Integrating mindfulness as self-care into counselling and psychotherapy training

Aim: Within the last 10 years, mindfulness has quickly moved into the mainstream of behavioural medicine, psychotherapy, and counselling. This article examines the potential of applying mindfulness practices to the training of counsellors and psychotherapists. Method: Several qualitative research projects conducted over the past nine years are summarised. Findings: Mindfulness training can enhance the physical and psychological wellbeing of trainees. Implications for training: Mindfulness training is a specific way that training programmes can teach students strategies of self-care that can help prevent burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious traumatisation.     

A qualitative study of client experiences of working with novice counsellors

Aims: This paper reports on a qualitative analysis of written accounts by clients who participated in a counselling relationship with beginning-level trainees. The purpose of the study was to explore how clients experience the process of counselling with novice practitioners. Method: Consensual qualitative research was used for data analysis. Findings: Three general thematic categories were identified – client perceptions of self in counselling; client perceptions of the counsellor; and client perception of the counselling process. Conclusions: Overall, the findings suggest that these clients saw the interpersonal qualities and skills of the counsellor as major contributors to their experience. Implications: Clinical training of novices should start by developing the interpersonal and collaborative skills of trainees.     

593名军校新生学员入伍动机的调查与分析

目的了解593名军校大学新生的入伍动机情况。方法采用自编的军校大学新生基本情况调查表和症状自评量表对593名军校大学新生在入学1个月后统一进行测试。结果军校新生的入伍动机复杂,来源、是否独生子女和政治面貌对入伍动机有显著的影响,献身国防事业和服从父母的意愿这两项入伍动机对scl-90的总分影响最大。结论军校新生学员入伍动机复杂,入伍动机对心理健康有较大影响。     

Process or protocol,hearts or minds?

This paper looks at the split between affective/experiential and cognitive/theoretical learning in therapeutic trainings and how trainings linked to either educational or independent institutes are in danger of not only mirroring this split, but acting it out. It is suggested that this dichotomy goes to the heart of the profession not least in the issue of how therapeutic change comes about. It is suggested that an integration of ‘knowledge’ and ‘experience’ is required in the training of reflective practitioners and that this can only be achieved through an ongoing dialogue between those involved in training clinicians.     

Relational spirituality,differentiation of self,and virtue as predictors of intercultural development

The present study tested the relationships between spirituality, differentiation of self (DoS), virtue (gratitude and forgiveness), and intercultural development among graduate trainees in the helping professions. A relational model of spiritual dwelling and seeking and the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity were used to conceptualise the study. Data were collected in a sample (N?=?174) of graduate students in counselling psychology, marriage and family therapy, ministry professions, and theology at a Protestant-affiliated university. Results supported the hypotheses that quest religiosity, DoS, and gratitude would be positively associated with intercultural development and spiritual grandiosity would be negatively associated with intercultural development. Intrinsic religiosity was not related to intercultural development. DoS mediated the relationship between gratitude and intercultural development. Contrary to hypotheses, forgiveness was largely uncorrelated with intercultural development. Implications are considered for training in intercultural competence, particularly with highly religious trainees.     

Hope and positive religious coping as predictors of social justice commitment

The present study tested a theoretical model of dispositional hope and positive religious coping as unique predictors of social justice commitment over and above impression management in a sample of graduate students (N?=?214) in helping professions at an Evangelical Protestant university in the USA. This empirical study utilised a cultural psychology approach with a theoretical framework developed from (a) an earlier cultural psychology study of hope and social justice using the social philosophies of Martin Luther King, Jr, Cornel West, and Paulo Freire and (b) several liberation and Pietistic theologians. Results supported the discriminant validity hypothesis with dispositional hope and positive religious coping each predicting social justice commitment over and above a measure of spiritual impression management. Implications are considered for contextually sensitive training and future empirical and interdisciplinary research on social justice commitment.     

Merging Professional Training and Community Engagement Agendas: A Case Study

This case study explored the emancipatory foundations of community work through a schools-based peer support intervention. We use a case study approach to describe the context in which the intervention was developed, its emancipatory theoretical foundations, and the project's implementation components and process. The findings suggest that reflexivity is a useful tool for community engagement and for articulating tensions that arise in the enactment of community participation, empowerment and conscientisation. The intervention presented a unique opportunity to reflect on the operationalisation of theoretical concepts in community psychology, and to train professional psychologists for reflexive community work.     

Structural Effects of Poverty on Children

This paper evaluates the perceived benefit to a group of thirty caring professionals of a brief training in Child-centred play therapy. Play therapy enables a child to create fictional worlds and in this way make sense of the real world. By playing in the presence of the therapist, who provides a trusting relationship and at times shares the play, the child is able to obtain relief from the negative effects of distress, sadness, anger or shame. All course participants had adult counsellor qualifications and worked with vulnerable children (n= 25, age range = 56, mean years of experience = 10). The course was delivered in Nairobi, Kenya, East Africa via theory presentations; case presentations; practical skills demonstrations and instruction with tutor feedback and self-development awareness group teaching methods. Questionnaires provided qualitative data for consideration and analysis. Key findings included: pre-training prevalent feelings of inadequacy to meet the therapeutic needs of vulnerable children using adult style counselling; post-training perceived raised awareness of the therapeutic power of play with positive impact on professional and personal lives; perceived increase in therapeutic play skills and increased ease in establishing therapeutic rapport. Training was largely beneficial increasing the confidence, knowledge and skills of the course participants.     

Community Psychology Doctoral Theses: A South African University Case Study

The present investigation analysed the Community Psychology doctoral thesis trends with respect to student demographics, thesis topics, research methodology, research participant demographics, rural/urban focus, community empowerment focus, and programme development and evaluation at one institution. Of the 51 students who completed the course, 45.1% were Educational Psychologists, 33.3% Clinical Psychologists and 21.6% Counselling Psychologists. Self-help programmes, school-based programmes and non-professional-help programmes predominated. Of the 51 theses, seven addressed HIV and AIDS and one studied sexual violence. The majority used qualitative methodologies, and focused on adults. Only 11.8% focused specifically on rural communities, while 74.5% included community empowerment, 62.7% were programme evaluations.