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Autistic women are at an increased risk of experiencing trauma and mental health issues compared with the general population. This is further compounded by significant barriers to diagnosis and to accessing appropriate support for this group. By employing a feminist approach, this study recognises the effects of socio-historical inequality on this group, including identity dysfunction and disempowerment, which further exacerbate the effects of trauma. This paper argues that restoring identity and supporting empowerment are paramount to Autistic women's recovery from trauma. Previous research focusing specifically on Autistic women who have suffered trauma is scarce. This research seeks to contribute to filling the gap in the knowledge of how counsellors can best support this group. This research elevates the voices of Autistic women, by working with a board consisting of Autistic women, and through conducting semistructured interviews with six Autistic women ranging in age and in their prior experience of counselling. The researcher, with two Autistic board members, thematically coded responses, revealing that both social and psychological empowerment were key to Autistic women's recovery from psychological trauma. Recommendations are provided as to how therapists can help facilitate empowerment for this population, including through the restoration of autonomy and decision-making capacity within the therapy process, taking a flexible and transparent approach, and by encouraging connection with the wider autism community within which individuals can thrive and grow.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a disorder diagnosed predominantly in women, which has a strong association with trauma during childhood. In this thesis I explore these features of BPD further, to elucidate how and why female gender and psychological trauma lead individuals to be diagnosed with BPD. This thesis begins with a review of the literature surrounding borderline personality disorder (BPD). This includes a discussion of the history of BPD and the modern construct. I then consider the individual symptoms of BPD, theories surrounding BPD's aetiology and an exploration of demographic factors associated with BPD diagnosis. The two primary demographic factors associated with BPD are female gender and experience of developmental trauma. Therefore, in Chapter 2 I review the literature on gender and psychiatry, including BPD, before going on to discuss the literature surrounding developmental trauma and BPD. I also outline several reasons to suspect that BPD might also relate to psychological trauma in adulthood. Chapter 3 provides information as to the general methods used in this thesis. I used two pre-existing databases to conduct my research, and in this chapter I outline how the original researchers obtained this data. In Chapter 4 I empirically investigate the frequently observed relationship between female gender and BPD diagnosis. I consider the extent to which this relationship is driven by a genuine relationship, differential service use of men and women with BPD symptoms, or diagnostic bias in assessing the symptoms of BPD. My data and analyses suggest that the gender difference in BPD traits is small and that differences in diagnosis rate likely relate to gender invariance of specific BPD symptoms which may be viewed by clinicians as "core" symptoms. In Chapter 5 I examine the link between developmental interpersonal trauma and development of mental health conditions including BPD. I consider the role of type of trauma, age at traumatisation and trauma severity in predicting myriad mental health outcomes. I conclude that BPD (and most other mental health conditions) are associated with childhood trauma in all its forms, but that sexual abuse involving intercourse is especially damaging. In Chapter 6 I investigate the controversial hypothesis that interpersonal trauma experienced in adulthood might contribute to BPD symptomology. BPD has historically been conceptualised as a disorder stemming from developmental trauma, but I provide evidence that individuals traumatised in adulthood may have a presentation of (possibly transient) BPD traits. In the final chapter of this thesis I relate the findings of the previous three chapters to the literature reviewed in Chapters 1 and 2 and discuss the implications of my findings to research and clinical practice. This includes discussion about the nature of psychiatric diagnoses, whether such conditions should be assessed categorically or dimensionally and whether there are indeed "core" symptoms to BPD rather than just 9 symptoms considered with equal weight. I discuss further the possibility that abuse in adulthood might lead an individual to display more traits of BPD and the effect that this finding might have on clinical practice treating adults who present with BPD or BPD-like conditions.

