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This is a polemical paper rather than a 'scientific' paper. It focusses on how systemic changes to public services are impacting on children, families and communities. It is argued that the implementation of neoliberal ideology is rolling back the welfare state, undermining the social justice principles on which it was founded, having profound effects on the fabric of society and potentially making public services less effective in meeting the needs of vulnerable people. Psychologists have skills in working systemically and with individuals to alleviate suffering and improve life chances. It is argued that current policy of shrinking the welfare state and privatising public services is creating conditions which will increase social exclusion and have detrimental impacts on the health and well-being of many people. Economic and political policy has not been the usual territory of psychologists and there may be nervousness about straying out of our 'neutral' positions. However, it is proposed that psychology, in fostering universal psychology initiatives for the benefit of all, cannot afford to be apolitical as the values underlying our work are now under attack. It is suggested that we now need to act as a profession to challenge social injustice and lobby for social change. It is possible to do this without aligning to one political party, but from a values-based position. However, it is acknowledged that this is a complex position to maintain, given that some political movements are more aligned to neoliberal ideology than others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the question of how counselling psychology might move forward into the future. It argues that, for many counselling psychologists, the defining feature of our profession lies in a humanistic value-base; and that, to move forward, we need to look at how that could be more fully actualised. The paper argues that this value-base is most succinctly expressed in Levinas's concept of 'Welcoming the Other,' and it proposes five ways in which this ethic might be taken forward: developing our capacity to see beyond diagnoses, enhancing our responsiveness, focusing more fully on our client's intelligibility, taking a lead in giving psychology away, and developing our evidence base. The paper concludes by suggesting that the key issue is not the survival of counselling psychology as a profession; but the survival, development and proliferation of this value-base. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corker (2003) describes counselling as a potentially oppressive process. Given the recent launch of the largescale voluntary sector-led Moving People Programme (MPP) which aims to reduce stigmatisation experienced by people with mental health difficulties (Mind, 2007), as well as the fact that the cost of stigmatisation is estimated to be vast (Mason et al., 2001), it seems timely to consider how mental health professionals might be contributing to the process of discrimination. In an attempt to address the marginalisation of people with a diagnosis of personality disorder, the Department of Health issued two specific documents in 2003: 'Personality disorder: No longer a diagnosis of exclusion', and 'The personality disorder capabilities framework - Breaking the cycle of rejection'. The former has meant increased numbers of people with personality disorder being seen within mental health services while the latter acknowledges that better understanding of personality disorder is required in order to interrupt the cycle of rejection often experienced by people with personality disorders due to negative attitudes and practices within agencies. My experience of working in the NHS is that the single most vilified population of service users are those with a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). This paper aims to consider how and why discrimination towards people with a diagnosis of BPD is so endemic and argues for the importance of the central humanist orientation of counselling psychology in ameliorating stigmatisation in practice. The paper concludes with some research implications and suggestions for potential ways forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wellbeing plays a key role in economic psychology, illustrating how psychological mechanisms impact on economic factors. Wellbeing is vital for occupational psychologists as it allows for the development of interventions to protect and improve workers health. The contribution of economic psychology has received little attention within occupational psychology to improve the measurements of individual wellbeing. The aim of this commentary paper was to bring forward a call to action of two methods that have been used in economic psychology that occupational psychologists can adopt to better measure wellbeing. This commentary paper is based on the insights of Kirchler and Hoelzl (2018) and both time-sample diaries and day reconstruction methods. The analysis showed that by using time-sample diaries, occupational psychologists could better understand the current mood, current mental state and objective characteristics of worker situations. This commentary article identified that by using day reconstruction method, occupational psychologists can have a better insight into employee experiences and feelings in a timely manner. This commentary article recommends that by using insights from economic psychology, occupational psychologists can better measure the wellbeing of workers using time-sample diaries and day reconstruction methods. The paper should, therefore, be of value to scholars and practitioners wishing to improve wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial is presented on how eclectic the work of educational psychologists (EPs) can be. It outlines how the profession of educational psychology has had to adapt and grow as a result of the significant impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. An overview of the direct result of the exceptional working conditions that we have endured since March 2020 is presented.

