New Zealand Journal of Counselling
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Workplace counselling and the contemporary world of work.
Get PDFIn contemporary workplaces, many professionals struggle to cope with increasing pressures and aspects of workplace cultures that can have detrimental effects both personally and professionally. Counsellors can play an important role in supporting clients' functioning at work and their effective coping with work-related stressors. Practitioners providing counselling through Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) and other work-related services regularly encounter clients experiencing stress, loss of confidence, and even burnout. It is also inevitable that counsellors in private practice and other settings have clients whose lives, relationships, and wellbeing are being adversely affected by unhealthy workplaces. Although professionals under stress may seek, or will be encouraged to seek counselling, they may experience challenges in and resistance to doing so. Much depends on the quality of engagement and support a counsellor is able to offer, and this relates not only to the practitioner's skills in establishing relationship, but also to their knowledge and understanding of the nature of contemporary workplaces. This article explores the significance of workplace roles and identities, the influence of contemporary working environments on professionals' identities and functioning, and work-related stress and coping, in order to raise practitioners' awareness of the challenges professionals face. Research into workplace counselling, and the implications for counsellors, are then considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of New Zealand Journal of Counselling is the property of New Zealand Association of Counsellors and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.
Stressing out? An exploration of stress in students in years 7 through 13.
Get PDFRecent research by those working with young people has noted rising levels of stress and anxiety in children and adolescents. This study aimed to investigate the levels and sources of stress reported by students at an urban, multi-ethnic secondary school in New Zealand. Six hundred and ninety-seven students completed the Adolescent Stress Questionnaire (ASQ; Byrne, Davenport, and Mazanov, 2007). Students in this study were as stressed or more stressed than those in comparable studies in other countries, with girls significantly more stressed than boys. Analysis of subscale scores revealed the main sources of stress to be "school performance," "school/leisure conflict," and "future uncertainty." With regard to ethnicity, Asian students' scores were significantly lower than those of any other ethnic grouping. Results have implications for policy and practice in a variety of contexts, but especially in the school setting where reducing stressors and increasing support to stressed students is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of New Zealand Journal of Counselling is the property of New Zealand Association of Counsellors and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.
A story illustrating narrative therapy in a crosscultural conversation with someone approaching death.
Get PDFThe following story uses ethnographic fiction to explore and illustrate the Narrative Therapy practices I might engage with when meeting with a Mäori woman who has a life-threatening illness. Ethnographic fiction blends truth and imagination to create a story that seeks to engage the reader in a situation that is both authentic and instructive, while respecting the limits of confidentiality. In this story I seek to illustrate how a Pākehā counsellor committed to honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi might go about a therapeutic conversation with a Mäori woman for whom marginalising discourses and the colonisation of Aotearoa New Zealand have had a key role in shaping her experience of cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of New Zealand Journal of Counselling is the property of New Zealand Association of Counsellors and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.
More than just a measure: Exploring clients' experiences of using a standardised self-report questionnaire to evaluate counselling outcomes.
Get PDFThe past few decades have seen an increasing need for counsellors to evidence their practice using client self-report outcome questionnaires. However, little research has been undertaken on the experience of clients completing such questionnaires. This qualitative study investigated participants' experiences of completing a standardised outcome measure before and after therapy. Seventeen clients attending a community counselling service in Scotland, United Kingdom, were interviewed about their experiences of completing the measure, and the usefulness of the measure for discerning change from before to after therapy. Thematic analysis was undertaken to identify helpful and unhelpful aspects. Participant experiences were categorised into two beneficial themes ("A 'ruler' to measure against" and "A 'checklist' of common problems") and three hindering or problematic themes ("Restrictive," "Debilitating," and "Misaligned"). Implications for practice are discussed, including the possibility of utilising outcome measures as a valuable adjunct to therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of New Zealand Journal of Counselling is the property of New Zealand Association of Counsellors and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.
Surviving and flourishing: A study of two counsellor educators' experiences of a year of peer supervision.
Get PDFIncreased economic pressure, reduced resources, new technologies and results-driven educational contexts place continual demands on counsellor educators. In the face of these, peer supervision has the potential to support and develop counsellor educators in their roles. This autobiographical study presents two senior counsellor educators' experiences of peer supervision. The year of peer supervision was recorded by one peer colleague in a reflective journal. Analysis of written conversations and goals concluded that the peer supervision relationship and reflective process were valuable in providing support, managing role demands, enhancing confidence, preserving wellbeing, offering peer modelling, promoting professional development, and supporting teaching performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of New Zealand Journal of Counselling is the property of New Zealand Association of Counsellors and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.