Background: The scientist-practitioner (S-P) model is in the heart of the identity of clinical and counselling psychology. The framework was developed to facilitate the integration between science and clinical practice, as well as competence in both. However, the research that has focused on the scientist-practitioner identity of qualified psychologists is minimal, since the S-P has been treated as a model of training. Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore how experienced clinical and counselling psychologists relate to the scientist-practitioner model in their career. This topic was narrowed down to professionals working with psychological trauma. This professional area was selected as a substantial amount of research has contributed to its evidence base and development of clinical guidelines, making discussions about the implementation of research more transparent in the research interviews. Method: A single method qualitative design was employed. Thematic Analysis was used to analyse the 14 research interviews of 7 counselling psychologists and 7 clinical psychologists. Participants had a minimum of 2 years of work experience post-qualification and a collective average of 4.9 years of employment as qualified psychologists. Findings: The findings were conceptualised as a spectrum of epistemological and professional identities through which five superordinate themes emerged: The Scientist, the Aspiring Scientist, the Artist-Scientist, the Aspiring Artist, and the Artist. The study findings suggest that all participants identified as S-Ps, but their interpretations of the model and what constitutes science varied. Qualitative characteristics were identified to describe each theme. Professional issues and socio-political barriers to fully actualising the S-P were identified and discussed. Discussion: Patterns of more similar responses were observed when the participants shared a work setting, such as academia. The findings of this study lead to the further conceptualisation of the data portraying a philosopher-practitioner, instead of a scientist-practitioner. The stance of a philosopher-practitioner would be better at acknowledging and addressing the individual differences. If the artist-scientist spectrum is thought of as a critical realist-naïve realist spectrum, then the ontological and epistemological positioning of the participants would probably reflect their current role, worldview, and activities, as well as their interpretation of science.

This action research based thesis focuses on work-related psychological trauma and its management, within the context of the British police service. A case study on one force facilitates detailed exploration of ways in which police occupational culture may impede the provision and acceptance of trauma management schemes. A national questionnaire-based survey of United Kingdom police forces establishes the scope and nature of their trauma management provisions and identifies strengths and weaknesses. Few trauma research studies have concentrated upon the affective domain of the British police service and there is limited understanding of how personal emotions are managed in the police organisation, or how its culture can affect the individual's experience of work-related trauma in an unhelpful way. The study aims to increase knowledge and understanding in this area and to assist British police forces in their attempts to reduce police sickness absences and ill health retirements, which may result from exposure to workrelated trauma. Two main study concerns are addressed by different means. The thesis is arranged as an introduction that includes discussion of the methodological approach adopted, seven chapters, conclusions and recommendations. Chapter one sets the scene by scrutinising the police service as a modern work organisation. Having clarified the basic principles of British policing, it outlines how the service has developed, exploring the difficulties and tensions police officers at all levels experience in trying to fulfil their current roles and responsibilities. Chapter two looks at the nature and potential effects of 'critical' incidents and traces the history of trauma recognition and critical incident debriefing, discussing the current debate on the efficacy of the latter and its value for police personnel. Chapter three examines current national and local police trauma management provisions and chapter four focuses on the identification and management of key risks posed to the police organisation, arising from work-related trauma. Chapter five explores police officers' experiences of trauma through descriptions of three 'service' roles and critical incident scenarios and by focusing on how certain aspects of police culture may intensify and prolong their initial distress. Chapter six shows the ways in which the police organisation seeks to manage its members' emotions through its selection, training and socialisation processes and how its success in doing so can impede the delivery and takeup of trauma management services. Chapter seven then outlines the main theoretical concepts underpinning the thesis, explaining why the police organisation requires officers to manage their emotions in particular ways and outlining mechanisms it has adopted as corporate defences against anxiety. A summary of conclusions follows and the thesis ends with recommendations to effect improvements to the quality and consistency of services being offered.

This study utilizes a fledging theory, alternative hedonism, as a means to examine the ways in which GenZ consumers are finding fulfillment outside of material consumption during the COVID-era. I seek to understand the lived experiences of GenZ consumers who experienced compounding traumas due to race, gender, mental health or economic standings, from March 2020 to now. Specifically, this study aims to deepen our understanding of alternative hedonism while also amplifying voices of traditionally marginalized consumers. The methods of in-depth interviews, closet interviews, and participant photographs of apparel items were utilized to unpack the ways in which trauma manifested into alternative consumption practices. The six themes the researcher identified in this study include: re-evaluation of consumption, developing joyous hobbies, the purge, The Great Resignation, awakening of the self, and paradox of speed.