Content & Focus: This paper aims to explore a number of key challenges raised by existential theory to the dominant assumptions, aims and practices within contemporary counselling psychology. It argues that the existential focus on relatedness significantly alters counselling psychology's understanding of, and ways of perceiving individuals as well as the concerns that are brought to the therapeutic encounter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely accepted that Counselling Psychology is underpinned by both Humanist and Post-Modern epistemologies, and that it holds the practitioner's 'use of self' in the service of the therapeutic relationship to be paramount in the therapeutic encounter. Although Humanism and Post-Modernism can both provide theoretical pretexts for the use of self, these stances to knowledge can be experienced as in conflict with each other, and so generate ambiguity and conflict for trainees. The academic (University) contexts of training courses can feed into aspects of these epistemological conflicts in that they uphold individualist-objectivist stances to knowledge/evidence and styles of communication. In this paper psychological literature is drawn upon to explore how trainees are positioned by the discourses of 'self and 'development' that are available to them, with particular reference to the discourse of 'reflective-practice'. The concept of a plural and dialogical self is used to suggest augmenting the manner in which personal and professional development is conducted and assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses three papers and commentary that were presented as part of a symposium at the Centenary Conference of the British Psychological Society in April, 2001 in Glasgow. Perturbation is a key aim of all the three papers. Of particular interest in the three papers is the increasingly entrenched settlement that permits a bifurcation between "two social psychologies". Steve Brown, psychologist, suggests that what was once a heated debate between critical social psychologists informed by social science, and conventional psychologists informed by natural science, is now better described as a state of "intellectual deep-freeze."

In 2018 an updated version of the Qualification in Counselling Psychology was launched. This paper provides information for candidates on how to prepare for the written assignments within the portfolios. It is based on the assessment team's experience of candidate submissions over the last ten years and offers advice on how to avoid common pitfalls and maximise opportunities to be successful in written assignments. In particular it focuses on the need to write at a doctoral level and to be aware of the competency driven nature of the assessment regime. Although the paper is specifically written for QCoP candidates the advice would apply across all society qualifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the development of a systemic family clinic in a Paediatric Health Psychology setting. Appreciative Inquiry (AI) was used in the development of the clinic and to consider future plans. Reviewing the development of the clinic a year on from the AI session we identified the benefits of embedding systemic family work and training strategy within the department. This was enabled by a willingness to lean into uncertainty, clear boundaries, structure and protected time. AI also helped us to look towards growth in the future. We reflect on the process and offer some key learning points that we hope will inspire others in their own service development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a critical discussion about how the curriculum contributes to the sense of belonginess within Higher Education (HE), and how the ongoing aim of decolonisation needs to incorporate a more consistent intersectional lens with the curriculum within psychology. Psychology as a discipline has been criticised for its focus on primarily conducting research with people from countries that are Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich and Democratic (WEIRD; Henrich et al., 2010). This approach has neglected a number of social groups within the wider literature and has indeed marginalised the voices and experiences of many. Through the topic of decolonisation, there has been the discussion of the importance of belonging and belongingness, but the intersectional experiences of various social groups within the curriculum has been neglected. In summary, this discussion reveals that there are several key ways in which curricula and decolonial research can contribute to belonging: 1) communication of what (who) is important; 2) consideration of student learning needs; 3) appreciation of course content that is salient to students; 4) demonstration of alignment with a wider range of philosophical approaches; 5) promotion and celebration of cultural differences which allow students to be themselves; and 6) inclusion of a wide range of factors within teaching that contribute to belonging, for example the importance of place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Republic of Ireland is introducing major human rights-based reform to its mental health laws. This paper outlines the new legal landscape in which psychologists must operate against the backdrop of present day effects of Ireland’s dark legacy of institutionalisation. A rights-based approach aims to positively transform mental health service delivery and we advocate for person-centred treatments as the ‘new normal’. We summarise the recent advocacy work undertaken by the Psychological Society of Ireland’s Special Interest Group in Human Rights & Psychology. Finally, we present an innovative best practice case promoting future rights-based delivery via the Socio-Ecological Model of Health – Kyrie Farm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a long history of human rights violations in healthcare and those perpetrating such human rights violations have included healthcare professionals, including clinical psychologists (Soldz, 2008; Balfe, 2016). Furthermore, individuals who