Cambridge psychiatrists attended a screening of The Cassel Centenary film at Emmanuel  College Cambridge, hosted  by the Cambridge Mental Health Film Club.

The event was facilitated by Dr Felix Clay and a panel including Sarah Rae, who has lived experience of the Cassel, and Dr Jorge Zimbron, Consultant Psychiatrist at the Cambridge Springbank Ward. Cassel Hospital Charitable Trust Chair Maureen Miller joined the event on video to introduce the film and describe the Cassel’s fascinating history as one of the world’s first psychodynamic therapeutic communities.

After the film, there was a lively discussion that began by drawing comparisons between the Cassel and current clinical practice on Springbank Ward.

A shared theme emerged around the familiarity, within psychiatric settings, of things not improving as hoped, alongside the accompanying anxiety about potential failure. At the same time, there was a strong emphasis on the importance of seeing the person beyond the patient, as well as recognising the empowering role of nurses and therapeutic activities, particularly within the Cassel model.

Read more about the discussion here.