social graces case study

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Social graces: a practical tool to address inequality.

On January 1st 2020, if you had asked the average social worker whether they operated in a fair and just society, the resounding answer would have been ‘no’.

Not after a decade of austerity, which saw poverty skyrocket to 1.2 million up from 41,000 in 2010. And certainly not after the referendum, which saw 71% of ethnic minorities reporting racial discrimination, compared with 58% in January 2016 before the EU vote.

If you asked the same question today, on 29th June as we approach the half-way mark of the year, the answer would be unequivocal. There is no question that the coronavirus has widened the schism between the rich and the poor. Coronavirus deaths are doubled in affluent areas compared with the most deprived. 

Beyond our own shores, global events remind us that equality is but a distant dream. George Floyd’s last words, as he was murdered, will haunt us forever. ‘I can’t breathe’, he said. 

As the minutes passed by, George reverted to system of hierarchy, to appease his killers. He began to use language such as ‘Sir’, addressing those who harmed him as though they were his superiors. 

This interaction speaks volumes of institutionalised racism. No matter what platitudes we learn about equality and diversity at school, or in the workplace, it is clear that not everyone begins the marathon of life on the same footing.

Whilst some race forward in streamlined running shoes, unaware of the privilege lurching them forward, others are glued firmly to the starting line.

Ethnicity, class, disability or gender hinder their progress from the first millisecond of the race. And few can, no matter the amount of hard-work, realistically, close that gap.

It is easy to think:

“But just because I might conform to privilege, it doesn’t mean I’ve had it easy”. 

And this is true. Human suffering is ubiquitous. But do you dare to ask yourself the following?

•    Have you ever been rejected from a job application solely based on your surname?

•    Has a disability ever prevented you from contributing to the workplace?

•    Have you ever felt too intimidated to disclose your sexuality to colleagues?

•    Have you ever been overlooked for a promotion because of your gender? 

We need tangible tools we can use to fight against prejudice, to acknowledge privilege, and to redistribute power. The Social Graces is one of the tools which can help us to achieve this.  

What are Social Graces?

In order to get to grips with the Social Graces tool, I consulted with Rowland Coombes, a family systemic psychotherapist, and a clinical lead at the Centre for Systemic Social Work.

[Figure 1 – NES].

Power imbalance

The term ‘Social Graces’, Rowland explained, is a mnemonic to help us remember some of the key features that influence personal and social identity (see figure 1), as developed by John Burhnham, Alison Roper-Hall and colleagues (1992). 

Originally, the pneumonic was arranged as ‘disgraces’ to highlight the fact that such inequalities were ‘disgraceful’, but it was feared this could be rather off-putting. So, over time, the ‘dis’ was dropped, and the ‘social’ added to the front, to highlight the fact that the graces have an impact not only on an individual level, but are activated within the community. 

One of the key aims of the graces is to ‘name’ power differentials. In doing so, it is far easier to identify (and work on) our own prejudice, or indeed on our own privilege. 

Naming power differences can invite service users, colleagues or even friends to share the social graces which they feel can hold them back, or even cloud their judgement of others. 

The graces in the figure about are not an exhaustive list, and can be adapted. They could differ according to place, time and culture. That’s the beauty of the graces; they are fluid. There is room for reflection and correction. 

What Rowland says next is music to my ears – especially as someone who understands the pressures on social workers to produce Ofsted-pleasing statistics, reach targets, and tick the boxes required for inspections:

“The graces are about process, not procedure. It’s about the interaction between people, not data.”

For most of us, it is people, not spreadsheets, which ignite our desire to become social workers.

The social graces align with the BASW 80:20 campaign, which champions relational practice, with the desire to reverse the ratio of social workers spending 80% of the time at their desks, and just 20% with service users. 

Ecology of mind

Putting the need for the social graces into a cultural context, Rowland explained that in our western, capitalist society, we have often tended to think of ourselves first and foremost as individuals, rather than as a cohesive unit. 

This resonated with me on a number of levels; I only began to understand the self-centric nature of Western culture when I lived in Chile, where the first question asked to a stranger was not the typical ‘What do you do for a living?’, but ‘Tell me about your family’.

The social graces, however, recognise that we are not isolated beings. That there is such a thing as society –despite messages to the contrary which have seeped into our national psyche.

Rowland said:

The social graces remind us that we are like fingers which, whilst moving independently, are connected. If the tendons in one finger are strained, and it becomes less mobile, there is likely to be an impact on the others. 

I like this concept, because it removes the urge to ‘pin down the blame’ on one individual; social work is rife with blame culture. Because the stakes are so very high. Because we fear the potential consequences should things go wrong. 

In moving away from personal culpability, we begin to humanise each-other. To separate challenging or problematic behaviours from the individual (whilst not absolving them of responsibility). 

How many times as a social worker did I hear the dreaded phrase ‘He/she is a challenging child’. Well, that’s simply not true. The child is not problematic. But there is something inherently problematic about labelling and stigmatising. 

