Engaging within and across culture

This chapter aims to describe and reflect upon clinical work with Pakistani families in the context of court mandated parenting assessments in childcare proceedings. The Marlborough Family Service is a child and adolescent mental health service combined with an adult psychotherapy service, based in central London and part of the National Health Service (NHS). It consists of a multi-disciplinary team with a focus on systemic approaches to psychotherapy and a commitment to engaging with community groups within its catchment area. The chapter argues that accessing culture is an emotional process which requires a level of reflective practice, emotional engagement, and a reworking of cultural themes by both the clinicians and the family. Referrals are received in the form of a joint letter of instruction that provides a brief summary of the local authority's concerns and a list of questions which the parties have agreed need to be assessed.