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Experts from North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT) are leading the way at one of the most significant gatherings in global mental health. The Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) International Congress, held this week (15-18 June 2026) in Liverpool, brings together clinicians, researchers, educators and policy leaders from the UK and across the world. As the College’s flagship event, it is a space where new ideas are tested, evidence is shared and the future direction of mental health care is shaped. Against this backdrop, NLFT’s contribution stands out both for its expertise and its commitment to pushing thinking forward.

One of the Trust’s key presentations comes from Dr Anna Harvey, Senior Lecturer at Tavistock Education and Training, who with Dr Mark J. Goldblatt, Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, explore what they term a ‘culture of the cruel’. Their collaborative work examines how cruelty can take hold of individuals, groups and societies, arguing that when core human capacities such as empathy, compromise and reality-testing are eroded, difficult feelings like fear, shame and grievance become projected outward. The result can be stark: simplified or polarised thinking where one group is framed as wholly good and another as entirely bad, with minorities, migrants or political opponents cast as targets. They will be joined for a panel discussion by Professor Mark Freestone, NLFT’s Chief Education and Training Officer. Crucially, the session points towards a way forward grounded in dialogue, truth and the ability to hold multiple perspectives.

In another session Dr Lauren Waterman, Consultant Psychiatrist Camden South Core Team, is offering a contrasting but equally important perspective, focusing on the relationship between body and mind through ecstatic dance and breathwork. Her experiential work highlights how physical movement and embodied practices can support mental wellbeing, particularly for individuals whose connection to their bodies has been disrupted by trauma, stress or anxiety. While this may sit outside traditional clinical models, it aligns with a growing evidence base that recognises mental health as not solely cognitive or pharmacological, but also physical and sensory. By emphasising a reconnection with the body, her contribution underscores the importance of holistic approaches that engage the whole person, rather than treating symptoms in isolation.

Dr Eilis Kennedy, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and Research Lead, presents on gender diversity in the current context. Her session reflects a strong commitment to ensuring that services are built on robust, evidence-based foundations in an area of practice that continues to evolve rapidly. With a focus on clinical rigour, research and thoughtful service design, her work highlights the importance of maintaining clarity and safety while responding to complex and often highly contested issues. Her presence at the Congress demonstrates the depth of expertise within NLFT and its role in shaping national conversations on developing areas of care.

NLFT’s presence at the Congress extends beyond these sessions. Teams from across the Trust have also presented a number of scientific posters (such as the Rehabilitation Pathway by Kerby Francis the Service Manager of Haringey’s Community Rehabilitation Team) showcasing innovation, research and service development across a wide spectrum of practice. 

NLFT is also helping to lead national change in women's mental health through Dr Philippa Greenfield, its consultant psychiatrist and the Royal College of Psychiatrists' Presidential Lead for Women and Mental Health. Dr Greenfield played a central role in developing the College's Women's Mental Health Matters strategy (2026 to 2031), launched earlier this month, which sets out a practical roadmap to drive real, system-wide change beyond simply acknowledging long-standing inequalities. The strategy responds to growing evidence that women experience distinct patterns of mental illness shaped by biological, social and structural factors. And that services have not kept pace. Through this work, NLFT is at the forefront of ensuring women's mental health is embedded in policy and practice where it belongs.

Taken together, the breadth of NLFT's contributions to this year's Congress tells a coherent story. From psychoanalytic perspectives on societal cruelty, to embodied approaches to trauma and wellbeing, to clinically rigorous work in child and adolescent mental health, community rehabilitation pathways and the shaping of national strategy on women's mental health, each strand of work addresses a different dimension of care. Yet all are animated by the same commitment: to understand how mental health services must evolve to meet a changing and pressured world. As Dr Greenfield's work on the Women's Mental Health Matters strategy makes clear, that evolution demands not just new ideas, but accountability, implementation and lasting change embedded in policy and practice. Across research, clinical practice and national leadership, NLFT is not simply participating in the conversation at Liverpool this week, NLFT is actively helping to shape it and taking up a position of thought leadership in mental health.