The Social Graces challenge the idea of a ‘fixed personality’. Think about it for a second. Are you the same person around your partner, your cat and with work colleagues you meet for the first time? No. As human beings, we feed off the energy and discourse of others. 

Applying this to the example above, the Social Graces can help us to understand the child in the context of their relationships. 

How to use the Graces as a time-pressed social worker

•    Choose one of the graces you are drawn toward. Or ask service users to do so. Reflect on why this is – this is something you can share vocally, through writing, or any other creative outlet. To get you started, here is a personal example: I have selected ethnicity as a grace I am drawn toward.

As someone who is dual-heritage, but cloaked in white privilege due to my light skin tone, I am painfully aware of power differentials in terms of ethnicity; I have, throughout my life, been given different treatment to other family members. 

I have no reason to fear the police; my dad does, and has been assaulted by them.

I was always encouraged to achieve my full potential at school; my dad wasn’t, and was bullied and humiliated by teachers.

I have travelled around the world with no fear that I would be singled out for my skin colour; my dad, on the other hand, is too fearful to travel to America for the fear of being attacked. 

I have always been referred to by my first name at work; my dad, on the other hand, has been called by racist nicknames which have ‘stuck’.

I feel stuck between two worlds, in that I have been treated as a ‘white’ person my whole life, yet witnessed indirect racism throughout my childhood.

• Attempt the above exercise with the grace you feel the least drawn toward.
• Consider which of the graces mostly influences your relationship with a service user. Or a supervisor/supervisee. This may feel uncomfortable at first, but keep at it.
• Rate the graces on a linear scale of 1-10, 1 being that they impact you only a little, 10 being that they impact you significantly. This is also an exercise which can be done with service users, both adults and children, to learn more about the way in which they see the world.

•    In a group setting, or in pairs, attempt to roleplay the social graces from different perspectives. 

This article serves only as a brief introduction to a tool which is far richer and deeper than has been outlined here.

To learn more about the Social Graces, further detail can be found below – I hope they serve you well in your journey of self-reflexivity and change:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-6427.2005.00318.x

https://www.camdenchildrenssocialwork.info/blog_articles/1967-first-systemic-concept-clip-live

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259686055_%27Which_aspects_of_social_GGRRAAACCEEESSS_grab_you_most%27_The_social_GGRRAAACCEEESSS_exercise_for_a_supervision_group_to_promote_therapists%27_self-reflexivity

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Reviewing the Social GRACES: What Do They Add and Limit in Systemic Thinking and Practice?

• Department of Psychology
• Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Research output : Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

• Social graces, Intersectionality, Systemic practice, Trainee therapist

Access to Document

• 10.1080/01926187.2020.1830731

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in American Journal of Family Therapy on 07/10/2020, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/01926187.2020.1830731

Fingerprint

• Psychological Power Medicine & Life Sciences 100%
• Family Therapy Medicine & Life Sciences 67%
• Family Practice Medicine & Life Sciences 63%
• family therapy Social Sciences 57%
• trainee Social Sciences 48%
• therapist Social Sciences 44%
• trend Social Sciences 25%
• literature Social Sciences 22%

T1 - Reviewing the Social GRACES: What Do They Add and Limit in Systemic Thinking and Practice?

AU - Birdsey, Nicola

AU - Kustner, Claudia

PY - 2021/12/31

Y1 - 2021/12/31

N2 - The Social Graces framework is increasingly used within training institutions, as a means of encouraging learners to critically explore issues of social difference. Attending to issues of power and diversity is believed to help trainee family therapists become more alert to any biases that may impact on therapy. This review paper draws on the developing literature to examine what the social graces add and limit in systemic thinking and practice. It also considers an alternative approach for exploring power and difference in family therapy practice.

AB - The Social Graces framework is increasingly used within training institutions, as a means of encouraging learners to critically explore issues of social difference. Attending to issues of power and diversity is believed to help trainee family therapists become more alert to any biases that may impact on therapy. This review paper draws on the developing literature to examine what the social graces add and limit in systemic thinking and practice. It also considers an alternative approach for exploring power and difference in family therapy practice.

KW - Social graces, Intersectionality, Systemic practice, Trainee therapist

U2 - 10.1080/01926187.2020.1830731

DO - 10.1080/01926187.2020.1830731

M3 - Article

SN - 1521-038

JO - The American Journal of Family Therapy

JF - The American Journal of Family Therapy

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Information

• The Social Graces

This approach comes from the field of systemic family therapy. The word links to a way of working that acknowledges the many areas of difference between individuals and groups of people, it supports professionals to be aware of unequal power and difference.

