The Locked up Living Podcast: Surviving and thriving in prisons and other challenging environments
What type of organisation, institution and industry are performing work that tests human resilience and evokes powerful feelings of shame, sadness, grief, disgust and fear? What makes an institutional culture challenging or toxic to our mental health? How do we cope with living or working in prisons or places where we feel anxious or frightened a lot of the time? Or where we are expected to be relentlessly competitive? What is a toxic culture and how is it created? What effect does hearing or witnessing emotional pain have on our emotional well-being? How do we deal with the emotional roller-coaster of risk and danger? Does working with people who commit murder, child abuse and rape, impact on those who work in men and women’s prisons and the wider criminal justice system? What kinds of people choose to work in these settings and why? How do people survive and thrive when facing significant challenges to our emotional health over a lengthy period? How do we prevent ourselves becoming infected by fear and sadness or contaminated by shame and disgust? How do we overcome adversity and avoid burnout or compassion fatigue? How do we make adversity an opportunity for growth? Is it possible to transform a corrosive culture into one that can nourish? How do we protect ourselves and stay compassionate, loving and trusting? Importantly, how do we find and preserve hope? There are few peace-time environments that pose as great a threat to emotional resilience and well-being as prisons and secure hospitals. Podcast hosts, David Jones (forensic psychotherapist) and Dr Naomi Murphy (clinical and forensic psychologist) have decades of experience in working in key forensic services where they’ve felt frightened and been steeped in stories full of sadness, grief, shame and disgust. They’ve found ways to navigate these difficult emotions and hold on to their humanity and love for mankind in the harshest of conditions in order to help others flourish and grow. Listen to the weekly Locked up Living Podcast with David Jones and Naomi Murphy as they talk to a broad range of guests featuring rich encounters with some of society’s most oppressive institutions and with people representing some of the most marginalised and oppressed groups. Naomi and David’s backgrounds in the criminal justice system and forensic mental health mean these sectors are particularly well-represented on the podcast and they discuss causes of crime, ways to reduce crime and how to improve rehabilitative endeavours. Crucially, they understand that forensic services often exist as silos and the podcast follows avenues they have explored in their aspiration to learn and grow from other areas in order to promote healthier organisational cultures. Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote that “The degree of civilisation in a society can be judged by entering its prisons”. David and Naomi hope that exploring less visible aspects of prisons will help listeners see that prisons are a window into society and let us see people not only at their worst but also at their best. We share snap shots of life in prisons and take a look at hospitals, schools, sport and the police in order to learn from other institutions. We learn about challenges to human integrity and hear important lessons and heart-warming stories about survival and growth when facing adversity in harsh places. We hope that sharing our conversations can help you make changes to your own relationship with institutions that might challenge your emotional health and well-being. We are keen to engage with you, so do follow and connect with us and give us feedback. Let us know what you think works as well as what doesn’t. We want to make the podcast a listen that you look forward to each week. We’ll also be extremely grateful for any reviews that you give us on YouTube – a simple thumb will do. In this weekly podcast, Naomi and David explore key issues such as: - How do activities such as therapy, arts, education, yoga and mindfulness contribute to well-being? - How do you preserve your own wholesomeness when steeped in the darker aspects of human nature? - How do you prevent your own traumatisation when listening to accounts of trauma? - How do you effect compassionate change and guard against society’s wish to punish? - What can we learn from those who don’t survive the system? - What are some of the moral dilemmas in engaging with institutions associated with oppression? - How do you keep psychologically safe in the face of threat and danger? We’re really looking forward to exploring these issues to deepen our own understanding and find ways to enable our own knowledge and growth. We hope you will be curious enough to join us too. Email: lockedupliving@gmail.com or connect with us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/LockedUpLiving Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomimurphypsychologist/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-jones-41910b12/ Insta: https://www.instagram.com/lockedupliving/
Episodes
Wednesday Dec 07, 2022
Wednesday Dec 07, 2022
What can psychologist's learn from journalists about communication? Can a journalist represent the work of psychologists better than psychologists do themselves?
John Nassoori is a freelance journalist who writes about performance psychology's role in sport for publications including the BBC and The Guardian. He tells stories on subjects ranging from the first World Cup-winning psychologist to weightlifting beauty queens and produces The Mind Room, a weekly newsletter covering psychology-focused stories from around the world of football.
Wednesday Nov 30, 2022
Wednesday Nov 30, 2022
What's it like to use the Family Court to resolve custody battles? Where can you find help if your partner puts up barriers to contact with your children.
Zac Fine shares his own experience of fighting for contact in court and advice that ceasefire and collaboration is best for the children and the adults involved.
Zac Fine is a psychotherapist with a special interest in masculinity. He practices online https://zacfine.co.uk and runs a programme for separated fathers in crisis called Ceasefire Method https://zacfine.co.uk/blog/f/your-ex-weaponises-the-kids-is-court-the-right-move. He has a blog https://zacfine.co.uk/blog and a YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3vhSyHNSP14F5jvt0gZgMg. Zac mentors young men involved in the criminal justice system with the charity A Band Of Brothers https://abandofbrothers.org.uk/ .
