Search

This paper examines cyberbullying concerning therapeutic interventions. A section on bullying and how bullying impacts the therapeutic environment is included. The author provides his definition of bullying to incorporate cyberbullying and how it is no longer a "new issue" but an evolving one. The current status of therapeutic interventions used to support victims of cyberbullying has been explored, emphasising their effectiveness in assisting those experiencing bullying. A segment has been implemented to comprehend whether practitioners fully understand the potential implications of cyberbullying on clients, whether bullying is still seen as a "rite of passage" and what the possible consequences of this could be. Peer interventions and support groups concerning cyberbullying have been referenced, including The KiVa Programme, the Shared Concern Method and The Circle of Friends Method. These have highlighted specific examples of therapeutic and nontherapeutic approaches to intervene with cyberbullying. A section on potential further training is presented for practitioners working within educational environments. Moreover, physical, psychological, sexual and relational bullying are discussed in the article when applicable, with the umbrella term "bullying" used to discuss all forms of bullying at once. The paper has uncovered two key messages: (1) cyberbullying requires more awareness in counselling and is no longer a new issue and (2) more extensive training is required to assist therapists to work with cyberbullying victims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Positive body image is a contemporary construct, having only received research attention within the past two decades in an effort to elicit a more holistic, comprehensive account of the concept of body image. Nevertheless, emerging literature has suggested its direct and indirect association with improved outcomes, including indicators of well‐being (e.g. self‐compassion) and feelings towards the self (e.g. self‐esteem). Positive body image has therefore been suggested as both a potential technique and a target of actionable therapeutic work for cultivating both physical and psychological well‐being. First, through insights from quantitative and qualitative seminal works, this paper demonstrates that positive body image is: (i) a multidimensional construct, distinct from negative body image; (ii) a confluence of theoretical disciplines and influences; (iii) protective, with therapeutic capacities; (iv) a positive outcome; (v) young, yet flourishing; and (vi) socially and politically relevant. Thus, complementing what positive body image is, this paper further situates therapeutic practice within the field of positive body image by delineating and contextualising their reciprocal capacities and relevant techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The working alliance construct faces persistent issues with conceptualisation. We present a social identity analysis of working alliance. Here, we examine the links between alliance, the focal shared sense of "us" in social identification and identity leadership scholarship, and research on the role of "voice" (i.e., being provided with the opportunity to state one's own perspective to others) in enabling procedural justice. We hypothesised that working alliance would be predicted by group processes (i.e., social identification, identity leadership and procedural justice) and serve as an important mediator through which these processes enable desired therapeutic and organisational outcomes. Method: An online experiment sampled participants recently in therapy for a diagnosed mental disorder and recently employed. Participants were randomly assigned to recall either a therapy session or work meeting in which they had received or not received voice. Results: Social identification, identity leadership and procedural justice were found to account for approximately 70% of variance in working alliance. Working alliance, in turn, predicted positive affect, negative affect and satisfaction, in addition to mediating the relationship between group‐based processes and these outcomes. Conclusion: These novel findings suggest that group‐based processes are useful for conceptualising the working alliance in therapy, by both enhancing theory and providing practical clinical strategies for facilitating alliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Previous surveys examining the routine practice of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) supervision have consistently found that methods utilised by supervisors often drift from expert recommendations. Harmful or ineffective supervision are two potential consequences of practices which overlook one or more of the normative, formative or restorative functions. Given that most of the research to date in this area has used quantitative methods, it is important to gain a deeper understanding of the reasons why everyday supervision differs so greatly. One way of achieving this is through exploring the "lived experience" of supervisors and supervisees. Method: Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with (N = 10) supervisors and supervisees, and data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results: Three superordinate themes were identified: "inconsistency of approaches," "autonomy" and "the relationship." The findings revealed that supervisors are practicing very differently from one another, despite awareness of expert guidance. There were some indications of supervisory drift, characterised by supervisor resistance to hierarchical structures and supervisee avoidance due to concerns about their safety within the relationship. Conclusion: Further research is needed to better understand how supervision dyads can identify and manage dysfunctional supervision practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients' crying in psychotherapy can, at times, be an indicator of a healing process and reflect patients' engagement. This study explored the relationships between Israeli patients' crying in therapy, the working alliance, therapeutic change and attachment styles, using similar procedures to the ones used by Genova et al. (2020; Psychotherapy, 58, 160) in a recent investigation of Italian patients. One hundred and thirteen patients completed an online survey in Hebrew about crying in therapy and self‐report measures assessing the working alliance, therapeutic change and attachment styles. Our findings revealed that self‐reported working alliance was related to the patients' perceptions of their therapist responding to their most recent crying episode with support and compassion. Therapeutic change was associated with a tendency to cry in therapy and higher instances of crying in therapy during the last year. Patients with anxious‐preoccupied attachment styles had more faith that crying would lead to being understood by their therapist. Dismissive‐avoidant attachment style was related to higher likelihood of feeling like the most