have been subject to human rights violations which can include torture, discrimination, war, genocide, abuse, and trauma to name a few, are more likely to come into contact with mental health services and as a result, with clinical psychologists. Therefore, clinical psychologists have an ethical responsibility to critically engage with and examine issues pertaining to human rights, as well as their own positionality in respect of this (Patel, 2003). To support this examination, Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) training programmes should include opportunities for exploration and engagement with Human Rights violations as part of the training of clinical psychologists, however this is not currently consistently the case. In this paper the authors outline and examine the delivery of Human Rights Based teaching to trainee clinical psychologists using pedagogical, participatory and experiential learning techniques. The authors offer qualitative and quantitative feedback from four cohorts of trainee clinical psychologists on the impact of the Human Rights based teaching on their sense of self, their sense of others, their practice, and their ability to critically reflect on clinical psychology as an oppressive structure. The authors present some of the challenges and opportunities of embedding a Human Rights based framework in the teaching and education of trainee clinical psychologists and the implications of this on the practice of clinical psychology. The authors make a case that training institutions which embody principles and values connected to human rights and just psychology are likely to foster a psychological workforce that is attuned with ethics, justice and privilege. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the wake of the Open Science movement, a large number of training events have emerged. Addressing different topics and target audiences ranging from students to senior researchers, they all are contributing to the goal of making the psychology more open, transparent, and reproducible. In the present paper, the authors, based on their active involvement in the Open Science Community and their experience of leading a Germany-wide Open Science initiative, provide a best practice overview of Open Science events. Six different event types including talks, workshops, podcasts, panel discussions, event series, and summer schools are outlined and ranked on five criteria: accessibility, feasibility, scalability, specificity, and needed expertise. The present best practice article should help individuals interested in Open Science to organise their own educational events and offer established Open Science initiatives for expanding their range of events. We further outline how each of the six presented events can be used for teaching in psychology by illustrating practical examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial is presented on Educational and Child Psychology, which includes legislation, adolescent development and learning, therapeutic intervention and supporting interventions and challenge and support the work of psychologist in UK and internationally and the strength of response pays testament to the profession's ability to utilize the research role of educational psychologists.

The article informs about the Qualitative Methods in Psychology (QMiP) conference at Leicester's De Montfort University on July 13–15, 2022, in Leicester. Topics include workshop facilitated by Michael Larkin exploring interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA); and provides a unique opportunity for qualitative researchers to come together and share innovation.

Background: Enhanced cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT-E) is the most widely researched therapeutic modality recommended by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines for the treatment of eating disorders. According to CBT-E, in-session weighing, that is, weighing the client each week during therapy sessions, should be a 'non-negotiable' therapeutic intervention. Despite research supporting CBT-E, there is no research that supports in-session weighing as a 'non-negotiable' aspect of therapy. Furthermore, CBT-E posits that behavioural change precedes the therapeutic relationship, which is problematic for counselling psychologists who posit that an empathic, safe and trusting therapeutic relationship are key ingredients to therapeutic change. This paper critically reviews the ways in which 'in-session weighing' can impact on the therapeutic relationship. Method: Searches were made for literature pertaining to in-session weighing; protocolled treatment for eating disorders; ethics in eating disorder treatment and the impact of non-negotiable therapeutic interventions on patients with an eating disorder diagnosis. Qualitative, quantitative and theoretical papers were included in the review. Findings: Based on the literature, this paper argues that in-session weighing, if carried out in an entirely protocolled-driven way, risks overlooking the therapeutic relationship and the individual differences of the clients we meet. However, the paper suggests that CBT-E can be synthesised with counselling psychology's relational ethos by adopting a flexible, transparent and reflective use of in-session weighing. Discussion: Such an approach takes into account the clinician's own values and biases, the context of the client, the presenting difficulties and the clinic setting. Such an approach lends itself to the holistic underpinning of counselling psychology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article informs about Micah Saviet's experience at The Qualitative Report's 14th Annual Conference, emphasizing the conference's theme, the well-organized online format, and the diverse topics discussed, including technology-infused research, ethical considerations, and themes related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Saviet expresses a sense of community and highlights the engaging presentations and discussions that contributed to the overall excitement about future conferences.

