Therapists’ perspectives about working with meaning in life in psychotherapy: A survey

Of 212 practicing therapists who completed a survey about working with meaning in life (MIL) in psychotherapy, 129 (61%) had recently worked with MIL with at least one client and reported on their work with a client in this survey. Those therapists who had worked with a client on MIL as compared with those who had not were older, more experienced, more humanistic/existential/experiential in orientation; reported more MIL training; and felt more competent working with MIL. Clients reported on primarily had internalizing, interpersonal, and career issues. Only 12% of clients explicitly labeled MIL as an issue coming into therapy. The three most frequently used interventions involved offering support; helping clients examine thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to discover hopes and goals; and facilitating exploration of MIL cognitions and experiences. Therapists reported many positive consequences from working with MIL. Therapists reported minimal training in MIL and moderate competence in working with MIL. Implications for practice, training, and research are presented.     

Therapists’ self-reported chronic strategies of disconnection in everyday life and in counselling and psychotherapy: an exploratory study

The aim of this study was to explore how therapists believe they may relationally disconnect from other people and their clients, with an overall objective of developing methods for enhancing relational depth in counselling and psychotherapy. Participants were 168 trainee and practicing therapists, who listed their chronic strategies of disconnections (CSoDs) in everyday relationships, and then rated the presence of these CSoDs in their therapeutic work. Thirty-nine categories of self-reported everyday CSoDs emerged, organised into seven domains. Most prevalent were behavioural, passive and intrapsychic strategies. Over half of the CSoDs were rated as being present in therapy to a minimal extent, most commonly passive CSoDs, disingenuous CSoDs and humour. Male therapists, and trainee therapists, were most likely to identify their CSoDs as present in therapy.     

A global portrait of counselling psychologists’ characteristics,perspectives, and professional behaviors

Counseling psychologists in eight countries (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States) responded to survey questions that focused on their demographics as well as their professional identities, roles, settings, and activities. As well, they were asked about satisfaction with the specialty and the extent to which they endorsed 10 core counseling psychology values. This article reports those results, focusing both on areas in which there were between-country similarities as well as on those for which there were differences. These data provide a snapshot of counseling psychology globally and establish a foundation for the other articles in this special issue of the journal.     

State education,spirituality, and culture: teachers’ personal and professional stories of negotiating the nexus

This paper explores the implications of spirituality for teaching and learning in multicultural state schools through the examination of several teachers’ personal and professional narratives. In attempting to capture the intangible, these narratives provide insights into the possibilities, both conscious and unconscious, of creating a climate that fosters spirituality. The classroom stories of a spiritual nature that the teachers recounted (while many and varied) revealed some common themes that related to the climate of the classrooms. Sensitive issues of faith, beliefs, and culture emerged and the teachers’ narratives illustrate ways in which inclusive communities can be fostered. The paper provides examples of cultural and social inclusiveness with a focus on two major themes: the relationship between life and death, and fostering a sense of belonging.     

Bowlby's ‘yearning and searching’ phase of mourning as seen in adult psychotherapy

SUMMARY

This paper was given at a conference to celebrate Dr. John Bowlby's 80th birthday. The conference was organised by the External Organising Committee of the Association of Child Psychotherapists and was held at the London Zoological Society on 28th February 1987. The theme of the conference was ‘Clinical Applications of Attachment Theory’. In the paper I outline Dr. Bowlby's theory of mourning with particular reference to the processes of the second phase described by him as ‘yearning and searching’. A clinical account of once weekly psychotherapy with an adult patient is given in order to illustrate work on disordered mourning in which the patient had remained imprisoned in a suspended state of searching for her lost parent. Some resolution of this state is described together with the ensuing feelings of anger, sadness and depression as loss is comprehended.     

Trainee therapists’ views on the alliance in psychotherapy and supervision: a longitudinal study

The shape of alliance in psychotherapy and supervision using growth curve modeling was examined for clinically inexperienced trainee therapists, who were engaged in long-term cognitive behavioral - or psychodynamic individual psychotherapy at a Psychology Clinic in Sweden. Trainee therapists rated their view of the alliance with their clients and their supervisors on the Working Alliance Inventory at five time points. The alliance to the client show a consistent, positive development throughout the therapy. The alliance to the supervisors show initially a decrease, followed by an increase, and then again, the rate of increase in the supervisory alliance ratings slowed down indicating a more complex view of the supervisory alliance compared to the view of the alliance in psychotherapy.     

Student or situation? Personality and classroom context as predictors of attitudes about business school cheating

Many business faculties may question why their students cheat. While past research shows that student characteristics predict cheating attitudes and behavior, evidence exists that attributes of classroom contexts also play a part. We investigate how three personality traits (conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness to experience) and two context variables (classroom culture and pedagogy) affect business students’ attitudes toward cheating. Of the personality variables, only conscientiousness directly predicts cheating attitudes, while both context variables show significant relationships. Interactions indicate that conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness to experience, in combination with context variables, affect some attitudes toward cheating. We recommend actions that might minimize cheating as well as future research directions.     

