In child protection and related endeavours, what should we be looking for in a leader, supervisor, support worker, service provider, foster carer, kinship carer, residential child care worker, or even birth parents?
Through The Secure Start Podcast, I am learning that what we need is a good container.
Central to Containment Theory (Bion, 1962) is the idea that a person’s capacity to manage and move past intolerable, unbearable, overwhelming experiences and emotions is heavily influenced by the presence of a second person who is able to soak up the emotional communication of the first person and feed it back in a more manageable form. When this occurs, person one is better able to develop and/or use thinking to self-regulate their emotions and experience more generally, and approach life, roles, and relationships in a more functional manner.
The relevance of containment theory to child development is easily made manifest through reference to Attachment Theory. In terms of the interplay between the primary caregiver’s capacity to act as a good container and attachment style, it is obvious that a good containing adult is best able to support the development of a secure attachment. In contrast, adults who are themselves overwhelmed by the child’s emotions/experiences/needs are more likely to support the development of an Insecure Avoidant or Insecure Ambivalent Attachment, depending on whether they withdraw or continue to interact with the child in a heightened manner. A Disorganised Attachment is more likely to develop when the caregiver is not only heightened by the child’s overwhelming emotions/experiences/needs, but they also hurt and frighten the child.
Childhood trauma work is inherently difficult and, at times, overwhelming. Viewed through the lens of Containment Theory, our own reaction to the work can impact adversely on not only our wellbeing, but even our capacity to think, process, and regulate ourselves. In such times we need a person we can turn to who can act as an effective container for our reactions and responses. In the absence of this, or when our leaders, supervisors, or colleagues are themselves overwhelmed, our wellbeing and capacity to perform well in our roles is compromised.
In consideration of the above, it is possible to make a strong argument that what we need in child protection, out-of-home care, care, education, and therapeutic services is good containers. This, I think, is a key message in the podcast interview given by Dr. Nicola O’Sullivan, and references made by John Whitwell in his podcast interview. It is also reflected in observations of podcast guests of the attributes of others who work effectively in this space.
Taken further, a good container might be seen as a person with a good aura, but not in a metaphysical sense. Rather, their aura refers to the felt experience others have when interacting with them. The word “aura” is a useful acronym to expand on this. AURA might be seen as referring to the person as being accessible, understanding, responsive, and attuned. This is a key aspect of my CARE Curriculum.
What do you think are the attributes of a person who contains others well? Who is a good container for you? If you don’t have one, for your own wellbeing and for the sake of your effectiveness and longevity in your role, seek one.
Reference:
Bion, W.R. (1962). Learning from Experience. London. Karnac Books
Leave a Reply