2023 Elizabeth Casson Memorial Lecture

Nothing grows in toxic environments

Delivered by Keir Harding

Nothing grows in toxic environments

Delivered by Keir Harding

Keir Harding

CEO and Clinical Lead at Beam Consulting

Keir Harding is recognised as an expert in the mental health field, specifically in working with individuals who use self-harm, recurrently feel suicidal and live with enormous amounts of stigma.

In this lecture, Keir discussed the importance of our relationships with our clients and how these can be impacted by:

the socio-political environment surrounding occupational therapy
the culture of the organisation where one works
the stigmatisation of people with mental health issues as being different or inferior.

Keir explored how these areas shape our experiences and why we continue to support environments that harm people's wellbeing. The lecture is a thought-provoking discussion on the interplay of stigma, policy, politics and relationships in shaping our lives.

Keir's lecture content may contain language and themes related to self-harm and suicide. If you are sensitive to these topics or are in distress, please be cautious when engaging with this content and consider reaching out to a trusted friend, family member, or a mental health professional for support. Remember, you are not alone and there are resources available to help you.

More about Keir Harding

Keir Harding is CEO and Clinical Lead at Beam Consultancy.

Keir graduated in 1999 and has worked in mental health his entire career. He admits he was a terrible student and, at best, an average practitioner for much of this time. Despite this, he has taken on a variety of roles and ventured into new practice areas where OTs had not previously worked.

Keir specialises in working with people who use self-harm, recurrently feel suicidal and live with enormous amounts of stigma. He started to gain a following on social media by advocating for better treatment for this client group, particularly around ceasing to export traumatised young women into private hospitals. To spread this message, Keir used social media, conference presentations, journal articles, print and broadcast media. He is considered a leading expert in the mental health field among occupational therapists.

Keir left the NHS after feeling his specialism could not be utilised due to his profession. Nevertheless, he works hard to promote and support the role of occupational therapy with his clients. He's written articles calling for more OT input in this area and used the Model of Human Occupations (MOHO) to describe the work of adapting social environments, such as actively challenging stigma and developing trusting empathic relationships. He was fundamental in overturning the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's (NICE) decision not to have an OT on their panel to review the NICE guidelines for self-harm.

Keir is one of the most visible and outspoken occupational therapists practising today who is passionate about his patients and profession.

Learning resources

This learning resource is a reflective toolkit that will help you widen your learning from the RCOT 2023 Elizabeth Casson Memorial Lecture delivered by Keir Harding. It is accompanied by a facilitator guide for those who wish to learn in groups. You can use these alongside the lecture recording or during the live event.

Career development pillar and career levels: Leadership 1–9

2023 Casson Memorial Lecture Toolkit.doc (DOCX, 288.45KB)

2023 Casson Memorial Lecture facilitator guide.doc (DOCX, 154.24KB)