Perceptions of teacher’s feedback and learning environment as predictors of intrinsic motivation in physical education

Objectives: To investigate whether the perceptions of different domains of the learning environment in physical education, such as perceived teacher feedback, perceived challenge, perceived competitiveness and perceived threat to sense of self, are related to intrinsic motivation.Method: School children (N=783; n=375 boys, n=408 girls) aged 12–15 yrs completed three questionnaires. The physical education learning environment scale (PELES) was used to investigate the perceived threat to sense of self, perceived challenge and perceived competitiveness. The perceptions of the teacher’s feedback (PTF) questionnaire was developed for this study. The construct validity of factor structure of the instrument was confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Students’ intrinsic motivation was assessed by the intrinsic motivation inventory (IMI).Results: For middle school students, the most important predictors of intrinsic motivation were the perceived threat to sense of self, perceived challenge and perceived positive general feedback. Exploratory factor analyses (EFA) and CFA provided evidence of the adequate construct validity for the PTF and confirmed the construct validity for the PELES.Conclusion: Teachers need to create a learning environment that leads students to perceive it as non-threatening and challenging. They should seek to provide positive general feedback to create a more stimulating learning environment.     

Child’s Personality and Perception of Parental Relationship as Correlates of Optimal Experience

The study was designed to assess the influence of child’s personality and perception of parental relationship on children’s optimal experiences. We proposed functional and dysfunctional models to analyze the increase or the decrease of the children’s flow experience. The sample of this study included 909 middle class children, aged 9–12 (M = 11.02, SD = 1.08), both sexes, from Argentina. When we analysed the psychological factors that could be related to the flow state in childhood, we found out that the child’s perception of a functional parental relationship, in which there is either acceptance or moderate control, indirectly affects the flow experience, through child’s personality—extraversion, openness to experience, and conscientiousness. Functional personality traits have an important positive effect on optimal experience when they are considered as a unit. In the dysfunctional model of flow, the results showed that the child’s perception of parental pathological control had an important positive effect on neuroticism and –through this—a negative effect on flow. The child’s perception of parental negligence did not have a significant effect on neuroticism; however, neuroticism still maintained its negative effect on flow.     

Bystanders’ affect toward bully and victim as predictors of helping and non-helping behaviour

The current study examined how children's relationship with the bully and victim impacted their reactions as bystanders. An ethnically diverse sample of 2,513 Canadian students in grades 4–7 responded to questions about their experiences of bullying, including the frequency with which they witnessed bullying at school. Approximately 89% of the sample reported witnessing bullying at school during the current school year. Subsequently, participants were asked to recall a specific bullying incident that they witnessed and describe: (1) their relationship with the bully and victim; (2) how they felt while witnessing; and (3) how they responded as a bystander. Compared to situations where they didn't know the victim, bystanders were more likely to intervene directly (e.g., try to stop the bully, comfort the victim) if they liked the victim, and less likely to tell an adult if they disliked the victim. Aggressive intervention was more common if the witness didn't like the bully, but also if they didn't like the victim compared to if they didn't know them. Regarding emotions, anger emerged as an especially powerful predictor of bystander defending, with youth being over five times more likely to try to stop the bullying or comfort the victim if they felt angry. Implications of these findings for the development of ecologically valid, anti-bullying interventions are discussed.     

‘Critical psychotherapy,’ ‘postpsychotherapy,’ and the cult of technicism

This paper about the terms ‘critical psychotherapy’ and ‘postpsychotherapy’ argues that the terms ‘critical psychology,’ ‘critical psychiatry,’ and ‘postpsychiatry’ are already in use, and we can see the new terms – ‘critical psychotherapy’ and ‘postpsychotherapy’ – as additions to this already existing family of terms. However, this paper also argues that what is of most importance is not the case for using these new terms, but the tendencies and features these terms might be taken to refer to. The paper begins with an experience the author had while working as a counsellor some years ago. The terms listed above are explored, as are the roots of ‘critical psychotherapy’ in psychoanalysis, before providing an example of how a philosopher’s work might be relevant to psychotherapists.     

Ready or not? Stages of change as predictors of brief group therapy outcome in bulimia nervosa

Although group therapy is often recommended for the treatment of bulimia nervosa, relatively little is known about predictors of short-term outcome. This pilot study examined whether a standardized measure of readiness for change might be related to changes in binge frequency. Sixteen bulimic patients participated in short-term cognitive behavioral group therapy for twelve weeks. Each patient completed the Change Assessment Scale prior to treatment, along with a battery of symptom measures which were readministered at the conclusion of therapy. Bulimic patients with positive outcome in binge frequency were at a higher stage of readiness for change at pretreatment than were patients with negative outcome. Results indicated that there may be methods of determining who would be most likely to benefit from cognitive behavioral group therapy, and tentatively suggest that interventions may be more successful when readiness for change is taken into consideration.     