Article about my therapeutic approach https://www.centreformalepsychology.com/male-psychology-magazine-listings/a-therapist-who-has-survived-the-family-court-process-shows-other-men-how-they-can-get-through-it-too?
The deeper reasons for the crisis in fatherhood https://zacfine.co.uk/blog/f/the-western-war-on-the-father-archetype
How to survive family court: Lessons from my own experience https://zacfine.co.uk/blog/f/your-anger-disgust-and-rage-is-as-natural-as-the-ocean-and-rocks
Points from the Pod
I really wouldn't advise anyone to go to family court
If you have to there's ways of doing it that can be affordable and much less likely to create unnecessary conflicts.
There is no point in throwing mud if you are the father and having some kind of match about who's the worst person.
Ideally represent yourself, get a Mackenzie friend if you need more support. A Mackenzie friend is someone who isn't professionally qualified as a lawyer, but they , know their way around a system
Check out Families need Fathers
Keep saying the same thing. I want to have a, a predictable and regular contact with my child because that's in their interests
There's loads of research to show that child outcomes suffer as a result of fatherlessness or motherlessness
Get yourself to a, a men's group
Join a band of brothers, which is all over England. They, do online men's circles free of charge.
If you can afford it, get some one to one therapy or coaching
Wednesday Nov 23, 2022
Dr Naomi Fisher: Is school the best way to educate your child?
Wednesday Nov 23, 2022
Wednesday Nov 23, 2022
Is our education system based in theory of how best to learn? Does our education system cause children to be labelled? What happens if your child doesn't fit well with the schooling system? Is school really the best way to learn? What does home education look like and is it a poor substitute for school? Are children who are home educated destined to be society's drop outs? What are the consequences of school-based trauma for adult learning? Might referring to offending behaviour interventions in prison as "courses" run by "tutors" backfire when people had troubled relationships with school?
Dr Naomi Fisher is both an expert in the conventional sense and an expert by experience as she talks about her own time at school and her later challenges in understanding the pros and cons of home educating children.
Naomi is an independent clinical psychologist and EMDR consultant. She specialises in trauma, autism and alternative approaches to education. She works with children, adolescents and adults.
She is the author of ‘Changing our Minds: How Children Can Take Control of their Own Learning’ (Robinson, 2021 - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Changing-Our-Minds-children-learning/dp/1472145518/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1670952068&sr=8-1)
and ‘A Different Way to Learn: Neurodiversity and Self-Directed Education’ to be published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers in 2023.
She runs online courses to support parents whose children struggle to attend school and offers training for professionals.
https://www.naomifisher.co.uk/
Wednesday Nov 16, 2022
Dr Kennath Widanaralalage. What’s the effect of sexual violence on male survivors
Wednesday Nov 16, 2022
Wednesday Nov 16, 2022
Dr Kennath Widanaralalage is a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Westminster. He is a qualitative researcher interested in understanding: How do male victim-survivors make sense of their sexual victimisation? What coping strategies do male survivors of sexual violence use? How do male survivors of sexual abuse access support? What prevents male victims reporting their experiences to the police and involving the Criminal Justice System? What are some of the rape myths that are perpetuated about victimisation of males? Why is qualitative methodology particularly suited to exploring the experience of sexual abuse of males? What are some of the ethical issues in researching the impact of sexual abuse?
During his PhD, Ken explored men’s experiences of rape and sexual abuse in adolescence and adulthood. Working with men made him increasingly interested and committed to understanding and supporting marginalised, seldom-heard groups, using qualitative methods to provide a platform where individuals can tell their stories and break their silence. He believesin the value of personal experiences and the transfer of knowledge to help others and wants to create a better society for survivors and their close networks.
Wednesday Nov 09, 2022
Wednesday Nov 09, 2022
How do we treat young people and children who break the law? Does the criminal justice system show compassion for children who end up in trouble with the police? Can sport improve our ability to manage our emotions? Can sport provide a pathway of hope for troubled children?
Kierra Myles is a Mentor Co-ordinator working with children in care and care leavers. She was first arrested when she was just 11 years old and remanded into a secure home when she was 13, before receiving her first custodial sentence at just 15 years old. Kierra has fought hard to break down the external barriers that prevented her from securing a role working with young people and is now helping others to do the same. Kierra is also a keen martial artist and competes at an elite level as an award winning athlete in Brazilian Jiujitsu.
Wednesday Nov 02, 2022
Karen Stallard: How can art therapy and game playing help people heal?
