In October, Senior Therapeutic Practitioners Lauren Morgan and Danni Pryde took part in the Learning from Action (LFA) residential conference in Italy, joined by ex-pupil liaison and Venue Manager Mike Staines. An immersive experience that brought together professionals within residential and semi-residential (therapeutic communities, mental health and residential settings) from around the world to explore leadership, communication, and group dynamics in depth.
What is the LFA?
Learning from Action is a three-day residential working conference organised by II Nodo Group, an Italian-based scientific and cultural association that specialises in relational and organisational learning. The experience follows the Group Relations model, drawing inspiration from the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations and other psychodynamic systemic approaches.
The conference invites participants from across sectors (including education, social care, consultancy and mental health) to live and work together in a temporary learning community. Instead of lectures or presentations, the focal point is learning through experience: participants explore how decisions are made, how accountability is shared, and how relationships and communication evolve within group settings.
The 2025 edition of the LFA carries the theme “Decision making, Accountability and Living Together”, reflecting real challenges that arise in group and organisational life. The aim is to learn to reflect at the moment when action is taking place, and to integrate doing, thinking and learning. Aspects which are normally kept separate.
Lauren’s Reflections
“We spent three days in a temporary learning community in the Italian sunshine with people from the UK, Italy, the US, Japan, and Hungary. It was an intense few days’ learning about group and systemic dynamics, authorisation, leadership and decision-making, as well as what goes on non-verbally in human communication.”
Lauren describes the experience as both challenging and transformative:
“For me, it was the hardest but best experience of training I’ve had. It was emotionally challenging, pushing me out of my comfort zone but enabling me to learn more about myself and take my findings back to work to help others.”
The LFA isn’t simply about understanding theory, it’s about living it. Those participating are encouraged to notice what happens between people, how communication unfolds, and how unconscious or non-verbal processes shape a group’s functioning.
During one exercise, participants were asked to design and lead an activity for the wider community:
“This was challenging at first because of the language barrier. However, I came to realise how much connection can be built through non-verbal play. It showed me that communication and trust don’t always rely on words, and that shared experiences can be just as meaningful. It reminded me that, like the children coming into our care, we don’t always need words to build trust, sometimes play and presence speak loudest.”
Why Experiences Like This Matter
At The Mulberry Bush, our work depends on understanding relationships, group dynamics and communication, both verbal and non-verbal. The LFA provided a powerful opportunity to explore these same principles in a different context, deepening understanding of how people connect, lead, and learn collaboratively.
By engaging with a community of professionals and reflecting on what happens “in the moment”, Lauren was able to develop new insights that can be brought back into our therapeutic, education and organisational practice. Enriching how we support children, families, and professionals across all our services.
In Summary
The Learning from Action conference offers a unique opportunity to live the learning. To notice, reflect, and act in a setting that mirrors the complexity of real life and work. It is a reminder that the deepest understanding often comes not from what we say, but from how we relate and make meaning together.
“It reminded me that connection doesn’t always start with words. Sometimes it starts with being present.”- Lauren.