Therapists, Social Workers, and health professionals, need to be aware of the barriers to access to services in their clients’ life situations. One way to help us become intentionally more positively aware, sensitive and respectful is the Social GRACES, Health Care Cafe will take all of the GRACES into consideration when forming a support plan:

• Gender identity
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The Care Act 2014, which came into effect in 2015, is the legal framework around how local authorities and other parts of the system should

This approach comes from the field of systemic family therapy. The word links to a way of working that acknowledges the many areas of difference

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What are the Social Graces by John Burnham? (Explained for Students)

The social graces include:

• G: Gender, Gender Identity, Geography, Generation
• R: Race, Religion
• A: Age, Ability, Appearance
• C: Class, Culture, Caste
• E: Education, Ethnicity, Economics
• S: Spirituality, Sexuality, Sexual Orientation

The concept was developed by John Burnham in 1993. Burnham highlighted that we should be able to add extra identity factors to the G.R.A.C.E.S mnemonic and adjust them as the needs arise. Hence, it has since been built upon to create the clumsy term: GGGGRRAAACCCEEESSS.

Social graces is an acronym / mnemonic explaining the visible and invisible aspects of our identity . It allows us to examine the elements of identity that might impact our lives and behaviors.

Definition of the Social Graces

The social graces is a framework for understanding aspects of identity and how they shape our practices. It makes aspects of identity and asks practitioners (normally therapists, but also teachers, social workers, etc.) to be aware of how their identity influences their thinking.

Some scholars define it similarly as:

• “A mnemonic that separates out different aspects of identity into separate categories.” (Butler, 2017, p. 17)
• “Mnemonic for aspects of difference” (Jones & Reeve, 2014, p. 2)
• “A suitable framework […] through which therapists can reflect on their own beliefs and prejudices in order to understand how they might bring these into the therapy” (Totsuka, 2014, p. 106)

Use these quotes (or cite these sources) in your essay on this topic.

The concept helps therapists, educators, councilors and psychologists talk through the elements of identity and how they might impact how we relate to others. It is designed to make identity factors a part of a discussion about privileges and disadvantages that are evident in society.

Burnham and colleagues often use the concept to help practitioners identify their own implicit biases. When their implicit biases are identified, they can help neutralize them to become more effective, thoughtful and fair practitioners.

As Nolte (2017, p. 4) argues, the framework:

… provides a helpful way for us to become intentional in our developing awareness of, reflexivity about and skillfulness in responding to sameness and difference.

Similarly, Partridge and McCarry (2017) argue that this model can help us to:

• Reflect on action: Think about how identity influenced a situation.
• Use or reflections to inform future actions: Think about how we can ensure we are fairer in future actions.
• Subvert the dominant discourse: Consider ways to re-think ongoing behaviors that privilege dominant social identities (white, middle-class, male, able, etc.)
• Consider new alternatives for future actions: Come up with new ways to behave that are fairer.

Key Features

1. makes aspects of identity visible and explicit.

The main feature and benefit of this concept is that it helps us talk about aspects of identity out loud. It gives us an opportunity to air our thoughts on aspects of identity that are ‘unsaid’ (that we don’t usually talk about) as well as aspects that we wear on our sleeve.

In sessions where the SGs are used to discuss identity, people will usually talk through each aspect of identity and consider which features they identify with. For example, when talking about ‘gender’, people can bring up their perspective as a male / female / non-binary person. When talking about ‘Education’, people can bring up how their educational background influences their views, etc.

2. All Aspects of Identity are Equally Important

Burnham (2003) states that all aspects of identity should be considered equally important within this framework. While the Gs come before the Rs, this should not be taken to assume that Gs are more important than Rs in the framework. Instead, the separation of each ‘grace’ is designed to ensure each one is examined sufficiently and not drowned out by any others.

3. Always Evolving

The acronym is constantly evolving as people add to and subtract from it. Burnham highlights that sessions should begin by asking people what other aspects of identity they could add to the framework. For example, in North America, many people may add their migrant experiences or Indigenous identities to the framework, thereby introducing new but equally important aspects of identity to the discussion.

Pros and Cons

1. helps people understand identity.

The framework provides a useful way to get people talking about identity. It is a clear and explicit (rather than abstract) way of examining various identity factors that may contribute to our perspectives and beliefs.

2. Makes unsaid and invisible aspects of Identity a Topic of Discussion

Without a clear framework for discussing aspects of identity, many aspects may be ignored or not spoken about. The aspects of identity that are most likely to be overlooked are ones that are invisible and unspoken. The benefit of this framework is that the teacher and students can talk through each aspect one by one, ensuring nothing is overlooked.

3. Helps us see our Implicit Biases

By examining aspects of our identities we can think about how they shape our perspectives and actions. If we can talk about this, then we can work on eliminating or minimizing implicit biases in our professional practice.

1. Fails to understand complexity of identity

Butler (2017) argues that breaking down identity into separate categories fails to understand the complexity of identity. The graces acronym sees identity as ‘the sum of its parts’ rather than a holistic and indivisible concept. Therefore, Butler argues that it is “fundamentally opposed by intersectional theory” (Butler, 2017, p. 17). This is because intersectional theory sees intersectional identities (such as black-queer) as inseperable and unique and impossible to discuss in separation.