Wednesday Nov 02, 2022
Wednesday Nov 02, 2022
Karen Stallard is a registered Psychotherapist with UKCP, registered Counsellor with BACP and registered Art Therapist with HCPC. She trained at The Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education where she gained a Masters in Integrative Arts Psychotherapy. Her private practice is called Feeling Found, which is based in Highbury and Islington, London. Karen's career journey began as an actor with a passion for the performing arts, storytelling and communicating creatively. She then trained to be a member of the clergy of the Christian church, where she worked mainly in pastoral care particularly within mental health. Karen has also worked an honorary therapist at the Women’s Service in Oxley’s NHS Trust for over four years and as a spiritual and cultural care coordinator at the East London and City Mental Health Trust for seven years. Karen founded ‘The Geoff Ashcroft Community’ in Tower Hamlets to support people suffering from mental health issues in the community, and has been a Board Member of various charities including Crossroads Counselling Service, Margins Homelessness project and Union Chapel Project. Karen is also co-chair for a bi-annual conference called ‘Continuing the Journey’, which provides training to therapists and spiritual leaders. She is the Director for Child Counselling Skills Certificate course at The Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education and the designer of 20 Dreams a card game which promotes creativity and emotional intelligence.
20 Dreams is a crazily creative card game that challenges your imagination, tests your dream telling skills and stretches your emotional intelligence to bring you endless entertainment and hilarious outcomes! Visit https://www.play20dreams.com to find out more.
Wednesday Oct 26, 2022
Wednesday Oct 26, 2022
Why do people join the armed forces? How do they meet these needs when they're no longer serving in the military? Why are there so many former veterans in prison?
Heidi Rose Tranter talks about her reseach exploring men's motivations for joining the armed forces. Heidi is a PhD student at the University of Central Lancashire. Alongside this, she works as a Research Associate at GMMH NHS Foundation Trust and delivers on the Inner Strength Programme (which supports individuals experiencing domestic conflict). Previously, she’s worked within CAMHS, primary care and forensic services, providing therapeutic support to both children and young people as well as adults. She’s also been involved in research exploring the effects of experiencing adversity during childhood on emotional resilience.
Saturday Oct 22, 2022
Saturday Oct 22, 2022
Kerry Hopkins is an acomplished journalist and a determined spirit who cares greatly about the important things in life. She has fought against ageism, sexism and particularly strongly for animal rights.In this conversation she talks about the important influences in her life and how she carved out her unique career pathway. Trigger alert, some mentions of cruelty to animals can be upsetting.
Kerry Hopkins is the founding CEO of the Broadcast Academy Ltd. She is a Board public relations strategic advisor specialising in broadcast, and has advised 22 FTSE 100/NYSE/NASDAQ listed companies, football clubs, A-list celebrities including David Beckham, actors, athletes, Members of Parliament (MPs),
https://broadcastersacademy.com/about/
Wednesday Oct 19, 2022
Wednesday Oct 19, 2022
Since joining the psychology department at UWL in 2014, Ben has engaged in a number of projects in the area of applied gender and forensic psychology. For example, he has explored the manifestation of gender within the criminal justice system, specifically the impact of rape myths in the progression of female and male cases through the criminal justice system. This includes two large-scale projects assessing police officers' beliefs and judgements, and rape case reviews in collaboration with the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC). He has also worked in collaboration with charities Safelives and The Mankind Initiative to conduct large scale case reviews to illuminate the needs of domestic violence victims. In this area, he is particularly interested in exploring stereotypes around hidden victims of domestic abuse (specifically LGBTQIA+ and male victims). He now leads the Evidence-Based Domestic Abuse Research Network (EBDARN) bringing together researchers from several UK institutions to deliver this work. Other interests include the exploration of representations of gender in the media (e.g., in Disney movies).
Hine, B. A., & Hine, I. J. (in press). Fathers and Intimate Partner Violence: An Autoethnographic Analysis of Current Literature on Men’s experiences of Parental Alienation. In E. A. Bates & J. C. Taylor (Eds.) Domestic Violence Against Men and Boys: Experiences of Male Victims of Intimate Partner Violence. London, UK: Taylor & Francis
Hine, B. A., & Appiah, B. (2022). Identifying and understanding the needs of cisgendered, heterosexual male and LGBT+ survivors of domestic violence and abuse in seeking and accessing safe accommodation. Wokingham Borough Council.
Hine, B. A., Mackay, J., Baguley, T., Graham-Kevan, N., Cunliffe, M., & Galloway, A. (2022). Understanding Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). Home Office.
Wednesday Oct 12, 2022
Sophie King Hill. Children, sex and sexuality. How to talk about an embarassing subject.
Wednesday Oct 12, 2022
Wednesday Oct 12, 2022
Sophie King-Hill is a senior fellow at the Health Service Management Centre at theUniversity of Birmingham. Previously she was a lecturer in Education and Inclusion atWoucester University. She has extensive experience with the 3rd sector and specialises insexual behaviours and how these relate to young people. Sophie has most recentlywritten about managing the fall out of sibling sexual abuse.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/car.2664
https://www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/abs/10.12968/bjsn.2015.10.5.231

Why 'Locked up Living?'
David is a psychotherapist who has worked leading therapeutic communities in English prisons and in Millfields, an NHS forensic setting in East London. Naomi is a Consultant Clinical and Forensic psychologist who was, for many years, clinical lead at The Fens, a treatment programme for serious offenders at HMP Whitemoor. We had both experienced painful and destructive forces in our work and so we set out to discover what things make a positive difference for staff and service users and what is it that makes things go wrong. Of course we found out that there is no easy answer but there are many fascinating and valuable experiences to be heard.