm. Listening to each other doesnt mean we have to have solutions, but it's a form of care & it says 'you're not alone'.

Charlie Jones @charliepsych.bsky.social · 3d

Far more of our work meetings should be places where we can think together and share ideas in a supportive environment.

We miss so many opportunities to hear each other.

Charlie Jones @charliepsych.bsky.social · 3d

Paying attention, being present, noticing... all valuable. There's so much there, every day, if we can slow down & tune into it.
Best wishes👋

Charlie Jones @charliepsych.bsky.social · 3d

Hello, jumping in...

A concern I have is that the need for psychological thinking in the care of people with long term conditions is getting unhelpfully conflated with 'mental health'. Obvsly, this is important too, but these are 2 different things, & there's poor understanding of this.

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Charlie Jones @charliepsych.bsky.social · 4d

When multi-professional working goes well, it makes such a difference for quality of care. It's not just about communicating diverse views (though obvsly this is extremely useful), it also creates a sense of coherence around a person's care- it gives a person confidence & a feeling of being held.

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Charlie Jones @charliepsych.bsky.social · 4d

Wow this looks amazing!

Reposted by Charlie Jones

Dr Liza Morton @drlizamorton.bsky.social · 4d

My new book 'Beyond the Medical Gaze: Practicing Psychologically Informed Healthcare' is NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE from @oxunipress.bsky.social
Available in print from 28 Nov 25.
Download: academic.oup.com/book/61406

#booksky #medsky #psychsky #chronicillness #healthcare #livedexperience

Beyond the Medical Gaze: Practicing Psychologically Informed Healthcare

Abstract. Long-term health conditions (LTCs) affect one-third of the global population and are associated with a heightened risk of depression, anxiety, me

academic.oup.com

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Charlie Jones @charliepsych.bsky.social · 4d

Hi👋It's hard to explain the state of constant threat & exhaustion, & in that context you're trying to parent as well as you can. I was glad it represented the common reality of parents (usually mums) having to give up careers, & having no life. The grief & isolation, & its impact on mental health.

Charlie Jones @charliepsych.bsky.social · 5d

Felt validating seeing Panorama tonight- how the constant fighting for your kids' education needs just breaks parents.

Good on those families who told their stories.

"99% of cases in England that reach tribunal are won by families"

Such a strong indicator of a totally brutal, inhuman system.

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Charlie Jones @charliepsych.bsky.social · 5d

Think thatd be an interesting study Annie to track over time what the unbearable things are. I think Schwartz was focused on unbearable clinical scenarios wasnt he? But as you say, often now the unbearable is inequity, political nonsense & powerlessness, racism, moral injury- all part of our context

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Charlie Jones @charliepsych.bsky.social · 5d

Getting a life-limiting diagnosis is such a personal thing, & if we want to be supportive it's important to hear where someone's at- to be there, & be open to going with the flow. There's no right way. Sometimes it's about information, sometimes it's about feelings, sometimes it's just normal chat.

Charlie Jones @charliepsych.bsky.social · 5d

Ohh I remember that. I remember exactly where I was sitting in my house. Thank you for that experience 🤩

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Charlie Jones @charliepsych.bsky.social · 6d

Really like the mention of agency & the millions of people both 'inside & outside the NHS' who we know can & will be highly creative & motivated if given freedom & backing. There is enormous richness here.

To free this up, do we need to accept variation as local people come up with local solutions?

Reposted by Charlie Jones

Dr Steve Taylor @drstevetaylor.bsky.social · 6d

TAKE A SEAT

Government believes that simply attaching the words 'online', 'digital' or 'virtual' to any NHS problem instantly solves it, those actually working within the NHS know that the opposite applies

Face to face, human interaction with the right tools is the best answer

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