Similarly, Totsuka (2014, p. 106) highlights that aspects of the graces are “complex and interwoven”. She notes that in one of her sessions a student noted that her “ethnicity, culture and religion were inseparable” and shouldn’t be separated out in the way they are in the graces framework. Nonetheless, the session made this point explicit, providing yet another entry way into a complex discussion of identity that was valuable to all participants in the session – so perhaps this is a good thing!

2. A Framework, not a Theory

The graces concept is a tool for thinking about identity, it is not a theory. It should not be mistaken for a theory of race (like, for example, Critical Whiteness Theory, Critical Race Theory, Intersectional Theory, etc.) This may be considered a weakness at times, or may simply be seen as a simple fact: it’s not to be used as an underpinning explanation of the world. It simply opens up discussion about social identities and biases.

Final Thoughts

The social graces concept by Burnham and colleagues is a useful way for looking at how our identities are formed and how they impact our implicit biases. It is most commonly used as a training tool to help therapists, teachers, and other practitioners think about how to counter implicit biases in their own practices in order to achieve social justice.

Read Also: Muted Group Theory

Burnham, J. (1992) Approach-method-technique: Making distinctions and creating connections. Human Systems , 3 (1), 3-26.

Burnham, J. (1993) Systemic supervision: The evolution of refl exivity in the context of the supervisory relationship. Human Systems , 4 , 349- 381.

Burnham, J. (2005) Relational reflexivity: A tool for socially constructing therapeutic relationships. In: C. Flaskas, B. Mason & A. Perlesz (eds.), The space between: Experience, context and process in the therapeutic relationship . London: Karnac.

Burnham, J. (2012) Developments in social GRRRAAACCEEESSS: Visible-invisible and voicedunvoiced. In I-B. Krause (Ed.) Culture and Reflexivity in Systemic Psychotherapy . Mutual Perspectives. London: Karnac.

Burnham, J. & Roper-Hall, A. (2017) Commentaries on this issue. Context , 151, 47-50.

Butler, C. (2017). Intersectionality and systemic therapy, Context , 151 , pp. 16-18.

Cockell, S. (2017) Exploration of attire as an unvoiced ‘GRACE’. Context , 151, 19-22.

Jones, V. & Reeve, D. (2014). DISsing the Social GGGRRAAACCEEESSS. Paper presented at the AFT Conference. University of South Wales.

Nolte, L. (2017). (Dis)gracefully engaging with diversity learning – reflections on the SGs as a training tool. Context , 151. pp. 4-6. ISSN 09691936

Partridge, K. & McCarry, N. (2017). Graces that bite: Unleashing the GRR in the graces. Context , 151. pp. 7-10. ISSN 09691936

Totsuka, Y. (2014). ‘Which aspects of social GGRRAAACCEEESSS grab you most?’The social GGRRAAACCEEESSS exercise for a supervision group to promote therapists’ self‐reflexivity.  Journal of family Therapy ,  36 , 86-106. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6427.12026

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8 Fundamental Social Graces

Everyday we run into people who do not practice social graces. The people who don’t hold the door, forget to say “excuse me” and basically make you feel invisible. Perhaps they don’t realize it but, the power and effect they inflict are enough to ruin your day.

Implementing social graces into daily life is not an arduous task. social graces are powerful subtle nuances. perhaps you practice social graces occasionally at important events or when the mood strikes you. maybe you have come to the conclusion that it is too late, the world has gone too far away from civility. that latter being the extreme position, most of us fall into a lackadaisical approach to social graces. we know better but are just plain lazy., truth is, social graces still matter. we need to be mindful of our own actions. the kindheartedness that we extend by being courteous is contagious., there’s a confidence, charm, and positive aura that comes from knowing and doing the right thing. positive behavior breeds positive behavior. this is my list of eight fundamental social graces we all should be practicing daily., hold the door for everyone, have you ever been behind someone who didn’t hold the door for you  having a door shut in your face is one of those things that can set the tone for the rest of your day.  hold the door for everyone everyday, not just when you feel like it., respect people’s time. funny how most of us forget this until we’re the one left waiting. it’s rude to send a text message saying you’re running an hour behind. when you make a commitment to be somewhere at a specific time, follow through. it’s only acceptable to be late in the event of an emergency. be considerate and plan your time accordingly. no one wants to wait around because some thinks their time is more valuable than yours., shake hands, shake hands when you meet someone new, greet an old friend, and when saying goodbye. please, if you’re sitting, stand up to shake hands. make eye contact. shake hands from the elbow, not the shoulder. pump 3 times. smile. you’ll be surprised at the amount of respect you receive., put the cell phone away, the people right in front of you deserve your undivided attention. when you are constantly checking your phone, you send the message something else if more important than the person right in front of you. put the phone on vibrate or even better, silent. constantly checking social media and texting others while in the company of someone is just plain rude., answer the telephone politely – every time, when you answer the phone, it’s the first point of contact you have with the caller. do not startle the caller with an abrupt “joe here” or anything similar. talking on the telephone is different from replying to a text message. the more text is being used as a way of communication, speaking to a live person is becoming a rare occurrence. someone is taking the time to actually talk to you. add some charm to the call, smile when you talk on the phone. it is possible to hear a smile over the phone., say excuse me and thank you, sometimes people are so busy they forget to say please, thank you, and excuse me. we were taught these very basic niceties as children for a reason. they are powerful words, use them. when you say them, you reinforce to others that you are paying attention, considerate and appreciative., use good table manners, when you think about it, eating is fairly unattractive. you are somehow trying to get food into your mouth, chew, swallow, digest and conduct conversation. put the phone away. put the napkin on your lap. eat when everyone has been served, excuse yourself without announcing that you are using the restroom. do not underestimate the power of good table manners. your dining savvy is on display at work luncheons, date nights and in front of your children., write thank you notes, receiving a gift is not the only time you should send a thank you card. write a personal thank you note every time you are a guest at a dinner. write a thank you note every time someone goes out of their way to help you.  buy a box of thank you notes and use them..