Story completion (SC) – where respondents are presented with the start of a story (the story ‘stem’ or ‘cue’) and asked to complete it – originally developed as a projective technique for clinical and research assessment. While SC continues to be used in this way, it has also evolved into a qualitative data generation technique, providing qualitative researchers with a creative and novel alternative to the self-report data typical of qualitative research. In this paper, we outline the growing interest in the method within psychotherapy and counselling psychology research and explain what we think the method offers to this field of research. To support psychotherapists and counselling psychologists in adding SC to their methodological toolkit, we also provide practical guidance on the design and implementation of SC, drawing on an example study exploring perceptions of ethnic/racial differences between a therapist and client. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is known that first-year retention rates are a cause for concern within higher education. One way in which to tackle this is to consider how institutions can best prepare new students for the transition to university. The current paper details a project from the University of the West of Scotland where first year psychology students enrolled on a pre-entry academic skills induction course in order to support their transition to university. The course consisted of engagement with five interactive magazines to allow students to begin experiencing the digital environments, skills, and resources that they would need throughout their degree ('What is psychology?', 'How do I study?', 'The importance of critical thinking', 'What's involved in psychological research?' and 'Life after university'). Focus groups were conducted with students shortly after taking part in the course, and again four years later upon graduation, to explore its perceived value both as a new student, and across time at university. A deductive thematic analysis showed a positive reception to the materials, but that some topics were less relevant at the beginning of a degree course. We reflect upon these findings in the context of current HE practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is developed from the Psychotherapy Annual Conference workshop with the the theme: The Distress of Invisible Populations - Your Chance to Speak. It describes how to culturally enhance social prescribing as a community practice for educating community psychologists and psychotherapists. It expands the previous literature review on the topic and the biopsychosocial model. It adds the cultural aspect and evaluates the outcome as evidence-based practice with recommendations to increase the future impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Content & Focus: This Editorial provides a brief reflection of a year in the life of Counselling Psychology Review. It looks back and summarises the activities of the publication over the past year before looking forward and contemplating future developments (if only we had a time machine! - a topical reference to one of the papers in this particular edition). In particular, we summarise the number of submissions the publication has received and reviewed in the past year - a factor that would not be possible with the voluntary support of those contributing peer reviews - and outline the special editions that we have planned for the present year. Finally, we provide a brief overview of what has become an unofficial theoretical special edition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the widespread practices of tài jí and mindfulness, their principles are often misunderstood in the West. This paper shows the authenticity and integrative wholes of Mindful tài jí by demonstrating its overarching principles. It also provides an account of the lineage of a Mindfulness tài jí. The paper was based on the workshop at the 19th Annual Transpersonal Psychology Section Conference on 18-20 September 2015, Cober Hill, Cloughton, Scarborough, which aimed to provide participants with an insight about tài jí and how it relates to mindfulness, by learning some basic principles and movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The return to experience in psychology involves recognising the limitations of traditional mono-modal approaches based on verbal data, detached from activity and context. This paper describes our use of subcams to explore how people experience and engage with the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin. Participants first walked around the memorial on their own while wearing a subcam and second they commented on their experience while watching the subcam video of the walk. The analysis links visuals with participants' interpretations of the site and their understandings of the appropriate norms of behaviour there. The paper concludes with a discussion on the usefulness of subcams as a means of exploring multimodal forms of expression and communication in people's ongoing flow of experience while engaging with the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistics anxiety is extremely common in undergraduate psychology students. The Statistics Anxiety Rating Scale (STARS) is at present the most widely used measure to assess statistics anxiety, measuring six distinct scales: test and class anxiety, interpretation anxiety, fear of asking for help, worth of statistics, fear of