Clinica Tavistock

Tavistock Institute for the independent charity focusing on group relations. For the organisation which contains the Tavistock Centre for Couple Relationships, see Tavistock Institute of MedicalPsychology.

The statue of Sigmund Freud on the corner of Belsize Lane and Fitzjohns Avenue, with the main Clinic building behind it.
The Tavistock Clinic was founded in 1920 by Dr. HughCrichton-Miller, a psychiatrist who developed psychological treatments for shell-shocked soldiers during and after the First World War. The clinic's first patient was, however, a child. Its clinical services werealways, therefore, for both children and adults. From its foundation it was also clear that offering free treatment to all who need it meant that the Tavistock Clinic needed to offer training to staffwho could eventually help people across the UK. The clinical staff were also researchers. These principles remain to this day.
Following its founding the Tavistock Clinic continued its interest inpreventative psychiatry, and developed expertise in group relations (including army officer selection), social psychiatry and action research. Its staff, who were still mainly unpaid honorarypsychiatrists, psychologists and social workers were concerned about leadership within the armed forces. The staff prepared to treat the civilian population who might be traumatised by a further world war,which would bring bombing of cities, evacuation of children and the shock of bereavement.
After the Second World War, the Tavistock Clinic became a leading clinic within the newly-created NationalHealth Service. At this point its education and training services were managed separately by the Tavistock Institute for Medical Psychology, which was also the umbrella for the Tavistock Institute(involved in social action research and thinking about group relations and organisational dynamics), and for work with marital couples. The clinic was managed on a democratic model by a professional...