Relationship Health:  The Missing Link in Adult and Child Wellbeing

I have had some really pleasing advanced reviews.  Here are a few

Relationship Health should be both key books and a term we all become familiar with. ‘Paul Atkinson, GP

I am very grateful for these books on Relationship Health and for the I Matter program which has helped me in many ways in and outside of work.  Dr Amy Lee, GP

Relationship Health is an amazing new concept. Judith Cantrell, adopter and author of ‘Teams for Our Time’.

As a Family and Systemic Psychotherapist, I found this book on Relationship Health very accessible and easy to use. I felt Cathy's approach in how she discusses relationships between child and parent as well as professional networks held a systemic theme throughout. Her conversational style in offering both practical and theoretical concepts in how we might reconsider our relationships with each other and it's affect on our emotional welfare refreshing and thought provoking. Cathy's questioning of the current mental health crisis we face in the UK helps to reframe what we understand by this current situation. Her approach to addressing issues of parental support without blame or stigma is critical if we are to find a solution to the current crisis we face. Throughout the book Cathy approaches the importance to avoid locating the problem within the child or individual but instead, considers how to understand the relational aspects of family life through more of a systemic lens.  If you would like to experience something a little different from many of the current texts concerning young peoples mental health I would fully recommend this book for clinicians and parents/family members alike.  Paul Andrews: Family and Systemic Psychotherapist and CAMHS practitioner, LSCFT Barrow in Furness.


With laser precision, Dr Betoin, a seasoned clinical psychologist and educator has identified a chasm at the heart of our approach to children’s mental health and education.  At a time when increasing numbers of children are struggling, when budgets are tight and institutions fragile, its vital that precious energy and resources are properly targeted. When parents and professionals hold out for a diagnosis and then expect a CAMHS worker to ‘fix’ a child, impossible expectations set services up to fail. To clear what she calls the ‘fog’ surrounding adults supporting anxious children with challenging behaviour, Dr Betoin introduces the concept of ‘relationship health’. As a restorative practitioner I welcome the emphasis on connection, empathy and conflict resolution, and have seen firsthand how relationship health can improve mental and physical wellbeing, educational achievement and community cohesion. Full of practical wisdom, personal anecdotes and ‘ah ha!’ moments, Relationship Health: What's That? And Relationship Health: The Missing Link  Are an easy read, making a compelling case for integrating relationship health into everyday practice to foster more resilient children, families, institutions and communities. Pete Wallis, Author of Understanding Restorative Justice (Bristol University Press, 2014)

This is such a brilliant book and details excellent insight and work done by Cathy Betoin over years. Relationship health is so fundamental to our mental and physical wellbeing, and yet very little help is available. I love how holisitic, practical and helpful this work is. It should be read by every parent and clinician working with families. It provides a positive framework for the future and offers us a revolution in how we approach this work. When we consider the devastating effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences, or just the daily grind of managing the stresses and strains of complex behaviour in families, between parents and children and also between siblings, we know how important it is to find a new way forward together, in society. We see the strain on public services and in so many homes and yet we keep trying to apply the same old solutions. They're not working...so get on board with this way of thinking and let's transform the relational health of our communities.   Dr Andy Knox, GP and Associate Medical Director NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board  ON GOOD READS     FIVE STEPS BOOK

I read this book in one sitting. I agreed with every word. Dr Betoin's view was summed up perfectly by a comment on the radio this morning from someone who said, 'Behind every struggling child, there is a struggling parent. And behind every struggling parent, there is a struggling community.' So to locate a problem within a child rather than within their relational network is an object exercise in missing the point. Mark Hamill from Why Me? Transforming lives through Restorative Justice

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