statistics teachers and computational self-concept. In this paper we first review the existing research that uses the STARS with psychology undergraduates. We then provide an analysis of the factor and reliability analysis of the STARS measure using a sample of undergraduate psychology students (N=315). Factor analysis of the STARS yielded nine factors, rather than the six it is intended to measure, with some items indicating low reliability, as demonstrated by low factor loadings. On the basis of these data, we consider the further development and refinement of measures of statistics anxiety in psychology students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes how to culturally enhance social prescribing as a community practice in accordance with the ethno biopsychosocial human rights model for educating community psychologists and psychotherapists. It provides a literature review and an overview of the procedures on how to translate the theory into practice. It expands therapeutic approaches as a multidiscipline that involves community psychology, psychotherapy and sports and exercise psychology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This position paper illustrates prominent theories of reading comprehension and considers how these models have informed reading instruction within the classroom. It then considers how reading comprehension can be supported by educational psychologists (EPs). Methods: This paper presents five sociocultural models of reading comprehension. These models are discussed and used to inform EPs' understanding of effective reading comprehension instruction. Findings: Metacognitive and sociocultural models provide clues that can enhance EPs' understanding of what potentially makes the reading process break down and how reading can be supported within the classroom. Limitations: There are many models of reading comprehension; a comprehensive study of all would not be feasible within the scope of this paper. Discussion/Conclusions: This study offers seven recommendations regarding reading instruction and how EPs can support schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Content and Focus: Research publications often adopt two major forms. Firstly the generic edition, which publishes all work that has met a certain threshold of quality. The second type of offering is the special edition, a collection of papers held together with a common theme running through it. Such strategies can be viewed as 'rural' or 'urban' in nature, with the latter reflecting the more collectivised commonalities and the former reflecting the every person stands for her/himself strategy. This editorial extends this urban/rural analogy to consider how such a strategy fits in relation to counselling psychology training in the UK. In particular it raises a number of strengths and weaknesses in both approaches and proposes that a more urban research strategy would enhance the profession of counselling psychology and strengthen its voice within the world of applied psychology. Following on from the predominant thrust of this editorial, the papers within this particular edition of Counselling Psychology Review are introduced in turn (and, as you will see, the edition is more rural in nature). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many people find it difficult to accept British psychology's eugenic history. Much of the literature is unhelpful in its abstention from comprehensive and lucid accounts of the Galtonian eugenic origins of much published work on individual differences in intelligence and personality deemed as inherited, the multifaceted nature of eugenics itself, or the complexity of this legacy in the early 20th century. Despite some well researched accounts of highly specific aspects of eugenic influence, the wider picture often remains elusive. Yet as the implications of eugenics for studies of race, class, and the histories of institutions and academic disciplines are increasingly interrogated, this is ever more inappropriate. Its eugenic past forms part of the challenging history of British psychology. Though a single paper cannot address these issues in their entirety, this thematic reappraisal of Galton and his legacy in the early 20th century provides a crucial initial step. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to provide an understanding on the meaning of transpersonal psychology. It first examines the current definition of transpersonal psychology and its inherent problems and challenges. It then offers a new insight on the definition by drawing a parallel metaphor from the Taoist perspective and concludes that the nature of transpersonal psychology is fluid like water which is formless. Transpersonal psychologists may well be continuously calling themselves Transpersonal psychologists and let the transpersonal continuously evolve and be defined by the individual concerned. The truth is out there, beyond the definition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the highlights of "Biography and its Place in the History of Psychology and Psychiatry," a one-day symposium convened by Emma Sutton, of the Centre for the History of Medicine at University College London, England on June 10, 2011. The conference presented seven papers, most being more psychological than psychiatric. Key speakers included Daniel Todes from Johns Hopkins University, Mathew Thomson from Warwick University, and Sarah Chaney from University College London.

