‘My soul needs to be washed’: an exploration of the basic encounter group in Japan (2025)

Retrospective accounts of emotional experiences during personal development groups in qualified counsellors and psychotherapists

Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 2021

Personal development (PD) groups are routinely used in the training of counsellors and psychotherapists. Experiences during such group processes are thought to contribute to the development of self‐awareness, a quality seen as crucial for good practice in many therapeutic approaches. However, evidence from trainees suggests that the PD group experience may not be a positive or facilitative one for many. We also do not know how trainees, once qualified, process their PD group experiences over time. This paper reports findings from a qualitative study in which 12 experienced therapists were invited to reflect back upon their PD group experiences during their training. Their experiences of PD groups were invited through semi‐structured interviews and the data analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). The findings show that most participants found their PD group experiences to be challenging, and that for some participants this was a welcome and facilitative experie...

Dilemmas or no dilemmas: The role and experience of eleven counsellors working in the Singapore secondary school system

2008

The role definition of school counsellors has always presented a variety of difficulties. This is especially true when changes occur because of local counselling movements or educational reforms which are closely linked to the contextualized socioeconomic or political agenda. This is well documented in the literature. This study is an attempt to make a critical enquiry into the ways in which school counsellors describe and experience their role working in the Singapore secondary school system. It is essentially exploratory and qualitative in nature. The aim of this study is to explore the internal landscape, their feelings and thoughts; their perceptions about their roles and work, and to examine the factors that contribute to their role descriptions and experience. The unique environmental factors that shaped and define their role and experience will be explored. In-depth face to face interviews were carried out with the eleven participants involved in this study, two sessions for each participant. An adapted grounded theory methodology was used to guide the data collection and data analysis process. The findings show that the role experienced by the 11 counsellors was less restricted to role-base and operates on a flexible role description regime. Most counsellors described their role as being defined by pupils' profiles, and by the counselling approach they used. These interviews revealed that role and job scope were ill defined, there was a mis-match of expectations held by the counsellors and within the overall educational climate, and some uncontrollable factors from the wider environment were found. The emergent over-arching theme of dilemmas was identified and factors that enable and inhibit the role of the counsellors as described by the participants were also highlighted. As a result of this study, an ecosystemic approach is proposed. I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to the staff of the School of Education, Durham University, especially to Prof Carl Bagley, Prof Mike Byram, Prof Joe Elliott and Dr Barbara Riddick. They flew from England to teach a small group of pupils like us in Singapore. My encounter with them was brief yet intellectually fulfilling. This is an important phase in my journey, as a life long learner, I feel my life has been enriched. I would like to convey my sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Dr Barbara Riddick, who has provided me with lots of helpfiil advice and comments during the completion of this thesis. Her guidance and encouragement have been very much appreciated. Among those who have helped me, along this learning journey, I would particularly like to thank the following generous friends and colleagues: Liting Wu, who housed me throughout my study when I needed a shelter in Singapore. Ayusni Bahajjaj and Florence Teo, who met up with me many times to share and discuss the issues I faced as a researcher; for their many stimulating thoughts and encouragement, as seniors who have just completed her thesis. Vicki Innes, who has generously spent many hours reading and correcting my English and faithfully saw me through the writing and rewriting process. Anita Chia, the Dean of the School of Counselling, TCA College, Singapore, who gave me her kind understanding and support, and helped me with the IT during the final stage of this thesis. ni Opheleia Yee, who believes in me and has constantly reminded me of how much else there is to life beside study. My family members, who endured my absence when I had to travel from Johor Bahru, Malaysia to Singapore to work and study. Thanks for the unfailing love and support. Finally, the school counsellors who participated in this study, who have trusted me by sharing with me their very personal thoughts and feelings. IV Contents Abstract ' Declaration 'i Acknowledgement Contents v List of tables xii List of figures xii List of abbreviation xii List of appendixes xiii Section 1-Chapter 1, 2 and 3 1 Chapter 1-Introductory chapter Section 2-Research finding and analysis 63 Chapter 4 Roles of the school counsellor (Part 1): Flexible role description 65 4.1 Introduction VII 4.2 Role described by pupil profile 4.2.1 Mandator}' cases and those in need of immediate counselling 4.

A Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust counselling skills course :a qualitative evaluation

2006

South Africa is faced with an alarming rate of rape, leaving women violated, traumatised and having to face medical and legal battles. Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust is an organisation that trains and supervises a team of women counsellors who provide a counselling service to women rape survivors. The aim of the present study is to explore, qualitatively, the experiences of the counsellors and the counselling coordinator regarding their perceptions on whether the training provided by the personal growth and counselling skills course is adequate in dealing with rape and its complexities. Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust has taken the plight to help counsel women who have been raped as well as the create awareness and lobby against the patriarchal influence and gender inequalities and stereotypes that perpetuate this form of violence against women. A feminist standpoint theory provides the theoretical framework for this study as the woman of rape crisis centred viewpoint suggests that their voices be heard as the training provided by their Rape Crisis branch has been very valuable, however insufficient to deal with the complexities of rape. The trauma of rape impacts severely on the lives of rape survivors and the counsellors are faced with more that just the rape in counselling sessions. Many women experience divorce, serious psychiatric conditions, suicidal attempts, loss of a child as a consequence to rape and counsellors do not have the necessary sills to deal with these effects. The study used qualitative methods to obtain the data, drawing namely from Guba and Lincoln's Fourth Generation Evaluation approach as it views political and cultural constituents as enhancing the evaluative process. Consistent with this method, the major stakeholders selected were a team of counsellors which includes the counselling coordinator along with six lay counsellors. Semi-structured interviewees were used and the results analysed using thematic analysis. Results of their experiences show that the course appears to be a good starting point for counselling rape survivors with the course having definite strengths in the theory and medical and legal aspects. However interviewees report that the structure of the course should be revisited as well as add a more in depth practical component of practicing skills with possible follow sessions. ii ii Declaration I, the undersigned, hereby declare that this study is my own original work, that it has not been submitted for any degree or examination at any other university, and that all the sources I have used have been indicated and acknowledged.

Personal development groups in post graduate dance movement psychotherapy training: A study examining their contribution to practice

The Arts in Psychotherapy, 2010

There has been little research into the value of personal development (PD) groups in arts therapies/counselling/psychotherapy training, particularly in relation to trainees developing practice, despite a number of studies evaluating personal outcomes for trainees. Programmes assume trainees will benefit, however, how (or indeed if) the experience contributes to their actual practice has yet to be explored. This paper highlights findings from an analysis of the follow up data six months after the end of a weekly, 1.5 hour, DMT PD group for DMT trainees with reference to their reflections of the experience in relation to post-qualifying practice. The study was over three years, an intensive single cohort study which used qualitative methodology within a collaborative framework. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken (N=38) with trainees on a nationally validated, post graduate programme in dance movement therapy (DMT-now termed dance movement psychotherapy/DMP in the UK) in higher education. The aim is to stimulate debate and research on this aspect of training in body psychotherapy, arts therapies and counselling/psychotherapy, all of which appear to use groupwork for self awareness/personal development.

A study of the theories and practices of facilitator educators

2007

Psychotherapists’ experiences of co-facilitating large encounter PCEP groups: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of six interviews

Person-Centered & Experiential Psychotherapies, 2020

Research at York St John (RaY) is an institutional repository. It supports the principles of open access by making the research outputs of the University available in digital form.

Peer Collaboration: A Model to Support Counsellor Self-Care

2007

In the context of a larger case study on how continuous learning in the workplace could be achieved through the implementation of peer collaboration, the process of how counsellors engaged in self-care within a large health care organization became clearer. This article isbased on data derived from a qualitative analysis of nine transcribed audiotaped meetings of the Counselling Trio, a group of three grief counsellors in a large urban health region. By describing the formation of the peer collaboration groups, the processes that led to the Counselling Trio’s successful collaboration, and the impact of the experience on the three participants, we attempt to illustrate how peer collaboration can be used as a forum for self-care among grief counsellors. We conclude with a critical reflection on the potentialof peer collaboration as a vehicle for organizational support of counsellor self-care.

Personal development groups in the training of counsellors and therapists: A review of the research

European Journal of Psychotherapy & Counselling, 1999

There has been little research into the value of personal development (PD) groups in arts therapies/counselling/psychotherapy training, particularly in relation to trainees developing practice, despite a number of studies evaluating personal outcomes for trainees. Programmes assume trainees will benefit, however, how (or indeed if) the experience contributes to their actual practice has yet to be explored. This paper highlights findings from an analysis of the follow up data six months after the end of a weekly, 1.5 h, DMT PD group for DMT trainees with reference to their reflections of the experience in relation to post-qualifying practice. The study was over three years, an intensive single cohort study which used qualitative methodology within a collaborative framework. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken (N = 38) with trainees on a nationally validated, post graduate programme in dance movement therapy (DMT -now termed dance movement psychotherapy/DMP in the UK) in higher education. The aim is to stimulate debate and research on this aspect of training in body psychotherapy, arts therapies and counselling/psychotherapy, all of which appear to use groupwork for self-awareness/personal development.

Experiential Learning for Professional Helpers: A Residential Workshop Innovation

2017

The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.

British Psychological Society, Psychotherapy Section Review, Spring 2015

My two articles appear on pages 34-49 and 62-70.