The Myth of the Healthy Organisation

Speaker: Philip Stokoe, Respondent: Mathew Harrison, Chair: Chris Douglas

Drawing from his book, The Curiosity Drive: Our Need for Inquisitive Thinking, psychoanalyst and organisational consultant Philip Stokoe will explore the unconscious processes that disrupt groups and healthcare systems. When faced with the inherent anxieties of demanding work, groups frequently establish unconscious defensive systems to avoid confronting their primary tasks

This online talk will unpack how individuals are unconsciously drawn into fulfilling specific, often restrictive roles on behalf of the wider group. Stokoe will illustrate how this dynamic leads to the most ubiquitous symptom of group dysfunction: a toxic preoccupation with individual personalities and a culture of blame.

Aimed at psychological practitioners, clinical leads, and all healthcare staff, this session offers a vital psychoanalytic framework for understanding the hidden currents of our workplaces. Join us to explore how we can better navigate institutional anxiety and preserve our capacity for inquisitive thinking.

Philip Stokoe is a psychoanalyst in private practice working with adults and couples, as well as an organisational consultant, author, and teacher. He worked as a senior manager in health and social care settings from 1978 and served as Clinical Director of the Adult Department at the Tavistock & Portman NHS Foundation Trust. His book, The Curiosity Drive: Our Need for Inquisitive Thinking, was published in 2020 and shortlisted for the Gradiva® Award for Best Psychoanalytic Book in 2021.

Dr Mathew Harrison is a Consultant in Psychological Medicine and Medical Psychotherapy working in the NHS. He is the Clinical Lead for Liaison Psychiatry Services in Leeds. He has training in Systems-Psychodynamic approaches to organisations and is Chair of the Harry Guntrip Psychotherapy Trust.

Dr Chris Douglas is former chair of the Harry Guntrip Psychotherapy Trust, he is President of UK Balint Society and works in the NHS as a Medical Psychotherapist in Huddersfield.

This is an online event, recording will be made available to ticket holders for a limited time.

Schedule

• 10:00 – Welcome – Chris Douglas
• 10:10 – The Myth of the Health Organisation – Philip Stokoe
• 11:10 – Break
• 11:30 – Response – Mathew Harrison
• 12:00 – Audience Discussion
• 13:00 – Close