This paper seeks to explore how depression may be theoretically addressed in a novel fashion. Primarily using Bakhtin's dialogical perspective, it will explore how those with depression can create new meanings in seeking to move away from depressive thoughts and behaviour - meanings in which they are not tied to utterances, words and phrases of a particular time, person and place and in which old meanings can be "recalled and invigorated in renewed form (in a new context)" (Bakhtin, 1986) Bakhtin's conception of dialogue as both polyphonic and heteroglossic will also be linked to Heidegger's concept of Dasein: the manner in which the utterance can be infused with meaning from the individual's past ("thrownness"; Heidegger, 1927), present ("fallenness") and future ("projection") as the person is making an utterance. Thus a therapist can be the means by which a person can re-negotiate new constructions of their experience of the past, present and future that are not solely tied to their previous experience. The person can thus be afforded a means by which they can re-infuse past, present and future utterances with new meanings, ones that allow them to move away from maladaptive constructions that may have limited their dialogue with others. This involves understanding how meaning, in a Bakhtinian sense, is constructed momentarily, contextually and with different temporal elements, all of which will be discussed and exemplified in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the divergent views on social psychology. In a paper by G.D. Richards, he emphasized that a rewritten history of social psychology include a historical account of the influence of early thinkers by providing important moments in the history of social psychology. In a paper by Peter Lunt, he discussed two alternative histories which include social psychology as part of psychology's history and social psychology as a separate area of study.

Background: Focus groups are a widely utilised research method in an array of disciplines including the social sciences and, more specifically, in counselling and psychotherapy. They can be effective in assessing attitudes, opinions and experiences relative to a specific context and are relatively time and cost efficient. However, there are also potential limitations with this method, such as a reduced opportunity to participate for individuals and an increased likelihood of conformity in the group setting. Aims: This paper explores methodological issues in conducting and interpreting focus groups, illustrated with data from our own study on couple counsellors' experiences of working with same-sex couples. Method: Data was collected via three focus groups with 11 Relate counsellors and analysed using thematic analysis. The research process was used to reflect upon the experience of conducting and interpreting focus group data. Results/Discussion: The advantages and disadvantages of using focus groups are exemplified in various ways, including evaluating benefits and shortcomings in a different light by considering them as situation specific methodological issues of group interaction and group dynamics. Issues in data analysis are demonstrated by stressing the importance of appraising the content, interaction, and the socio-cultural and biographical contexts of the focus group, participants, and the moderator. Implications: The paper concludes with implications for future research employing focus group methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author discusses the history of counselling psychology in Great Britain. Topics include the first annual conference of the British Psychological Society's Special Group in Counselling Psychology held in Birmingham, England in 1990, the relevance of positive psychology to counselling psychology, and the paper by Steffen, Vossler and Joseph.

