The Mulberry Bush School and UK therapeutic community practice for children and young people

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to inform readers and researchers about the use of a "lived experience" of therapeutic community work as an effective intervention for severely emotionally troubled children. Design/methodology/approach - An explanation of the main developmental influences and how the Mulberry Bush School is continuing to incorporate new theories and approaches. Findings - How the Mulberry Bush as a specialist therapeutic residential provision can bring about excellent outcomes for severely emotionally troubled children. Research limitations/implications - The paper explores the work and legacy of the school's founder Barbara Dockar-Drysdale and of her collaboration with Donald Winnicott to create a lived experience of community as an agent of therapeutic change. The paper also provides descriptions and a case study of the current multi-disciplinary work of the school, including how neuroscientific research is influencing the evolution of the therapeutic task with traumatised children. Practical implications - The paper shows how a highly evolved model of integrated provision can support excellent outcomes for traumatised children and young people. Originality/value - To broaden and deepen knowledge about the use of therapeutic community principles in the treatment of severely emotionally trouble children and young people.