Jambalaya

I am a Musician, a Counsellor / Therapist, Advocate and Politician. I often use my music to convey an important social or political message. Music truly is Therapeutic. I am Anti-Abuse of all kinds and a 'Human Rights' Campaigner. My primary concern is with the Institutional & Professional Abuses of power; Intellectual Ignorance; Unethical Behaviour, Blinkered Thinking; Incompetence; Delusional Judgements; Poor Training; Poor ethical Adherence; Flawed Thinking; Academic Short-sightedness; State Collusion and all the other flaws that are mostly ignored and sometimes enhanced by the supposed Responsible Authorities.

I have successfully worked with people with 'serious mental illness' and had many re-diagnosed and de-classified. In fact, most of my clients have been re-diagnosed and have gone on to live normal lives. I have worked with Learning Disabilities, Dementia and those with an 'Autistic', 'Challenging Behaviour', or 'Behavioural Problem' label. All but a rare few have been able to express the source of their frustrations (nearly always to do with abuse, their treatment & 'containment'). All overcome the worst of their frustrations and challenges and went on to live more peaceful and dignified lives.

The level of ignorance, incompetent training and misinformation within all professions is astounding and is once more deteriorating. Even those with the best interest of clients/patients at heart are often overwhelmed by the 'Jobsworth' compliance with Social & Professional Institutions that dominate the provision of services in these 'disempowered fields'. The operation of these Professional & Social Institutions are clearly 'talking the talk' but often seem incapable of 'walking the walk'. It would seem to be a limited ability to have 'insight' or intellectual limitation of some kind, but some are clearly Sociopathic personalities.

Many Professional Managers remain risk-averse to the point that the services remain (and increasingly become) 'mini-institutions'; precisely the fears we had in the early days of campaigning for the closure of the big 'Asylum' institutions and the introduction of Community Care provision. My work in the field has shown that this state of affairs seriously impacts on the Human Rights & Dignity of those with Learning Disabilities, Autistic Spectrum ('disorders'), Dementia and 'serious' Mental Health problems. This is unacceptable and those who are negligent out of ignorance, or are perpetrators of abuses, will be identified and exposed.

There are no adequate excuses for Abuses of any kind, or for Professional Incompetence and Denial of this magnitude. Music, Poetry & Drama have often been used to highlight Social Concerns and the darker side of life, as well as shining a light upon the richness of life, that I want all those who are downtrodden and abused to enjoy, along with the rest of us. Silence is not Golden.