ABSTRACT
A forensic unit works with patients who have committed crimes while in the grip of mental illness. Healthy dissociation can be contrasted with the unhealthy dissociation used by their patients to deal with an overload of mental illness, childhood violence and neglect as a consequence of such accumulated stresses and trauma. This chapter illustrates and describes the emotional and physical risks to staff of being secondarily re-traumatized within their work with violated and violating forensic patients. The oscillation between schizoid withdrawal and excitement that may have a sexual element has been tracked. It suggests that supervision can provide a space where group dynamics can be experienced as reflecting the trauma of patients and their groups. An unusual example of making sense of good containment within part of the existing rehabilitation programme is offered during a team supervision session where a DIY group is discussed and its meaning for the patient group explored.
