Interfaith dialogue: seven key questions for theory,policy and practice

Interfaith dialogue is increasingly being recognised by governments across Europe as crucial to developing cohesive communities. This article critically analyses approaches for developing strategies to promote interfaith dialogue between individuals and/or organisations within civil society. It does this by drawing on a series of theoretical questions concerning those who are involved (and missing), what the dialogue is for, and how the dynamics of participation and representation are handled. In the process, the article considers the conditions, spaces, processes, relationships and understandings of identity that can enable successful interfaith dialogue, and how these might be developed in ways which address the issues raised. The original theoretical analysis presented in this article is supported by examples from the author’s cumulative research with policymakers and practitioners across Europe since 2004.     

Making a difference for young people with learning disabilities: A model for inclusive counselling practice

The prevalence of mental health problems in young people with learning disabilities and the disability rights movement provide the background to this paper. The aims are to investigate the inclusivity of counselling; gain insight into inclusive practices; and put forward a model for inclusive counselling practice. Mixed methodology provides quantitative and qualitative data through a survey of counsellors (n = 396) and a series of semi‐structured interviews (n = 15). The results produce six indicators of inclusive counselling, which are used to build a model for inclusive counselling practice: proactive approach to inclusion; focus on building relationships; operationalising equal opportunities policies; inclusive initial assessments; adopting flexible and creative approaches to counselling; and training and awareness raising. The implications for research and practice are to acknowledge the exclusive nature of the profession and address the issue of inclusion through training, professional development and further research in the field. The model for inclusive counselling practice is put forward as a tool for auditing existing counselling provision and as guidance for counsellors and policy makers in increasing inclustion of young people with learning disabilities in mainstream counselling.     

The increasing relevance of European rural young people in policy agendas: Contributions from community psychology

Our paper aims to provide a short guide on how community psychologists can contribute to the improvement of rural young people's prospects. After briefly introducing the demographic trends of these young people in continental Europe for the past decade, we list the current challenges faced by rural European young generations, as well as the opportunities emerging for them from the twin transition that can inspire the community psychology field. We then contextualize community psychologists' interventions in this domain according to an ecological-systemic standpoint and by embracing a Participatory Action Research (PAR) perspective on research and practice. We further detail the reasons for adopting a PAR approach in research and practice to address rural young people's challenges and opportunities. Finally, we highlight four potential intermediation missions to uphold community psychologists' rural youth development input, based on the adopted theoretical and methodological standpoint. We conclude that our short guide can facilitate community psychology professionals' complete understanding of rural young generations' prospects, in line with the expected increase in the need for rural young people's participation. Our proposal may also have long-term benefits for rural communities by contributing to the redesigning of intergenerational relationships and securing critical mass.     

Public policy and employment of people with disabilities: exploring new paradigms

A "sea change" in public attitudes, legislation, and political power at the end of the 20th century in the United States has helped set the stage in the early 21st century for the entry of people with disabilities into the labor force. Major pieces of federal legislation have altered national policy with the intention of maximizing the work force participation of people with disabilities. At the same time, a new theoretical paradigm of disability has emerged, which emphasizes community inclusion, accommodation, and protection of civil rights. This "New Paradigm" of disability can be applied in concert with rigorous behavioral science methodologies to shed light on the outcomes of recent federal policy changes regarding the labor force participation of people with disabilities. In so doing, social science can be used in more meaningful ways to understand both the intended and unintended consequences of federal policy.     

Frame-critical policy analysis and frame-reflective policy practice

Our primary purpose in this article is to explore some of the issues, practical and conceptual, that arise in the attempt to study and cope with public policy controversies. We have organized the article into four sections. The first considers what problems a frame-critical approach seeks to address and explores, in particular, why social science methods seem unable to contribute to the resolution of public controversies. The second section asks what “frames” are and why they are critical to the study of controversy. Section three gives an overview of the elements in a frame-critical policy analysis and of the relationships between it and frame-reflective policy practice. In conclusion, section four examines the main issues that need to be addressed in analyzing and coping with policy controversies.     