How adoption affects the experience of adult intimate relationships and parenthood: A systematic review.
Get PDFIn the last two decades, researchers and clinicians have started exploring the wide range of lifelong impacts of adoption on adult adoptees. Several studies have suggested that adoptees may be at greater risk for insecure attachments than non-adopted people, thus contributing to difficulties in forming satisfying interpersonal relationships. The aim of this article is to systematically review the evidence about the nature and quality of adult adoptees' intimate relationships with their partners and children. After systematically searching most major article databases and "hand" searching major adoption journals, the review included 15 quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method studies that fulfilled the selection criteria (domestically adopted adult participants over the age of 18; published and grey literature since 1997). Following data extraction and synthesis, themes emerged across the literature suggesting that being adopted is influential in intimate relationships for some adoptees, with complexities of attachment, anxiety, and ambivalence characterising their relationships with partners and experiences of parenting across the lifespan. Methodological and sampling limitations in the studies preclude application to adoptees generally but rich descriptive data provides useful insights for counsellors who may work therapeutically with this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of New Zealand Journal of Counselling is the property of New Zealand Association of Counsellors and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.
Speaking about the unspeakable poop: Living with the psychosocial effects of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and food intolerances.
Get PDFOften women in New Zealand who live with hidden illnesses such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and food intolerances suffer in silence or learn to live with them (Pimentel, 2007). Many of these women never have a chance outside a doctor's room to say what it is like for them, especially how they cope with the psychosocial effects. The aim of this small qualitative study was to give New Zealand middle-aged women, aged 40 to 60 years old, an opportunity to have a voice and share their experiences, and gain an understanding of how they have learnt to live with the psychosocial effects of IBS and food intolerances. After a brief definition of IBS, food intolerances, and their psychosocial effects, this article explores the journey of making the unspeakable poop speakable for ourselves, within family and with friends, and areas clients can explore within the counselling room. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of New Zealand Journal of Counselling is the property of New Zealand Association of Counsellors and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.
A culture of care: The pastoral care of high-functioning ASD students.
Get PDFAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurological brain difference that primarily affects the way the brain receives, processes, and responds to sensory information. A familiar expression in the ASD community is to describe the disorder as a brain that is not "deficient" but "differently wired." Students with high-functioning autism experience challenges in the mainstream schooling environment due to delays or difficulties in two areas of development: social communication and abstract thinking skills. Co-morbidity with anxiety and depression is prevalent, and academic potential can be unfulfilled without adequate extra support. School-age high-functioning autism is diagnosed most commonly when the complex demands of the sensory, social, and academic environment exceed the child's capacity to cope. Therapeutic understanding of ASD is a developing field and thus far there is no "gold standard" approach in clinical treatment. Working with ASD students in a school environment requires a strengths-based, holistic culture of care. In addition to client therapy, school counsellors need to incorporate advocacy, education, connection with family, and strong links to outside services. Drawing on my own experience both as a parent with a 12-year-old ASD son and as a school counsellor, this article considers the clinical expression of ASD in the school setting and then looks at both research-based and practical approaches for enhancing the pastoral care of ASD students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of New Zealand Journal of Counselling is the property of New Zealand Association of Counsellors and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.
Pacific counsellors' use of indigenous values, proverbs, metaphors, symbols, and stories in their counselling practices.
Get PDFThis article reports some of the findings from a qualitative study, undertaken by the first author, to investigate the use of indigenous values, proverbs, metaphors, symbols, and stories in the therapeutic practices of experienced Pacific counsellors and psychotherapists. Incorporating both talanoa and grounded theory methodologies, the study aimed to give Pacific counsellors a voice in order to inform the development of counselling practice by both Pacific and non- Pacific practitioners who work with Pacific clients. Individual interviews were conducted with four female Pacific practitioners, three of whom were Islandborn and one New Zealand-born. All had completed their professional counselling training in New Zealand. Rich information was obtained about the ways in which participants incorporated a range of indigenous values, proverbs, metaphors, symbols, and stories in their counselling practices. This article foregrounds the voices of the participants in describing their sources of these verbal treasures, which included their parents, Pacific elders (matua), and their spirituality. Participants also tell stories of their use of indigenous values, concepts, and metaphors, and the ways that these have helped establish connections with clients and have supported their change processes and wellbeing. A future article will present the counselling model that has been developed from the results of this study and discuss the creative potential for interweaving indigenous Pacific and Western approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of New Zealand Journal of Counselling is the property of New Zealand Association of Counsellors and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.