Dr. Lucy Johnstone, lead author (with Professor Mary Boyle) of the PTM Framework.

Lucy is a consultant clinical psychologist, author of 'Users and abusers of psychiatry' (2nd edition Routledge 2000), co-editor of 'Formulation in psychology and psychotherapy: making sense of people's problems' (Routledge, 2nd edition 2013) and author of ‘A straight-talking guide to psychiatric diagnosis’ (PCCS Books 2014), along with a number of other chapters and articles taking a critical perspective on mental health theory and practice. 

She is the former Programme Director of the Bristol Clinical Psychology Doctorate and was the lead author of 'Good practice guidelines on the use of psychological formulation' (Division of Clinical Psychology, 2011.) She worked in Adult Mental Health settings for many years. Lucy is an experienced conference speaker and lecturer, and currently works as an independent trainer. 

Quotes from Lucy Johnstone on this framework

"The Power Threat Meaning Framework can be used as a way of helping people to create more hopeful narratives or stories about their lives and the difficulties they have faced or are still facing, instead of seeing themselves as blameworthy, weak, deficient or ‘mentally ill’. Lucy Johnstone

It highlights and clarifies the links between wider social factors such as poverty, discrimination and inequality, along with traumas such as abuse and violence, and the resulting emotional distress or troubled behaviour, whether it is confusion, fear, despair or troubled or troubling behaviour.

It also shows why those of us who do not have an obvious history of trauma or adversity can still struggle to find a sense of self-worth, meaning and identity. “ Lucy Johnstone

Should you be interested in Dr. Lucy Johnstone’s book Formulation in Psychology and Psychotherapy: Making sense of people's problems you can purchase a hard copy or a kindle version by clicking the link.

Dr.Lucy Johnstone’s book Users and Abusers of Psychiatry: A Critical Look at Psychiatric Practice can also be purchased by clicking the link.

                                                        Professor John Cromby, co-author of the PTM Framework

John is Professor of Psychology, ULSB, University of Leicester UK. His books (authored, co-authored or co-edited) include ‘The Handbook of Biology and Society’ (Palgrave, 2018), ‘Joint Action: essays in honour of John Shotter’ (Routledge, 2016), ‘Feeling Bodies: embodying psychology’ (Palgrave, 2015) and ‘Psychology, Mental Health and Distress’ (Palgrave, 2013). 

He is on the editorial boards of ‘Theory & Psychology’ and ‘Frontiers in Sociology’, and is a former editor of the journal ‘Subjectivity’. John has published more than 70 academic journal articles, and over 30 contributions to academic books. He is an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK), and a Chartered Academic Psychologist.

Quotes from Prof. John Cromby on this framework

“One of the most important aspects of the Framework is the attempt to outline typical patterns of meaning-based responses to threat. These patterns are both provisional and general, and frequently cut across psychiatric diagnostic categories.” John Cromby

“So the operation of power produces threats. These threats get mediated by different constellations of meaning and give rise to threat responses. From a diagnostic perspective, many of these responses are called symptoms.

Within the Framework they appear as meaningful responses to combinations of challenging or adverse circumstances. They are attempts to adapt, endure, keep safe, survive—even to thrive. The Framework considers how we make sense of these frequently difficult experiences, and how messages from wider society can increase feelings of shame, self-blame, isolation, fear, and guilt.” John Cromby