Going Down, Coming Up: Mary Barnes at Kingsley Hall

An informal discussion regarding the life and work of Mary Barnes, as well as the radical psychiatric context of her experience at Kingsley Hall.

With Joseph Berke, Leon Redler and Morton Schatzmann.

8 - 9pm

Joseph Berke moved to London in 1965 where worked with R. D. Laing during the establishment of the Philadelphia Association and was resident at Kingsley Hall, helping Barnes emerge from madness. Berke collaborated on a number of projects with R. D. Laing including the Dialectics of Liberation international congress in 1967 (Berke was the principal organizer of the event). He went on to co-found the Arbours Association and the Arbours Housing Association.

Leon Redler* was involved with Kingsley Hall between 1965-1970. Following the return (in 1970) of KH to it’s Trustees, he co-founded the Philadelphia Association communities, featured in Peter Robinson’s film, ‘Asylum’ (1972), on show in the ANNEXE, in Archway (in north London). He was the second Chair of the Philadelphia Association and continues teaching on its Introductory Course and Psychotherapy Training Faculty. ‘Just Listening’, intended as an ethical-deconstructive therapeutic practice (see Just Listening: Ethics and Therapy, 2001, by Gans and Redler) is a work in progress. Leon is student and practitioner of the Alexander Technique, Dzogchen, ‘grandfather-hood’, music, Tai Chi, Yoga and Zen.

* Leon informs us that the last few sentences of his linked Bio need updating as follows. His therapy practice is currently based in the Bradford Room of Church of St Mary Magdalene Munster Square, London NW1, while the Diorama Art Centre (of which he’s a founder and where his practice has been based for most of past 30 years) is being redeveloped.

Published work includes articles on Laing, Levinas, and work inspired by them, as well as the book, Just Listening: Ethics and Therapy, co-authored with philosopher Dr. Stephen Gans. Leon is married and has three daughters and five grandchildren.”

Morton Schatzman came to London from America on an elective to work with R.D. Laing in 1967. In 1970 he co-founded the Arbours Association and Arbours Housing Association with Joseph Berke. During his years in London he has been in the private practice of individual, couple, and family psychotherapy. His psychotherapeutic orientation is broad and not limited to any one school of thought. He is the author of two books Soul Murder: Persecution in the Family and The Story of Ruth.