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The Social Graces

Written by Renee Rosen Review by Trish MacEnulty

Do we really need another novel about society during the Gilded Age? In the case of The Social Graces , the answer is an unequivocal and resounding yes. Rosen has written a fascinating and delicious account of the famous rivalry between Caroline Astor and Alva Vanderbilt. The book not only describes their rivalry but also brilliantly renders these two extraordinary socialites as three-dimensional women with worries, heartbreaks, and ambitions that—had they not been hamstrung by the limitations placed on their gender—would have propelled them into running corporations or countries. Instead they ran society.

At the beginning of the era, Carolina Astor is the anointed queen of society, but Alva has designs on the crown. As the front guard of the new money, Alva breaks through barriers not only for herself but for all the wealthy newcomers who have been shut out of society by the Knickerbockers. “Alva watched those women sitting just a bit higher in their plush seats, shoulders back, heads held high. They were no longer second best; now they were right where they’d always wanted to be.” But life is not always kind to these two women, and eventually their rivalry becomes an alliance out of sheer necessity.

The book is structured with alternating chapters from the two women’s points of view with the occasional Greek chorus of “society ladies” thrown in to shed some light on the larger social spectrum. Fans of Therese Anne Fowler’s A Well-Behaved Woman , an earlier novel about Alva Vanderbilt Belmont, will find this added perspective on Alva’s life enthralling. So, bring a spoon to devour this story and hankie to dry your tears for the sadder events. It’s high time we had our own American versions of Downton Abbey and Bridgerton . Netflix and Hulu should take note

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The Mental Elf

Social ggrraaacceeesss: self-reflection for family therapists.

Supervision is a requirement for all practicing psychotherapists in the UK (UKCP, 2012). Supervision aims to develop a clinician’s practice, by providing a reflective space to consider their own strengths and difficulties, including how they relate to clients. A necessary area to consider in sessions is the way in which other people and situations are perceived, and this is shaped by a person’s own background and experience.

A paper considers whether social GGRRAAACCEEESSS (no, not a typo, but an acronym) provides a suitable framework for supervisors to structure their sessions, through which therapists can reflect on their own beliefs and prejudices in order to understand how they might bring these into the therapy room (Totsuka, 2014).

Social GGRRAAACCEEESSS (SG) is an acronym that stands for the above aspects of a person’s identity.

• Ruth: a British-born, Jewish woman
• Patrick: a White, Australian gay man
• Ellen: a Black, African woman
• In a supervision session, participants were asked to choose 2 elements of social GGRRAAACCEEESSS (SG) that “grabbed” them and 2 that did not
• They were then asked to describe significant personal experiences that related to those aspects
• Reflections were then offered by those observing.

The author described the following:

• “Powerful experience” : the participants found that they strongly connected to elements of SG, and that the sharing of personal stories from others helped explain why those elements held such influence for them, e.g. Ellen felt strongly connected to race, and shared that growing up black in Zimbabwe under segregation and a white ruling minority meant that she tended to see race as most relevant to her life experiences.
• Interconnectedness of SG elements : the participants found it difficult to disentangle elements from each other, e.g. Ruth could not separate her understanding of her Judaism from ethnicity, religion and culture.
• “Visible/invisible” : participants found that some aspects of SG can be chosen to be voiced or remain invisible, e.g. Patrick shared that he chose to ‘voice’ his sexuality in job interviews as he did not want a job in a homophobic environment.
• Change over time : participants said that elements had more or less influence depending on time and context, and that elements were always moving in and out of the foreground.
• “Non-grabbing aspects” : participants explored why certain aspects did not grab them, and suggested it may be either due to lack of experience (e.g. disability) or deliberate avoidance (e.g. Patrick distanced himself from religion due to negative childhood experiences related to his sexuality).