Student clinicians’ and clients’ perceptions of the therapeutic alliance and outcomes in stuttering treatment

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to examine how the therapeutic alliances (TA) of graduate student clinicians and adult clients who stutter relate to perceived treatment outcomes.MethodsStudent clinicians (N = 42) and adult clients who stutter (N = 22) completed a survey assessing their TA strength and perception of treatment outcomes. Responses were analyzed to determine similarities and differences in how clinicians and clients relate the TA to perceptions of treatment effectiveness, progress, and outcome satisfaction.ResultsResults suggest that clinicians and clients who stutter both relate the TA to treatment outcome, but in different ways. While clinicians associate the TA most with treatment effectiveness and client progress, clients relate the TA most to outcome satisfaction.ConclusionClinicians should be aware that for adult clients who stutter, outcome satisfaction is related to the degree of shared understanding, agreement on daily tasks, and bond they experience with their clinician. To ensure a strong TA and client satisfaction, clinicians should actively seek their clients’ perspective regarding TA status.     

All in the name of work? Nonwork orientations as predictors of salary,career satisfaction,and life satisfaction

Career development increasingly demands a successful integration of work and nonwork domains. Based on work-nonwork conflict and enrichment theories, this study explored the relationship between nonwork orientations (i.e., family, personal life, and community) and both objective (i.e., salary) and subjective (i.e., career satisfaction) career success and life satisfaction over a period of six months among a sample of 548 employees from Germany. The results generally support the enrichment perspective. Family orientation showed a positive relationship with career satisfaction. All three nonwork orientations, especially family orientation, were positively related to life satisfaction. We also explored gender and age effects but found no differences in nonwork orientations between young employees aged 25–34 years and older workers aged 50–59 years. Men showed lower levels of personal life orientation than women, but no differences in family or community orientation based on gender were found. We also did not observe gender x age interaction effects. We discuss the study's implications for a whole-life perspective on career development, career success, and well-being.     

Personal resources of mastery–optimism,and communal support beliefs,as predictors of posttraumatic stress in uprooted Israelis

Abstract

The study aims to assess the personal resources of mastery–optimism, and communal support beliefs, as predictors of posttraumatic stress and adaptation in uprooted Israelis following Israel's disengagement from the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria in the summer of 2005. A telephone interview of a sample of 104 respondents slated to be uprooted was conducted several weeks before the disengagement (T1), and again 9 months after the event (T2). At T1, respondents answered a questionnaire which included assessments of dispositional optimism and mastery, beliefs in the availability of community–family and governmental–societal support, nation-related anxiety, and demographic data. Posttraumatic stress levels were assessed at T2. The main findings showed that high levels of mastery–optimism and low nation-related anxiety at T1 predicted a low severity of total posttraumatic stress scores at T2. A high educational level and a secular identity also predicted low posttraumatic stress. In contrast, communal support beliefs were not related to posttraumatic stress. These findings point to the importance of personal resources and education as protective factors against posttraumatic stress following an event such as forced uprooting.     

Comparing self-esteem and perceived control as predictors of first-year college students’ academic achievement

Due to its widespread popularity, self-esteem is continually being promoted to students despite limited empirical support for its effectiveness in improving their academic achievement. As a result, constructs that are potentially more salient to academic performance, such as perceived control, have gone relatively unnoticed. Although past research has examined the link between students’ academic achievement and either their self-esteem or perceived control, few studies have compared both constructs simultaneously to elucidate which one is more important to academic success. This longitudinal study directly contrasted the effects of self-esteem and perceived control on the academic performance of 802 first-year college students. After accounting for incoming ability (high school grades), age, and gender, a structural equation model showed perceived control positively predicted students’ GPA. In contrast, the predictive effect of self-esteem on GPA was non-existent. Findings indicate that compared to self-esteem, perceived control is a more powerful predictor of first-year college students’ GPA. Implications for utilizing educational interventions to boost perceived control among college students are discussed.     

The Importance of Spirituality in Couple and Family Therapy: A Comparative Study of Therapists’ and Educators’ Beliefs

The purpose of this study was to explore the differences between the beliefs of couple and family therapists (CFTs) and CFT educators in accredited training programs regarding the importance of spirituality in their personal and professional lives. The results suggest a significant difference between the two populations, with clinicians reporting a higher level of agreement regarding the overall role of spirituality in their personal and professional identities compared to CFT faculty members. However, both therapists and educators reported similar levels of agreement in regard to the need for education related to integrating spirituality and its role in clinical practice. Implications for CFT training programs are discussed.     

The notion of professional identity among practitioners working with asylum seekers. A discursive analysis of practitioners’ experience of clinical supervision and working context in work with asylum seekers

The present study analyses interviews that were conducted with eight professionals who have provided therapeutic work to asylum seekers. It explores practitioners’ perspective on the impact of clinical supervision on their work as well as the impact of their working organisational context on the way they experience their professional identity. The findings of the study suggest that the experience of working with this population produces a notion of professional identity that offers a more politicised engagement with clinical work. This politicised notion of professional identity is reflected in the practitioners’ perspective on the use of clinical supervision as well as in the manner in which they position themselves within their organisational context.