The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) assess cycling coaches' trauma-related competencies, as measured by trauma knowledge (i.e., trauma-specific education, familiarity with post-traumatic stress [PTS]), stigma of persons with PTS (i.e., fear/dangerousness, help/interact, forcing treatment, negative emotions), and interpersonal skills (i.e., self-reported emotional intelligence, perceived quality of coach-athlete relationships); and (b) examine the influence that trauma knowledge and stigma of persons with PTS has on coaching efficacy specific to coaching trauma-impacted athletes (i.e., trauma-informed coaching efficacy), after controlling for general coaching experience. Descriptive statistics indicated the majority of coaches had no trauma-specific education, a high degree of familiarity with PTS, and a low level of stigma via four attribution variables. Moreover, participants highly appraised their own emotional intelligence, the quality of their coach-athlete relationships, and their trauma-informed coaching efficacy. A hierarchical regression analyses indicated that familiarity with PTS helped to explain additional variance in trauma-informed coaching efficacy over and above demographic and general coach experience variables. The study establishes trauma-informed coaching as a distinct area of research and highlights the need for improved continuing education opportunities for coaches related to psychological trauma and PTS.

For over one hundred years, the Indian Residential School (IRS) system was used by the Canadian government to force assimilation on indigenous communities in what was later revealed to be a system rife with physical, psychological, and sexual abuse. This dissertation sought to examine a) how testimonies by former attendees of the IRS system reflect psychological understandings of trauma and loss, and b) how IRS attendees demonstrate resilience and resistance through testimony. Secondary analysis of pre-collected data was used to examine these questions. A thematic analysis was conducted of testimonies from 40 former attendees of the Beauval Indian Residential School that were given to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Canada in the province of Saskatchewan. Six overarching themes were identified: “Life before IRS,” “Conditions at IRS,” “Effects of IRS,” “Resistance,” “Resilience,” and “Healing.” A subset of themes was then given further attention to explore the depth of participant testimonies. Respondents presented a holistic understanding of the effects of trauma and loss on indigenous individuals, families, and communities, and demonstrated multiple forms of resilience and resistance to IRS. Rather than viewing the IRS experience as a series of traumatic events, this research suggests that it is more accurate to view the system as an exercise of colonial power, which attempted to accomplish its goal of forced assimilation using institutional conditioning reinforced by violence against indigenous children. Healing efforts should thus take a holistic approach, prioritizing reconnection to others, reconnection to culture, and promotion of survivor voices, to address the effects of IRS at multiple levels.

On May 13, 2014, an explosion occurred in the Eynez coal mine facility in Soma, Manisa, which killed 301 mine workers and injured 487 miners. An estimated 11,000 people, including the deceased miners’ families, friends, survivors and their families, search and rescue teams and first responders were assessed to be the potential risk groups, which may need psychosocial care. Union for Psychosocial Services in Disasters (APHB) launched Soma Solidarity Network Project (SOMADA) and established two centers in Soma and Dursunbey districts to deliver psychosocial support services to the affected communities. I lived and worked in Soma and Dursunbey for 11 months after the massacre as the project manager of SOMADA project. This autoethnographic dissertation is comprised of my observations of the impacted families and miners’ transformations following the massacre, and reflections on my experiences as a woman, mental health worker and researcher after 11 months of living and working in a trauma field. I used postmodern, feminist, critical and ecological lenses and analyzed personal journals, media statements, families’ speeches and social media to build a critical autoethnography while documenting my experiences. I presented a detailed documentation of mental health relief efforts post massacre and the operations carried at the centers as well as my reflections on the challenges and triumphs of the project. The observed psychosocial consequences of the massacre on the survivors, victims’ parents, children and wives highlighted the systemic causes and impacts of the massacre as well the possibility of post traumatic growth and resilience in the families if adequate psychological and social support and solidarity in the community are promoted.

Since the start of recorded history, accounts are replete of individuals being subjected to unthinkable experiences that possess the power to fundamentally disrupt their lives. Survivors of psychological trauma encounter numerous obstacles on the pathway to recovery (Briere & Scott, 2015). Counselors working with this population continue to search for effective strategies in support of restoration (Boxer & Sloan-Power, 2013). One possibility often discussed by trauma survivors in popular media as helpful is tattoo acquisition. However, our understanding of this body modification practice is incomplete due to a social history of stigma and bias (Stein, 2011). The purpose of this study was to explore the ameliorative and therapeutic factors of tattoo acquisition for adult survivors of trauma. Hermeneutic phenomenology was selected as the means for interpreting the lived experience of six trauma survivors who acquired tattoos directly related to their traumatic life events, against a theoretical background informed by Herman’s (1997) stage model of recovery. Several themes emerged relative to this relationship indicative of a thoughtful expressive act, meaning construction, reclamation of control, calming comfort, and precipitator of growth. These themes represent new knowledge regarding the connection between trauma survivors and the use of tattoos. In essence, tattoo acquisition for these participants facilitated movement from a state of brokenness to one of evolving wholeness. The significance of these findings include contributions to our understanding of this practice that may lead to creative interventions for addressing human suffering and the unique needs of trauma survivors. They also serve to help move the topic of tattooing away from a solely deviant discourse. Implications for both counselors and counselor educators are discussed. Recommendations for future research are also outlined.

