Dr Molly Bodinetz 1979–2024

I first met Molly in 2007, having the great luck to supervise the final placement of her clinical psychology doctorate with University College London. She joined our team working with looked after children and their families and carers in Brixton, then moved with me to join a new Multi-Systemic Therapy team we were starting in Hackney. She was such a fantastic clinician and team player that I begged her to apply for a full-time post on qualification which she successfully did, working with our wonderful little team for the next few years.  

A vivid memory from that time is Molly and I going on a home visit to a new family and having the mum (who was convinced that no-one really wanted to help her or her daughter) tell us both to F-off on the doorstep. She helped the family get to a much better place and in their words, 'Molly was the best'.  Molly could always see the positive in every young person and their family. She was compassionate and understanding of the reasons families were angry and untrusting of services.

Eventually Molly went on to other challenges, including three years working at the National and Specialist Adoption and Fostering team at the Maudsley Hospital. She then moved to Devon in 2016 to be closer to the sea, her happy place. Molly joined Psychology Associates, progressing to be their clinical lead for adoption and fostering, as well as being part of the Research Committee of the Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Institute.

In 2021, Molly joined Devon County Council as the clinical lead for their multidisciplinary Bridges service, providing wraparound support to prevent family breakdown. I was delighted when she asked me if I'd be up for working with her on developing a STAIRS approach (a way of working with families I'd developed with colleagues previously) specifically for Bridges. Visits to Devon followed, with sea swimming, late night collaborating on the 'BRIDGES' framework over curry and red wine, and time spent with her very impressive service, which went on to win the award for Social Work Team of the Year 2023.

Molly's friend and colleague from Bridges, Dr Ruth Arnell (Educational Psychologist), describes Molly as warm, kind and passionate, with wonderful intelligence and wit. "Molly had an amazing ability to make everyone in the team feel at ease and valued. She created a safe harbour in what is very challenging work. Molly was the beating heart of Bridges, who will be remembered by her friends and colleagues, as they continue to ask themselves in tricky situations, 'What would Molly do?'"

I feel immensely privileged to have worked with Molly in her first and last jobs as a clinical psychologist, both working with families in extremely difficult situations, and always bringing them her all. There are many families out there where children (some adults now!) feel loved and connected to their families because of what Molly did, because of who she was, and what she stood for. That is quite some legacy.