recent crying episode helped the patient understand things that they did not understand before and feel like their tears expressed things that words could not. Further, fearful‐avoidant, anxious‐preoccupied and dismissive‐avoidant attachment styles were all related to stronger faith in the therapy relationship strengthening after crying. These findings are in line with, and expand on, Genova et al.'s (2020; Psychotherapy, 58, 160) findings regarding the therapy alliance, crying in therapy and attachment styles. Implications for the relationships between patient attachment style, therapy alliance, therapeutic change and crying in therapy are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Self‐mutilation (self‐harm) is a phenomenon that is increasingly being seen in patients presenting in mental health services in the United Kingdom. This present study aimed to explore the lived experience of South Asian women raised in the United Kingdom and their perspective of 'Izzat', which refers to honour. Method: Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 12 women of 'South Asian' heritage. Their accounts were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Findings and discussion: The findings suggest that the concept of Izzat and Asian cultural identity permeated the narratives of all the participants. The results position Izzat as central to cultural discord felt by the women and as a base for some of the discontent that led to self‐mutilating. The analysis revealed five over‐arching themes as the most common factors to self‐harm among South Asian women, which include: (1) The struggle to maintain cultural identity, (2) Experience of loss of control and trauma, (3) Focus on self‐mutilation as a distraction process, (4) Psychological angst as metacommunication of pain, and (5) Enactment of perceived deserved punishment. Our conclusions argue for the importance of understanding the complexity of cultural diversity, introjected cultural expectations, and its impact on the development of trauma and implications for clinical practice. Future research and practice should focus on exploring trauma‐informed methodologies and culturally sensitive approaches in working with those impacted by Izzat and the cultural responsibility of maintaining family honour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This research examines transactional analysis (TA) psychotherapy as a treatment option for perinatal mental illness, using a qualitative, narrative methodology to listen to the experiences of women who have received it within a private psychotherapeutic setting. Perinatal mental illness has wide‐reaching consequences and is a leading cause of maternal mortality. This research aimed to explore women's experiences of perinatal mental illness; and their experiences of TA psychotherapy treatment to explore its acceptability to female clients. Method: A qualitative, narrative approach was used to facilitate an exploration of women's experiences. Data collection was by free association narrative interviewing (FANI) and a creative methodology, forming a deep, rich understanding of personal perspective, using the visual and the narrative as a co‐creative construction. Data analysis used the listening guide method (LGM) to highlight difference, hear multiple voices in one person's narrative and take notice of temporal movement within the narrative. Findings: The participants found TA psychotherapy to be useful in different formats: couple's, one‐to‐one or group therapy. TA addressed the specificity of illness and was enduring (long‐lasting); the relational dyad was found to be a factor in positive treatment outcomes; TA terms shared with the clients held significance in therapy and within the interview, offering a 'shared' language that was easily understood and clarified the treatment process. Conclusion: Female clients in this study (the participants) found TA psychotherapy useful as a treatment for perinatal mental illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research is uncovering the repercussions of the COVID‐19 pandemic on the mental and emotional state of various populations around the world. It is of particular interest to this study to explore how the pandemic has affected psychologists conducting therapy with clients in distress during this time. A qualitative approach was used to analyse the narratives of eight Filipino psychologists who were living in community quarantine while conducting therapy from March to December 2020. The results revealed four chapters: (1) 'thrown up in the air', (2) struggling to find their footing, (3) gaining stability and (4) 'finding new rhythm'. It was found that these psychologists suffered the emotional distress from the pandemic that many are experiencing around the world. They needed to first regain stability in their well‐being before being able to become effective helpers to their clients again. Moreover, they eventually found new purpose and growth in their practice. This study documented and discussed the journey of therapists in a shared traumatic reality, from first exposure to growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This research explored the experience of footballers who had experienced a sports‐related injury and sought psychological and/or counselling support. What interventions did athletes find helpful/not helpful for coping with such an experience? Method: Drawing upon the principles of phenomenology, hermeneutics, and ideography, interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to provide insight into the athletes' experiences and their personal perceptions of the injury. Semi‐structured interviews with six Maltese top‐level football players who have sustained and overcome a sports‐related injury were used for the collection of data. Findings: The athletes' appraisals of their injury were explored, and their attitudes towards the different forms of support received and the psychological interventions used were identified. Despite the psychological support sought and received on a personal level, the participants suggested that their mental health was often overlooked by their clubs, leaving them with feelings of helplessness and insecurity. Recommendations: Recommendations, which can be adopted to create sports environments that promote athletes' psychological well‐being, are presented. These include recruiting professional service providers such as counsellors and sport psychologists within clubs, as well as the promotion of such services to diminish the stigma around athletes' mental health. Since sport psychologists usually focus on sports' performance enhancement, it may be wise for clubs to create transdisciplinary teams, which include other health professionals, such as counsellors, for more in‐depth one‐to‐one counselling related to readiness to play. This suggests the implementation of holistic sport education programmes promoting mental well‐being. Recommendations for further research are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]