Neil Palmer

Neil is a social therapist and group analyst, and started his NHS work as a nursing assistant in Bethlem Royal Hospital, and his last NHS role was in therapeutic community service in Buckinghamshire for people who had been diagnosed with personality disorders. He now has private clients, and is a member of the core team for the Living Learning Experiences Network (LLEs), and was a member of the founding staff team in 1995.

LLEs were founded by a team of experienced mental health practitioners. Together with Rex Haigh and others, Neil believed there was a lack of opportunities for people to learn about how to work with people in a compassionate, sensitive way. For over 20 years, the LLEs have given an indepth experience of a temporary therapeutic community, in order to encourage development of reflective practice, and group facilitation skills, in order to help grow emotionally intelligent practitioners who are skilled in relational care.

From the start of 2022 these events are now being facilitated by Mulberry Bush Third Space (MB3) which is the National Centre for Reflective Practice. These take place in a beautiful rural space Toddington in Gloucestershire

Living-Learning Experiences is a partnership of experienced mental health professionals who provide carefully planned and structured training experiences to develop:

• Reflective practice for those aiming to provide therapeutic environments
• Advanced group facilitation skills for those working in therapeutic communities
• A lived experience of sociotherapy for any mental health practitioners
• Understanding of complex emotional dynamics accessible to all health workers
• Appreciation of the use of relationship in all encounters – for professionals in any field
• An intensive appreciation of emotional intelligence for those whose work requires it
• A general appreciation of emotional intelligence for those who would benefit from it