Staff and Learner Testimonials
“Excellent case studies and illustrations. Lots of chances to reflect on own learning and how you would apply this to different situations in your own life. Very thought-provoking. Thank you for this excellent resource, I will be recommending to others.”
“The course forces you to write in some of the boxes before you can continue. As much as I didn’t want to do it initially, I liked how it forced me start writing about what I thought and reflecting, which started to create links for me.”
“I am amazed how worked out videos are. I enjoyed having time to reflect on what I can observe and then review what I missed out. That helped me to extend my awareness. Most of all I am grateful that this is freely available. I can only imagine how much effort was needed to make this program. Thank you!”
“It made me think hard about my own behaviour including the rescue/blame switch, which I’ve recognised that I have done.”
“Encouraged me to take more positive risks with people I support. Reviewed practices, approaches and paperwork to ensure it is as empowering as possible and supports recovery (not maintenance). Shared this with many colleagues subsequently who have also given positive feedback!”
“I have considered my interactions with people with personality disorders differently since doing the e-learning. I have seen many patients in clinic since, some with traits rather than meeting a full diagnosis, and considered how I so often rescue patients, something that I had been blind to before.”
“It was incredibly useful to have good examples of appropriate ways of handling interpersonal relationships with people with agency issues.”
“Clear but sophisticated. The video role plays are brief but convincing and rich. Well acted and well scripted. The graphics are brilliant: simple but communicative. The theory is elegantly explained but is deep and interesting. The IT aspects are good: the modules work in a straightforward way.”
“I am more confident in my approach to equity and aware of appropriate language options when dealing with clients. I found this training extremely helpful. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to improve my practice.”
“The examples were excellent, very well constructed and illustrative. They speak more than a thousand definitions.”
“It opened myself to learning in the comfort of my home and in a time frame I could manage.”
“The video clips were great. The questions promoted me to think for myself then review my responses. This made me want to fill them in thoroughly.”
“Learning about Responsibility without Blame has been hugely beneficial for me as a clinician. I have been able to understand more fully the differences between these positions, and how they impact on our ability to think, relate and behave. The learning materials were clear and helped develop a mutually understandable language between myself and patients. The positive benefits of this training have been felt by my patients who continue to talk about their struggle between responsibility and blame, and why they want to move away from the blaming position.”
“It’s given me a greater understanding of the complexities of communication with those in distress and an acceptance that there are different ways to deal with the same situation and some of those ways are much more appropriate in some situations than others.”
“One of the most enlightening learning sessions for me in my course, and having spoken to other colleagues they agree, was “Responsibility without Blame” by Hanna Pickard. I found this to be something that I particularly reflected on not just in my work but also personally. I have taken this back to my work practice to challenge the two concepts of rescuer and blamer. I have many times in the past wanted to rescue a client rather than supporting them to create their own agency. I hope I have never projected personal blame but I know I have used others to deflect from self-responsibility which I have and will continue to change.”
“I’m a psychiatrist trainee and I came across the concept of Responsibility without Blame whilst working with Hanna Pickard. I have been working as a psychiatrist for several years but had never heard of this concept before and it immediately appeared very thought provoking and useful. Since then I have spoken about it more and also read articles about it and I think it is hugely relevant and interesting to think about with regards to working with patients with personality disorder, but also outside of this setting; generally working as a medical professional in any setting it is very useful to bear in mind. Blame can get people very much stuck and I feel that taking / giving responsibility (without blame) can be very helpful in moving forward and opening up, and accommodating to change.”
“I have developed a much better understanding of the issues surrounding personality disorder and how I can implement the idea of responsibility without blame in to day-to-day policing. I see the importance of supporting a subject who has personality disorder by encouraging them to take responsibility for their actions and deciding to change for themselves rather than blaming them and contributing towards a downward spiral of self destruction and/or increased likeliness of re-offending.”
“The exploration of Responsibility without Blame within the context of group therapy proved to be a deceptively simple concept which consistently unearthed profound insights for each member of the group. Of particular interest was the increased openness which group members demonstrated once they started to explore the concept of responsibility, as opposed to their closed and ‘cut off’ presentation when they were stuck in blame. All in all, an extremely useful clinical concept with real world applicability.”
“One of the most fascinating ‘penny dropping’ moments in my learning was the rescue/blame theory. I have learnt in my practice that rescuing/blaming has always been a strong factor in the way in which I work and I found that an absolute eye opener was that at times I have been both those people.”
“I was fortunate to attend a seminar given by Hanna Pickard which was about Responsibility without Blame. The seminar talked about how to manage people with personality disorders and how to deal with their complex and challenging behaviours and to help them accept and take responsibility where appropriate. The seminar was delivered in an interactive way and required audience participation which made us think about how we react towards those with challenging complex needs. It was a thoroughly enjoying seminar and I learnt much which I was able to reflect in my own work environment as an Operational Front Line Police Officer.”