Early-life risk for domestic violence perpetration: Implications for practice and policy

Research on risks and causes of domestic violence is hampered by a policy framework that not only does not fund but in some cases suppresses inquiry into those causes. This discussion, then, will be placed in the context of those policy frameworks that hamper and distort inquiry. This includes an overview of ideological, political, and historical issues that have shaped those frameworks. Related explanatory theories and theories of practice are summarized. The article will examine known early-life risk factors for those disorders and behaviors associated with domestic violence perpetration. Particular emphasis will be placed on maltreatment and attachment/bonding processes. Framed in broad perspectives of psychosocial theory, risk factors from related literature sources (e.g. general violence and criminality) will be included where risk profiles are substantially similar.     

Very brief psychodynamic counselling with young people

Abstract

This paper attempts to re-create the flavour and the atmosphere that is evoked when counsellor and client meet with prior agreement to engage in a piece of very brief counselling work. The context is an informal self-referral service operating on the boundary of a large psychiatric clinic which specializes in psychoanalytic and systemic work.

The situation provides a transitional space for both counsellor and client to observe and to learn from their own responses to each other and in so doing to concentrate their minds on the essential core anxieties that the client is currently experiencing. In this way the area of difficulty can be named and become available for thought.     

Ideas that handicap therapy with young people

A review is done of ideas that handicapped therapists, particularly therapists of young people defined as schizophrenic, and were abandoned over the last twenty years. It is suggested that therapists currently seek theories that lead to success and avoid theories that lead to failure. The criteria for an effective theory of therapy are offered. Past ideas and theories are described in terms of meeting the criteria. Included in the review of unfortunate ideas for the therapy of mad young people are the organic theory, the psychodynamic theory, and those aspects of systems theory and double bind theory which were not helpful. How therapists recovered from these ideas is discussed. A contemporary theory of family oriented theory which meets more of the criteria of an effective theory of therapy is suggested.This paper, in a somewhat different form, was presented at the meeting Beyond the Double Bind in March, 1977. It will also appear as a chapter in a forthcoming book on the therapy of disturbed young people.     

Parenting programmes for parents of children and young people with behavioural difficulties

Children and young people exhibiting behavioural difficulties present a major challenge not only to parents but also to education and health professionals and to society as a whole. In this paper, I shall address some key issues regarding these parenting programmes, based particularly on a programme of research over 13 years in the Centre for Educational Development, Appraisal and Research at the University of Warwick. This has comprised large‐scale studies across all areas of England, both programmes targeted at parents whose children are presenting or at risk of developing behavioural difficulties: the Parenting Early Intervention Pathfinder and Parenting Early Intervention Programme; and universal programmes aimed at all parents, as a positive contribution to behavioural development across the population: the CANparent trial. All were funded by the Department for Education plus the continuation of the CANparent trial was funded by the Department of Health. In addition, I consider studies that have built on this research to examine the use of parenting programmes with parents of children and young people with special educational needs; and also the effectiveness of programmes during sustained implementation, beyond formal trials and similar research initiatives, that is, as day‐to‐day practice. I show that well‐constructed parenting programmes that are acceptable to parents are effective, that these positive effects on parents can remain over time, and also that the positive effects found in well‐organised trials can be maintained when programmes are delivered by community services as part of their normal practice.     

Playing for time: A psychotherapist's experience of counselling young people

This article describes the experience of a psychotherapist working for several years with adolescents and young adults at a centre offering weekly psychoanalytic psychotherapy. It describes some of the pressures placed on the therapist by young people engaging in considerable degrees of acting out and the difficulties in holding on to a sense of valuable work in the face of different attacks.     

Clinical pragmatism: bridging theory and practice

This response to Lynn Jansen's critique of clinical pragmatism concentrates on two themes: (1) contrasting approaches to moral epistemology and (2) the connection between theory and practice in clinical ethics. Particular attention is paid to the status of principles and the role of consensus, with some closing speculations on how Dewey might view the current state of bioethics.