A new therapeutic approach to understanding self-harm

ASPIRE: Adolescent Self-harm Psychotherapy to Improve Relational Expertise

A self-harm-specific intervention delivered across five weekly sessions and one follow-up session, provided within two weeks of referral by a trained therapist.

Pupils can choose to receive this therapy either at school or at a local YPAS hub.

ASPIRE Partners

The therapy underpinning ASPIRE was developed by Clive Turpin, and has been successfully piloted within Liverpool in:

• An Acute Hospital
• University Counselling Services
• Community GP Practices

Turpin, C. (2011). Very brief therapy for self‐harm: Bringing together Cognitive Analytic therapy (CAT) and Psychodynamic Interpersonal Therapy (PIT). Report submitted to ACAT.

Taylor PJ, Fien K, Mulholland H, Duarte R, Dickson JM, Kullu C. Pilot service evaluation of a brief psychological therapy for self-harm in an emergency department: Hospital Outpatient Psychotherapy Engagement Service. Psychol Psychother. 2021 Mar;94 Suppl 1:64-78. doi: 10.1111/papt.12277. Epub 2020 Apr 27. PMID: 32338445.

Young, D. (2021). University-Community Outpatient Psychotherapy Engagement – Exploring the impacts and efficacy of a novel intervention for student mental health

Saini P, Hunt A, Taylor P, Mills C, Clements C, Mulholland H, Kullu C, Hann M, Duarte R, Mattocks F, Guthrie E, Gabbay M. Community Outpatient Psychotherapy Engagement Service for Self-harm (COPESS): a feasibility trial protocol. Pilot Feasibility Stud. 2021 Aug 27;7(1):165. doi: 10.1186/s40814-021-00902-3. PMID: 34452642; PMCID: PMC8390538.

This work was supported by the Wellcome Trust. Grant number: 219574/Z/19/Z