Straight Talk About Diagnosis, Its Limitations, and Alternatives: A Conversation with Lucy Johnstone

Recorded on February 10, 2022

Guest Speaker: Dr. Lucy Johnstone

Dr. Lucy Johnstone is a consultant clinical psychologist, author of ‘Users and abusers of psychiatry’ (Classic edition Routledge 2021); co-editor of ‘Formulation in psychology and psychotherapy: making sense of people’s problems’ (Routledge, 2nd edition 2013) and author of ‘A straight-talking guide to psychiatric diagnosis’ (PCCS Books, 2nd edition due 2022), along with a number of other chapters and articles taking a critical perspective on mental health theory and practice. She is the former Programme Director of the Bristol Clinical Psychology Doctorate and has worked in Adult Mental Health settings for many years, most recently in a service in South Wales. She is now an independent trainer.

Lucy is also lead author, with Professor Mary Boyle, of the Power Threat Meaning Framework (BPS, 2018 and Boyle and Johnstone, 2021, ‘A straight talking introduction to the Power Threat Meaning Framework’, PCCS Books.) The PTMF has been developed as an alternative to models of distress based on psychiatric diagnosis, and applies not just to people who have been in contact with the mental health or criminal justice systems, but to all of us. It is attracting national and international attention. This webinar interview explores Lucy’s work and discusses how she and colleagues came to develop the PTMF.