This paper outlines the origins, developments, and current state of play of counselling psychology in Australia. The relative strength of the early and middle developmental stages of the professions are contrasted with the current decline largely brought about by the Medicare system. The constraints on future development of the field are examined and the importance of revisiting its philosophical base is discussed alongside the need to vitalise its research culture and publications. The paper concludes with a number of recommendations for strengthening counselling psychology in Australia and a reassertion of the value of counselling psychology for the Australian and international community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current political and economic trends in psychology push for an evidence-based practice whereby interventions are chosen on the basis of relevant research findings. Although valuable and effective, the efficacy and the ecological validity of evidence-based interventions has often been questioned, as it can be argued that human beings are too complex presentations to be captured by the restraints of clinical trials only. In addition, the dangers of pressurising psychology services to strictly adhere to manualised guidelines means that specialist's skills might be obscured. This paper and the case-study presented in it position itself in the midst of this debate by highlighting how clinical intuition and idiosyncratic formulations can be integrated and enrich research based practice. In addition, this paper also highlights how these fluid specialist skills are crucial to the vitality of the field and to the identity of counselling psychologists. This urge for a wider definition of what constitutes 'evidence base' when working with such complex presentations as human beings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Counselling psychology takes a contextualised perspective to people, and so this paper outlines some of the issues that impact on popular understandings of sexuality, in everyday terms and also in terms of psychological impact. The terrain of sexuality is very broad, so this paper uses same-sex sexuality, and our assumptions about it, as its predominant focus. The second half of the paper considers the way in which existential phenomenological perspectives can enhance our understandings of sexuality and provide counselling psychologists with useful insights. Conclusion: The frameworks of both existential psychology and counselling psychology overlap and, when considered together, offer useful ways of understanding social and therapeutic issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This paper explores the perspectives of recent entrants to the profession of educational psychology, specifically with regard to their discursive constructions about their professional role in delivering therapeutic interventions. Rationale: The purpose of this paper stems from an interest in how Educational Psychologists (EPs), new to the profession, attribute meaning to therapeutic practices and the language they use to describe such approaches. Methods: This research reports on a Discourse Analytical study (DA) that explores the discursive constructions of therapeutic practice within educational psychology. These constructions were taken from the perspective of 15 EPs who were new to the profession. Drawing on data from four focus groups, comprising of three to four participants, Discursive Psychology (DP) was used to analyse the psychological themes emerging from participant talk. Findings: Analysis indicated that five interpretative repertoires were used to discuss therapeutic practice within educational psychology. These included: 'therapeutic-as-skilled'; 'therapeutic-as-eclectic'; 'therapeutic-as-threatening'; 'therapeutic-as-limited' and 'therapeutic-as-emerging'. Conclusions: It is argued that participants were able to take up varying subject positions in relation to therapeutic practice; this seemed to present them as both passive and active agents. When talking about therapeutic work participants appeared to position themselves as confused, reluctant and unconfident, as well as valuable, skilled and motivated practitioners. It is concluded that the relational aspects of therapeutic EP practice are as important as the technical aids or tools used to facilitate this type of work. It is suggested that the uncertainty that exists around therapeutic work within educational psychology reflects the uncertainty of an emerging EP identity. It is felt that EPs, who are new to the profession, have the sufficient agency to negotiate and reconstruct new therapeutic practices that can be embedded alongside other EP roles. However, this will require further investment from leaders and other individuals within the profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This explorative study investigated whether there was a difference in reading speed and errors made when reading using a coloured overlay and reading using an e-reader for adolescents with developmental dyslexia. A clinical sample of adolescents (N=17) aged 11-16 were used. It was found that there were only very small (non-significant) differences in the mean reading speeds and reading errors when reading using either a coloured overlay of any colour or on an e-reader. This suggests that coloured overlays and e-readers are equally effective interventions for developmental dyslexia. The application of e-readers in an educational setting is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid rise in recent years of cyberbullying in schools has largely taken the education community by surprise, and only now are we developing an understanding of how widespread cyberbullying in schools has become, the different forms that it can take, what motivates pupils to engage in cyberbullying, and what strategies schools can employ to prevent it. This paper takes stock of research findings dealing with cyberbullying by pupils in order to create a psychological typology of pupil cyberbullies. Five common types are identified and described: the sociable