The Brent Centre for Young People was founded in June 1967 by Psychoanalysts Moses Laufer, Egle Laufer, Mervin Glasser, Myer Wohl and Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Maurice Friedman.

Moses Laufer (known as Moe), who led the group, had already become a pioneer of treating adolescents using psychoanalysis at the Anna Freud Centre (previously named the Hampstead Clinic). Moe and his colleagues recognised that adolescents had different needs to those of children and adults, and would therefore benefit from specialist mental health services. The Centre was one of the first in the UK to cater specifically to adolescents. 

Since 1967, the organisation has grown and developed to become the leading provider of psychotherapeutic services in the community. Their clinicians have developed talking therapies which are unique to the Centre, including Adolescent Exploratory Therapy, Group Therapy for Young Offenders and Sport & Thought, as well as providing more widely used therapies that include psychotherapy and family therapy.

Their vision has always been to provide help and support to young people who may not otherwise receive any, and to help young people address their difficulties at an early stage so that they can become healthier, happier adults.

Experience

Their team of therapists is led by some of the most experienced clinicians working in adolescent mental health.

Brent Centre therapists are members of a number of scientific professional institutions, including:

• - American Psychoanalytic Association
• - Association of Child Psychotherapists
• - British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
• - British Medical Association
• - British Psychoanalytical Society
• - British Psychoanalytic Council
• - British Psychological Society
• - British Psychotherapy Foundation
• - General Medical Council
• - Royal College of Psychiatrists
• - Tavistock Society of Psychotherapists
• - United Kingdom Council of Psychotherapists

Their therapists have been involved in teaching and lecturing about adolescent mental health around the world. The founders of the Brent Centre, Moe and Egle Laufer, and other Centre staff have lectured and taught extensively in North America, Scandinavia, Italy, France, Latin America and Switzerland. More recently, their therapists have been involved in teaching at the University College London and the British Psychoanalytical Society, and regularly present at conferences on adolescent mental health around the world.

Research

Since the Centre was founded, one of their key objectives has been to further the understanding of adolescent mental health and the benefits of psychoanalytic talking therapies.

The Centre’s founders, Moses and Egle Laufer, have written many papers and books on adolescent breakdown and therapeutic approaches to working with young people. 

Their staff continue to actively research the mental health of adolescents, and have published a great number of papers.