The family therapists who participated in this research were able to use Social GGRRAAACCEEESSS to consider aspects of their identity and experiences.

Conclusions

The author concluded that the experiential process of exploring Social GGRRAAACCEEESSS was a powerful learning tool, which increased supervisees’ curiosity in both themselves and others. The use of the exercise within a group supervision setting was particularly helpful as it presented multiple experiences, which allowed for the participants to reflect on their similarities and differences.

Strengths and limitations

• This study provided rich information about the experiences of the 3 participants involved, and demonstrated how each person connects to the aspects in a personal way
• As a framework, SG pushes participants to consider their relationship to all the aspects, even the ones that don’t grab them, and to consider why it doesn’t grab them and whether it’s something they are ‘blind’ to.

Limitations

• Did they take the experience into the therapy room with them?
• Did it make them consider a client’s experience in a different way?
• Did they find themselves reflecting on previous interactions with clients and seeing things from an alternative view?

Whilst the therapists who participated enjoyed the experience, the author did not follow up to see if it affected their practice.

Implications for practice

• The suggestions in this paper could be extended to provide a manual to supervisors on how to use Social GGRRAAACCEEESSS in supervision sessions, detailing issues such as how often to use it, how to set the conversation up correctly etc. As the author mentioned, upon reflection she wondered whether her joining in on the activity was entirely appropriate, and a manual could discuss the ways in which this could be appropriate.
• SG could also be used as the first step in supervision towards considering cultural differences, with focus moving from raising awareness of difference towards skill building to develop culturally relevant therapeutic strategies.
• The questions asked about SG could go further by borrowing a concept from feminist and race theory called intersectionality. Intersectionality looks at how aspects described in SG interconnect and consider how these combinations can produce unique experiences (Butler, 2015). For example, Ellen will have different experiences of race compared to a black man and different experiences of gender compared to a white woman as she experiences life as a black woman. Intersectionality considers the interplay of SG aspects, and how the sum is greater than its parts. Supervision sessions would benefit from considering ideas of intersectionality when looking at SG, as it forces participants to think about the aspects in a more nuanced way.

The exercise could be extended to consider intersectionality; the interplay between aspects within the Social GGRRAAACCEEESSS model.

King’s MSc in Mental Health Studies

This blog has been written by a student on the  Mental Health Studies MSc  at King’s College London.  A full list of blogs by King’s MSc students from can be found here , and you can follow the Mental Health Studies MSc team on  Twitter .

We regularly publish blogs written by individual students or groups of students studying at universities that subscribe to the National Elf Service.  Contact us  if you’d like to find out more about how this could work for your university.

Primary paper

Totsuka, Y. (2014). ‘Which aspects of social GGRRAAACCEEESSS grab you most?’ The social GGRRAAACCEEESSS exercise for a supervision group to promote therapists’ self-reflexivity. Journal of Family Therapy, 36, 106. 10.1111/1467-6427.12026 [ Abstract ]

Other references

Butler, C. (2015). Intersectionality in family therapy training: inviting students to embrace the complexities of lived experience. Journal of Family Therapy, 37(4), 583-589

UK Council for Psychotherapy (2012). UKCP Supervision Policy.

Photo credits

• Photo by  loli Clement  on  Unsplash
• Photo by  Kyle Glenn  on  Unsplash
• Photo by  Katie Moum  on  Unsplash
• Spaynton [ CC BY-SA 4.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons

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3 trainee family therapists, in group supervision facilitated by the author: Ruth: a British-born, Jewish woman Patrick: a White, Australian gay man Ellen: a Black, African woman (AFRICA IS NOT A COUNTRY) Ironic that an article on Social Grrracccceees would omit to put Zimbabwean on Ellen’s profile. This makes me so ANGRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Alex, I was excited to see your article about the Social GgRRAAAACCEEESSSS….S (Burnham, J. 1992, 2012, 2020, Roper-Hall 1998) I am in the process of making a workbook on the Social GgRRAAAACCEEESSSS….S and would like to include some of your work in it. I don’t have an email to contact you.

Scientists try to unravel the case of 1,300 mysteriously preserved human brains

Study documents discoveries of long decayed human remains with remarkably intact brains.

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Oxford University's Alexandra Morton-Hayward spends her days surrounded by brains — literally. 

The undertaker-turned-scientist is trying to unravel why some human brains remain remarkably well-preserved after death, sometimes for thousands of years, even when all other soft tissue has long decayed.

And anyone visiting her at work would be well-advised not to go looking for a snack. 

"We do have four and a half fridges, so you'd think they might be in with a good chance of a meal," Morton-Hayward told As It Happens host Nil Köksal. 

"But no, they are stuffed to the brim with preserved ancient brains."