This dissertation calls attention to six important contemporary texts that portray the effects of the Congo armed conflicts on individuals and their communities. Using trauma and literary theories, I examine how the psychological consequences of war are represented in two novels by Pius Ngandu Nkashama and Mashingaidze Gomo, two plays by Lynn Nottage and Fabien Honoré Kabeya Mukamba, and two memoirs by Lisa J. Shannon and Joseph Mwantuali. My dissertation demonstrates how the selected writers help their readers understand the long-lasting devastating impact of violence on civilians by recreating in their texts moments and symptoms of emotional and psychological trauma. By focusing on the narrative and stylistic techniques these writers deploy in their texts, I reveal the differences and similarities in the way they approach the various issues of armed conflicts and in the goals they are attempting to achieve in their texts. Some of these writers, as this work illustrates, present fragmented speeches and dialogues to draw attention to the effects of traumatic memories while others incorporate songs and poems into their texts to highlight the role that music and poetry can play in the healing of trauma. My dissertation ultimately shows that the differences among the selected writers underscore the complexities involved in the narration of war stories.

Using a personal experience of surviving a sexual assault as a starting point, Residual Affect is a multimedia series incorporating still photographs and video to visually portray the aftermath of psychological trauma on a daily basis; a trauma that has long-lasting psychological ramifications; turmoil that doesn’t end with the completion of the traumatic event itself. Hinting at the original traumatic event, the imagery depicts life from the moment after tumult, exploring themes of perception, disorientation and restriction to create a larger dialog about the enduring psychological effects of a perceived life-threatening event; effects that bleed through into everyday life.

There is a paucity of research on the mental health of asylum-seekers, particularly in comparison with refugee and migrant populations. Yet asylum-seekers occupy a vulnerable place in our community. After applying for a protection visa upon arrival in the host country, asylum-seekers frequently endure uncertainty for a protracted period as they traverse the Refugee Determination Process (RDP). The RDP in Australia and other Western countries can take years. Furthermore, asylum-seekers face psychosocial difficulties including numerous barriers to employment and access to health services, which can precipitate or perpetuate mental health problems. Despite this, little research has been undertaken with asylum-seekers negotiating the RDP, particularly studies employing a prospective design.

The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of war-related psychological trauma on refugees from the former Yugoslavia who came to Australia in the last 20 years, and to examine how their process of recovery from trauma was assisted by the power of healing relationships, family strength and resilience. The aim was to explore the entire family unit in the context of whole-family interaction.

The present study examined the relationship between coping and psychological and psychosomatic distress of 25 individuals who experienced the same severe, acute traumatic event: the violent shooting that killed 23 people and severely injured 20 more in Luby's Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas, on October 16, 1991. Distress was assessed by one-month pre-event and post-event scores on the SCL-90R, Psychosomatic Questionnaire, and by a Life Event Questionnaire score for the year before the incident. Coping was measured by a modified version of the Ways of Coping Scale (Folkman et al., 1986) and Response Style Questionnaire (Nolen-Hoeksema & Morrow, 1991). All post-event distress scores, except the Psychosomatic score, significantly increased over their corresponding pre-event scores regardless of gender. Although female distress scores were consistently higher than male scores, gender was predictive of post-event distress only for the SCL-90R Anxiety, Somatization, and Global Severity Index scales. The only pre-event score found to be predictive of post-event distress was the Psychosomatic scale. Regression analysis, with demographic and pre-event variables controlled, found a significant positive relationship between Escape/Avoidance coping and one-month post-event levels of Anxiety and Psychosomatic distress. Findings were discussed in the context of the process-oriented stress-illness model and were compared to current disaster and crime victimization literature. Implications for helping professionals, methodological issues, and implications for future research were explored.