Introduction to the Special Section ‘Innovative counselling and psychotherapy research methods’: Defining the future of counselling and psychotherapy research

In the call for papers for this Special Issue, we sought submissions that would introduce innovative methods with the potential to shape counselling and psychotherapy research into the future. We believe that we accomplished this goal and that this issue introduces a range of valuable examples of current innovations in counselling and psychotherapy research methods. Through the review process, we encouraged authors to offer practical guidelines on how to innovatively assess and analyse change and other relevant aspects of therapy. We also guided authors to not only provide the field with an update on cutting‐edge methodology, but also describe these methods in a practice‐friendly way. As such, the Special Issue aims at becoming a building block for future practice‐friendly research in counselling and psychotherapy.     

Theoretically informed qualitative psychotherapy research: A primer

This paper presents an introduction to theoretically informed qualitative psychotherapy research (QPR). Although QPR researchers have traditionally remained silent on theory, we suggest this has resulted in an implicit and unacknowledged use of theory. We argue instead for a clear articulation of qualitative researchers' theory and outline how theory can be incorporated to inform the entire qualitative research process. This approach assumes the research problem is embedded in a clearly defined and articulated theoretical framework, which also informs data collection and data analysis. We outline how researchers can use explicit theoretical frameworks to inform research question formulation, data collection and data analysis and illustrate this with specific applications of the method in practice. We believe that starting from a declared theoretical framework sets up a dialogue between the research problem, the type of data required and their meaningful analysis and interpretation. This aims not only to achieve greater depth in the final product of research, but also to enhance its utility in terms of practice; it contributes to building, altering and differentiating theory; and it allows for greater transparency by openly articulating the theoretical framework that scaffolds the entirety of the research process.     

The construction of career through goal-directed action

The thesis of this article is that occupational career is constructed through a system of intentional, goal-directed processes in the form of actions and projects as well as other careers, such as the family career and relationship careers. A contextual action theory of career is proposed as an approach that reflects a constructionist stance and at the same time addresses fundamental issues raised by social constructionism, such as issues of meaning, interpretation, and agency. The discussion is illustrated by reference to a research program on the family career-development project that examines the joint action of parents and adolescents relative to the adolescent’s future. It is further suggested that this approach leads constructionism beyond its epistemological critique to a positive formulation of professional and everyday activity.     

Selective antiaggressive effect of an alpha-2 adrenoceptor agonist naphthylmedetomidine in mice

Alpha-2 adrenoceptors (alpha(2)-ARs) are critically involved in regulating neurotransmitter release from sympathetic nerves and neurons and play an important role in the regulation of awareness, arousal and vigilance. In our recent study, dexmedetomidine, a full alpha(2)-AR agonist, produced antiaggressive effects in the social conflict test in mice at doses that were twice smaller than those producing sedation. The aim of this study was to ascertain antiaggressive effect of a novel drug naphthylmedetomidine, with a more selective alpha(2)-AR activity. Behavioral effects of naphthylmedetomidine (150-1200 microg/kg i.p.) were studied in the activity cage and in the social conflict tests in mice. Naphthylmedetomidine dose dependently decreased aggressive behavior during social conflict in aggressive mice with significant reduction already at the lowest doses tested (150 microg/kg), whereas locomotion and social investigation were significantly decreased only after four times bigger dose of naphthylmedetomidine (600 microg/kg) in aggressive mice. Naphthylmedetomidine had no effect on aggression in nonaggressive mice. Naphthylmedetomidine reduced locomotion in the activity cage significantly only at the highest doses tested (600 and 1200 microg/kg), and this effect was only partially reversed by administration of high doses of an alpha-2 antagonist atipamezole (3 and 10 mg/kg). In nonaggressive mice, the difference between the dose reducing dominant social behavior (social investigation) and locomotion (150 and 300 microg/kg, respectively) was smaller than in aggressive mice. In conclusion, naphthylmedetomidine showed a very strong and selective antiaggressive effect in aggressive mice, which was devoid of locomotion-inhibiting/sedative effect. This study suggests that naphthylmedetomidine may have clinical potential as antiaggressive drug.     

Relationship between self‐worrying and self‐critical messages in clients with generalised anxiety engaging in emotion‐focused worry dialogues

Emotion‐focused therapy (EFT) has recently been adapted as a treatment for generalised anxiety disorder (GAD). One intervention used in this adaptation is a worry dialogue, in which the client enacts worry in one chair (“worrier”) and is facilitated to experience the impact of this worry in another chair (“experiencer”). Although not formally studied, anecdotal observations from therapists in the EFT for GAD treatment development study suggested that within worry dialogues there might be a link between client's self‐worrying and self‐critical messages. This study used data from 47 worry dialogues from fourteen study clients who received EFT for GAD. An observation based qualitative analysis of clients' self‐directed messages as present in in‐session worry dialogues was conducted using video/audio recordings of relevant sessions. Results indicate a relationship between self‐worrying and self‐critical messages. A total of 90 paired self‐worry and self‐critic messages across the 47 worry dialogues were logged. Six recurring clusters of themes/relationships were observed: (a) I need to be prepared for future negative events because… I'm weak and a failure; (b) I need to stop worrying… I'm flawed for being a worrier; (c) People will negatively judge me if I engage with them… because I'm not good enough; (d) If I don't worry, there will be negative consequences… and I will be responsible and will be unable to bear it; (e) I worry/ruminate that I cause(d) some damage… because I'm incompetent; and, (f) I must always be prepared against others taking advantage of me… because I'm weak. Given the observed close link between self‐critical and worry processes, it is important that therapists differentiate between these processes and remember to address both in therapy for GAD.     

Two Cultures Revisited: New Widening Gaps

Aristotle continues to be a highly cited author in cultural sciences (human and social sciences) and humanities. In the last two decades, his work attracted up to a hundred times more attention than the work of Konrad Lorenz or Edward O. Wilson, who have attempted to synthesize new knowledge on behavior and society and proposed alternatives to traditional, intuitively appealing, explanations. Aristotle's interpretations of the world, which appear to be intuitive to the human mind, were abandoned in natural sciences upon introduction of the experimental method. Human intuition may have been appropriate in conditions under which it was originally selected: for life of small non-anonymous groups of hunters and gatherers in the savannah. Intuition confines human understanding to a simple reality circumscribed by a boundary that can be called Aristotle's barrier. The barrier may only be crossed by experimentation, which is largely missing in cultural sciences. Snow's concept of two cultures may be revisited to characterize a splitting of natural sciences versus cultural sciences. It may also be applied to a widening gulf between science and technoscience. Diverging of the two cultures may have far-reaching consequences for prospects of humankind's survival.     

The Search for a Current Mission Model in Cambodia

This paper is a contribution to the debate on the current mission model of the church in Southeast Asia. Scholars from St Elizabeth University in Bratislava, Slovakia, have performed qualitative research to examine the present mission model in Cambodia. Research was conducted on a sample of Catholic missionaries who have worked in Cambodia for a longer period of time. On the basis of this qualitative study, we have outlined and proposed some characteristics for today’s mission model in that country. Features included and emphasized dialogue with Buddhism, formation of spiritually mature people, social promotion and social inclusion, community development, the shift in inculturation regarding value systems, working in small groups, and reconciliation between ethnic communities.