Morton-Hayward, a postgraduate researcher with the university's earth sciences department, has co-authored a study about the phenomenon. The findings were published this week in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

'Just a brain rattling around in a skull'

In forensics, it's common wisdom that when a body decomposes, the brain is the first to go, Morton-Hayward says.

But sometimes, she says, the opposite is true. 

She and her colleagues have documented 4,400 cases around the world, dating back to the 1600s, where preserved human brains have been discovered. 

In most cases, there's a reasonable explanation. The brains and other soft tissues were preserved either intentionally through death rituals, or naturally by environmental factors.

But one third — roughly 1,300 — remain a complete mystery. 

"They're all of what we describe as the unknown type of preservation. That is, they're the only soft tissue amongst otherwise skeletonized remains," Morton-Hayward said. "So just a brain rattling around in a skull."

The oldest, she says, dates back 12,000 years. And they come from all over.

"They are found in just the most intriguing sites," she said. "We have your regular cemetery burials, but we also have   Korean tombs, we have sunken shipwrecks, folks dressed in otter skins and buried in tree-log coffins. We have burial in clay in Japan, swamps in Florida — just all sorts of different environments."

While the origins are diverse, the brains themselves share a lot of similarities. For one, they tend to be stained bright red, orange or yellow.

"They literally look rusty,"  Morton-Hayward said.

They're all remarkably well-preserved, she said — just shrunken.

"They fit really neatly in the palm of your hand, kind of like a large walnut, if you will."

Studying death to learn about life

So what keeps these brains intact when other organs are long gone?

"It is very strange, but the fact that they do preserve in the absence of any other soft tissue suggests a mechanism of preservation that's unique to the nervous system," Morton-Hayward said.

"And we need to be thinking about what is unique about the nervous system in its biochemical makeup in life that could be dictating how it behaves in decay after death."

• Scientists digitally rebuilt the brain of a 205M year-old dinosaur. Here's what they found
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The nervous system, she says, has a "really unusual ratio" of lipids, which are fatty compounds, and proteins, which are complex molecules in the cells. 

"Those proteins and those lipids are very specific types that occur more often in the brain than any other organ. And over time, those proteins and lipids can fuse together, particularly in the presence of metal like iron, which naturally accumulate in the brain during the process of aging," she said.

That process, she says, could potentially create molecules that allow the brain tissue to survive long-term. 

That mechanism, she says, is similar to what happens in brains with dementia. 

"I never thought when I set out to study ancient brains that it could have real world medical applications, but maybe, just maybe, it can help us understand brain aging and life," she said. 

"It can help us to shed light on past issues as well — things like paleo-pathology, the study of ancient diseases, the study of health status, of diet. All sorts of different things could be answered by recovering these ancient biomolecules, these proteins and lipids, from these brains."

'Untapped potential' 

Howard Williams, an archaeologist at the U.K.'s University of Chester who was not involved in the study, agreed. 

"It's showing the untapped potential for further analysis of human brains from archaeological deposits," he told CBC.

It also, he says, raises ethical questions, and could further complicate already tricky discussions about, for example, the repatriation and reburial of remains from different Indigenous peoples. 

He also finds himself wondering how many preserved brains have already been either overlooked or discarded at archeological dig sites over the decades.

"I have a horrible feeling that the thousands of brains examined are probably only a fraction of what we could know if people had realized earlier the potential these soft tissue human remains have for us," he said.

Interview with Alexandra Morton-Hayward produced by Leila Ahouman

Related Stories

• The 'godmother of forensic science' revolutionized police work with dollhouse crime scenes
• Canada's 1st forensics body farm is coming this summer

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Sustainable Energy & Fuels

Beyond conventional batteries: a review on semi-solid and redox targeting flow batteries-lifepo4 as a case study.

Clean and sustainable energy is becoming increasingly crucial to tackle the current energy crisis. However, the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources presents a challenge for their effective implementation. Redox flow batteries (RFBs) have emerged as a promising solution to this problem, as they can help enhance the stability of grid networks and promote the use of renewable energy sources. RFBs are highly modular and scalable systems that can be customized to meet the power and energy requirements of different renewable energy plants. Moreover, they offer several advantages over conventional battery technologies, including cost and safety concerns. However, conventional RFBs have limited energy densities due to the low solubility of their active species in electrolyte. To overcome this limitation, semi-solid (SSRFBs) and Redox targeting (RTFBs) flow batteries have been proposed. These systems feature high concentrations of active species and impressive energy densities, making them highly attractive for renewable energy applications. LiFePO4 (LFP) is a highly promising active material for Semi-Solid and Targeting Flow Batteries. One of the key advantages of LFP is its low raw materials cost, as it is composed of earth-abundant elements such as iron and phosphorus. This makes it an attractive option for large-scale battery production. The recent developments in SSRFBs and RTFBs using LiFePO4 as catholyte hold great promise for the future of sustainable energy storage. The combination of LFP's excellent cost, safety, durability, and high energy density with the modularity and scalability of flow battery systems make for a compelling solution to the challenges of intermittent renewable energy sources. Ongoing research and development in this area will likely yield even further improvements in the performance and efficiency of LFP-based flow batteries, opening exciting new possibilities for sustainable energy storage.