cyberbully, the lonely cyberbully, the narcissistic cyberbully, the sadistic cyberbully, and the morally-driven cyberbully. A better understanding of these cyberbullying types will help ensure that the strategies used to prevent cyberbullying by pupils take account of the psychological attributes (both personal and social) that underpin such behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Content & Focus: Acting as a preface to the Special Edition on 'Power and Equality', this editorial reflects on changes in our society's relationship with the concept of power and suggests that a sense of (political) powerlessness in the face of inequality and abuse of power is not only affecting society in general but also the discipline of counselling psychology, despite our declared links with critical social science. It posits that a concern with 'social justice' may be a way forward but that this can also leave underlying power structures unchallenged. It reminds counselling psychology of the need to be aware of our power, both in a self-critical sense and in the sense of the potentially positive (political) potency of our tools. Following on from these initial considerations, the editorial then introduces the individual contributions that form part of this rich and thought-provoking issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The behaviours of children or young people in educational settings are a major cause for concern in the UK and internationally. Recent policy in the UK has stressed the impact of 'poor' behaviour upon teacher welfare and efficacy. Children or young people classified as 'having' SEBD (Social Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties) are a group whose welfare has elicited particular concern amongst educational psychologists (EPs), educators and policy-makers. This paper is an exploratory analysis of written accounts by 150 teachers about their professional experience and perception of children/young people presenting SEBD. Phenomenographic analysis of data suggested a set of identifiable personal-professional responses, disclosing an often troubled personalprofessional accommodation of tensions between policy and practice. Research literature exploring educators' perceptions of children presenting SEBD is addressed in this context. A consideration of methodological issues is made, specifically those associated with phenomenography. A key recommendation of this paper is that EPs have an important role in helping teachers to develop positive, sustainable and psychologically-informed practice with individuals who present SEBD. The justification for this recommendation focuses upon the benefits of approaches that emphasise relationships in and around school rather than on behaviour per se. The need for comparative, international research on this issue is highlighted as is the need to recognise systemic connections between aspects of an educator's perceptions of an individual presenting SEBD and aspects of their response in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diagnoses of autism continue to be a focus of educational psychologists' work. Discourses surrounding autism can, unfortunately, present limited views and ways of working with these young people when individual assessment and reliance on checklists is organised so deviance from 'normality' can be identified. This often impacts on the complexities of disclosure for the young people themselves and the relationships they have with the professionals that should support them. There is a wealth of autobiographical accounts from individuals who have been given a diagnosis of autism. A narrative approach, which views young people as the experts on their lives and the collaborators in our future understanding of their relationship with problems, is one way of privileging 'insiderknowledges' and guiding professionals towards constructing a different understanding of autism. This paper documents a piece of educational psychology casework that explores one young person's relationship with autism from a social constructionist perspective. The paper considers the implications of viewing such 'problems' within a structuralist versus post-structuralist framework. In challenging global truths and the 'medical model' of autism, it provides an example of how a young person's preferred identity can be constructed through a narrative framework. The paper concludes by considering alternative ways for professionals to practice in which there is a move away from limitations and impairments towards reconstructing views about problems and understanding individual experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: The issue of gay monogamy and extra-dyadic sex has challenged heteronormative relationship conventions for decades and controversial research findings have been widely cited. This paper reviews a small but meaningful body of theoretical propositions and empirical evidence that looks at monogamy and nonmonogamy in male couples and the functions of extra-dyadic sex. Method: Papers were retrieved through searches in a range of sources and were sifted for relevance to this review. Data were synthesised using meta-ethnographic procedures (Noblit & Hare, 1988) in order to provide an interpretative representation of the literature. Critical appraisal of the literature is given throughout and a discussion of the implications for psychotherapeutic practice is also presented. Recommendations for future research are formulated in conclusion. Results: Most couples established non-monogamous relationships for reasons of sexual variety and were equally adjusted and functional as their monogamous counterparts. Non-monogamy in gay-male couples does not inevitably conflate with relationship dissatisfaction in such dyads. Monogamy was sustainable for many but not for others who broke their original agreements. The sparse coverage of LGB issues in the literature coupled with the shortage of robust empirical evidence on gay male coupledom signals psychology's need to address this area further in its research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]