Announcing the new book published today!
Integrating Intensive Interaction Principles into Psychological Practice
Edited by Dr Sophie Doswell & Dr Maggie Ellis (2025), Routledge.
Review 1: ‘This book will be helpful to so many families and staff supporting daily on the ground. The book promotes humanity, the importance of the connections we make with each other, the ability to understand, read the non-verbal cues and help enable the person you are supporting to have a really positive moments, increasing opportunity to build the supports for the best life possible for them.’ Frances Steepe, parent and advocate for using Intensive Interaction, Oxford, UK.
From the publishers: ‘This book details how to use Intensive Interaction as a psychologically informed practice when working with ‘seldom-heard’ clients. Although Intensive Interaction was originally developed for children with severe and profound learning disability, its use has expanded across age ranges and conditions, and is now utilised with children and adults including autistic individuals and people with dementia.
Exploring the context in which Intensive Interaction has and can be used, specifically as a psychological approach, this edited volume covers therapeutic intervention on a one-to-one basis, as well as an intervention within other frameworks such as Trauma Informed Care and Positive Behaviour Support. Case examples are utilised throughout, alongside psychological theory, to demonstrate use in practice. Consideration is also paid to service contexts and how psychologists can introduce this approach in their local areas.
The first book on Intensive Interaction written by psychologists for psychological practitioners, this book will appeal to trainee and qualified clinical and counselling psychologists, and psychological practitioners including creative therapists and counsellors.’
Review 2: ‘Intensive Interaction is one of the most intriguing avenues of therapy for connecting with people seen as otherwise unreachable. The book offers a valuable – and I suspect, heartwarming – collection of papers showing the diversity of experience and practice using this method. Its importance lies also in attempts to frame it theoretically within Psychology, a connection which is valuable for practitioners and non-practitioners alike.’ Vasudevi Reddy, Emeritus Professor, Developmental and Cultural Psychology Centre for Interaction, Development and Diversity, University of Portsmouth, UK.
| The Content: Foreword: Dave Hewett Preface: Sophie Doswell & Maggie Ellis Chapter 1: The History and Development of Intensive Interaction: What is it? … and where did it come from? – Graham Firth Chapter 2: An introduction to Intensive Interaction as a psychological intervention – Sophie Doswell Chapter 3: Intensive Interaction, suffering and healing – from diagnosing and prescribing to connecting and engaging – Ditte Rose Andersen & Ruth Berry Chapter 4: Intensive Interaction and Positive Psychology: Theoretical Convergence – Rachel Ann Jones Chapter 5: Intensive Interaction in Psychological Practice for people who present with ‘behaviours of concern’ – Jules McKim & Judith Samuel Chapter 6: Helping Families to Use the Principles of Intensive Interaction with People Living with Advanced Dementia – Maggie Ellis & Arlene Astell Chapter 7: A Parental and Family View on Using Intensive Interaction – Graham Firth Chapter 8: Exploring the Barriers and Enablers to Implementing Intensive and Adaptive Interaction in Practice – Maggie Ellis, Christina Connell McGrath & Arlene Astell Chapter 9: Intensive Interaction and Adaptive Interaction Teaching: What can Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) Courses in the United Kingdom (UK) tell us? – Sarah Dunstan, Judith Samuel, Alison Spencer & Maggie Ellis Chapter 10: Intensive Interaction within Psychological Service Structures – Jules McKim, Judith Samuel & Julie Elsworth Chapter 11: Development of a Psychological Model and Recommendations for Measuring Intensive/Adaptive Interaction When Used as a Psychological Intervention – Sophie Doswell & Maggie Ellis |
Editors Biographies:
Dr Sophie Doswell is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist who has worked in the NHS with individuals with intellectual disabilities and autistic individuals for over 25 years. She was introduced to Intensive Interaction early in her career and is passionate about its use within services as a way of connecting with individuals, alleviating distress and helping supporters.
Dr Maggie Ellis, MBE, is a psychologist based at the University of St Andrews. She has worked with people living with dementia as a volunteer and researcher for 24 years, with a particular focus on facilitating communication between people with very advanced dementia and their carers.
Integrating Intensive Interaction Principles into Psychological Practice is now available now!
(That’s one Christmas present sorted!)
A Blog listing all the previous books published on Intensive Interaction is also available to read at: https://connectingwithintensiveinteraction.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=1802&action=edit
Connecting with Intensive Interaction 