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N. El Halya, M. Tayoury, M. Aqil, A. Aboulaich, R. Amine, F. Ghamouss, M. Makha, J. Alami and M. Dahbi, Sustainable Energy Fuels , 2024, Accepted Manuscript , DOI: 10.1039/D4SE00064A

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If faces look like demons, you could have this extraordinary condition

Research visualizes face distortions in a case of prosopometamorphopsia.

Imagine if every time you saw a face, it appeared distorted. Well, for those who have a very rare condition known as prosopometamorphopsia (PMO), which causes facial features to appear distorted, that is reality.

As the Dartmouth-based website about prosopometamorphopsia explains, "'Prosopo' comes from the Greek word for face 'prosopon' while 'metamorphopsia' refers to perceptual distortions.''' Specific symptoms vary from case to case and can affect the shape, size, color, and position of facial features. The duration of PMO also varies; it "can last for days, weeks, or even years."

A new Dartmouth study published in the "Clinical Pictures" section of The Lancet reports on a unique case of a patient with PMO. The research is the first to provide accurate and photorealistic visualizations of the facial distortions experienced by an individual with PMO.

The patient, a 58-year-old male with PMO, sees faces without any distortions when they are viewed on a screen and on paper, but he sees distorted faces that appear "demonic" when viewed in-person. Most PMO cases however, see distortions in all contexts, so his case is especially rare and presented a unique opportunity to accurately depict his distortions.

For the study, the researchers took a photograph of a person's face. Then, they showed the patient the photograph on a computer screen while he looked at the real face of the same person. The researchers obtained real-time feedback from the patient on how the face on the screen and the real face in front of him differed, as they modified the photograph using computer software to match the distortions perceived by the patient.

"In other studies of the condition, patients with PMO are unable to assess how accurately a visualization of their distortions represents what they see because the visualization itself also depicts a face, so the patients will perceive distortions on it too," says lead author Antônio Mello, a PhD student in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Dartmouth. In contrast, this patient doesn't see distortions on a screen. This means that the researchers were able to modify the face in the photograph, and the patient could accurately compare how similar his perception of the real face was to the manipulated photograph. "Through the process, we were able to visualize the patient's real-time perception of the face distortions," says Mello.

In their research with other PMO cases, the co-authors state that some of their PMO participants have seen health professionals who wanted to help but diagnosed them with another health condition, not PMO.

"We've heard from multiple people with PMO that they have been diagnosed by psychiatrists as having schizophrenia and put on anti-psychotics, when their condition is a problem with the visual system," says senior author Brad Duchaine, a professor of psychological and brain sciences and principal investigator of the Social Perception Lab at Dartmouth.

"And it's not uncommon for people who have PMO to not tell others about their problem with face perception because they fear others will think the distortions are a sign of a psychiatric disorder," says Duchaine. "It's a problem that people often don't understand."

Through their paper, the researchers hope to increase public awareness of what PMO is.

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Materials provided by Dartmouth College . Original written by Amy Olson. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference :

• Antônio Mello, Daniel Stehr, Krzysztof Bujarski, Brad Duchaine. Visualising facial distortions in prosopometamorphopsia . The Lancet , 2024; 403 (10432): 1176 DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(24)00136-3

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Title: uncovering latent themes of messaging on social media by integrating llms: a case study on climate campaigns.

Abstract: This paper introduces a novel approach to uncovering and analyzing themes in social media messaging. Recognizing the limitations of traditional topic-level analysis, which tends to capture only the overarching patterns, this study emphasizes the need for a finer-grained, theme-focused exploration. Conventional methods of theme discovery, involving manual processes and a human-in-the-loop approach, are valuable but face challenges in scalability, consistency, and resource intensity in terms of time and cost. To address these challenges, we propose a machine-in-the-loop approach that leverages the advanced capabilities of Large Language Models (LLMs). This approach allows for a deeper investigation into the thematic aspects of social media discourse, enabling us to uncover a diverse array of themes, each with unique characteristics and relevance, thereby offering a comprehensive understanding of the nuances present within broader topics. Furthermore, this method efficiently maps the text and the newly discovered themes, enhancing our understanding of the thematic nuances in social media messaging. We employ climate campaigns as a case study and demonstrate that our methodology yields more accurate and interpretable results compared to traditional topic models. Our results not only demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach in uncovering latent themes but also illuminate how these themes are tailored for demographic targeting in social media contexts. Additionally, our work sheds light on the dynamic nature of social media, revealing the shifts in the thematic focus of messaging in response to real-world events.

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