mrustin@tavi-port.nhs.uk

Melanie Klein Trust
27 Hervey Park Road
London, England
E17 6LJ

Professional biography:

Following in the footsteps of Esther Bick and Martha Harris, Prof. Margaret Rustin trained as a Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist at the Tavistock Clinic, London. Harris, then head of Child Psychotherapy at the Tavistock, had a profound influence on her and her thinking, in particular through her total commitment to the processes of learning and teaching.

In 1985, Rustin effectively took up the mantle of the present and future training of the child psychotherapy profession, when she became head of the Tavistock child psychotherapy training. She was also a central figure in the life of the institution as a whole and, between 1987 and 2009, assumed various significant positions including: Vice Dean, Child and Family Department; Dean of Postgraduate Studies; Chair of the Professional Committee; and, from 2003-5, Executive Director.

More recently, she was made an Honorary Associate of the British Psychoanalytical Society, having been involved in many of its activities over the years.

On October, 2019 Professor Rustin was presented with the TUMS Distinguished Visiting Professor Title for the duration of 2019-2022 by Head of Psychotherapy Department, TUMS School of Medicine.

Key publications:

• 1987 Rustin, M.E. & Rustin, M.J. Narratives of Love and Loss: Studies in Modern Children’s Fiction. Karnac.

• 1989 Rustin, M.E. (co-ed and contrib.). Closely Observed Infants. Duckworth.

• 1997 Rustin, M.E. (co-ed and contrib.). Psychotic States in Children. Karnac.

• 2000 Rustin, M.E. (co-ed and contrib.). Assessment in Child Psychotherapy. Karnac.

• 2002 Rustin, M.E. & Rustin, M.J. Mirror to Nature: Drama, Psychoanalysis and Society. Karnac.

• 2005 Rustin, M.E. ‘Conceptual analysis of critical moments in Victoria Climbié’s life’. Child & Family Social Work, 10: 11–19. 

• 2008 Rustin, M.E. (co-ed and contrib.). Work Discussion: Learning from Reflective Practice in Work with Children and Families. Karnac.

• 2013 Rustin, M.E. (co-ed and contrib.). Young Child Observation: A Development in the Theory and Method of Infant Observation. Karnac.

• 2016 Rustin, M.E. (co-ed and contrib.). Short-term Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy for Adolescents with Depression: A Treatment Manual. Karnac.

• 2016 Rustin, M.E. & M.J. Reading Klein. Routledge.