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Available Now! Freedom from Restraint and Seclusion

New publication by Professor Andrew McDonnell, 'Freedom from Restraint and Seclusion: The Studio 3 Approach,' is now available to purchase, focusing on eradicating restrictive practices from care settings.


Professor Andrew McDonnell, Clinical Psychologist and the originator of the Low Arousal Approach, discusses the use of restraint and seclusion in care settings in the UK and beyond, and provides practical tips based on the Studio 3 approach to eradicating restrictive practices. Following on from 'The Reflective Journey: A Practitioner's Guide to the Low Arousal Approach' published in 2019, Professor McDonnell has gone on to lift the veil on the much debated topic of restraint and seclusion in care settings, including in education.


The restraint and seclusion of vulnerable people is a pressing issue in the care industry. Whether you are a parent, professional or practitioner, it is important to dare to dream, and focus on making these practices a thing of the past. Many people do not want to apply coercive methods, but can often struggle to see an alternative. For 30 years, the Studio 3 organisation, led by Professor Andrew McDonnell, has championed approaches that not only reduce the practice of restraint and seclusion, but also aim to eradicate it. He has spoken passionately about his belief in restraint eradication for vulnerable people:



This book is for any practitioner or family member supporting individuals in crisis. The Low Arousal Approach, designed and implemented by Studio 3, has been applied in a variety of different care settings, and is also becoming more popular in schools and classrooms. Applying the Low Arousal Approach to behaviour management and crisis situations is a complicated process. This book is full of honest examples about how to achieve restraint and seclusion elimination goals. This is a difficult and emotional subject, and readers may feel challenged by some elements of this book. The Studio 3 approach to crisis management described in this book focuses on changing supporters’ own behaviour rather than the behaviour of often vulnerable and distressed people in crisis. The Studio 3 approach has been successfully applied in the area of restraint and seclusion de-compression and eradication in a variety of settings across the UK and Europe.


Book cover for 'Freedom from Restraint and Seclusion: The Studio 3 Approach' by Professor Andrew McDonnell, depicting a figure walking towards an open door with the sun shining through.
Freedom from Restraint and Seclusion

Hopefully, this book will help readers to think about their own approaches to crisis management, and encourage them to support the restraint elimination movement in our care industries.



'Freedom from Restraint and Seclusion: The Studio 3 Approach' is now available to purchase from our shop!



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