1,720,964 research outputs found
Be a man
No full textThe current research study seeks to explore how male psychotherapists negotiate the relationship between their identities as men and their identities as therapists and whether a realignment of the two is required. The Oxford English Dictionary (2012) gives the definition of identity as the characteristic determining who or what a person or thing is. The word man, they define as an adult human male (Oxford University Press, 2012). Existing research into the relationship between men’s identities and their identities as therapist’s focuses on the limitations old ideas of masculinity place on males who work within the humanistic and integrative field of psychotherapy. Additionally it is argued that the field has become a female concentrated occupation. This research asks the question of who post-modern man is and how he negotiates his way within the field of psychotherapy. The study concludes that the role of the post-modern male has changed and is being conceived of as one which is more fully human; that self monitoring through personal therapy is essential for all practising psychotherapists in order to ensure that they have worked through a sufficient amount of their own process; and that there is a need to look beyond gender in order to integrate all aspects of self for the work of the humanistic and integrative psychotherapist. Author keywords: Humanistic and integrative psychotherapy, male identity, masculinity, post-modern man, female concentrated occupatio
Breaking boundaries : an exploration of the experience of the pregnant trainee therapist
No full textThe aim of this study is to explore the experience of pregnant trainee therapists. It seeks to explore how pregnancy impacts on clinical work, personal notions of identity and motherhood, and on the overall training experience. A sample group of five participants were interviewed using semi-structured qualitative methodology and the data gathered is analysed and presented according to the procedures of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. A far reaching clinical impact is reported, with both facilitating and disruptive elements such as increased attunement and transference, physical discomfort, issues around disclosure and containment, heightened counter-transference, and increased need for preservation and protection. Personal impact on the self includes struggles with changing identity, the re-emergence of old conflicts, and a reworking of parental relationship among others. The findings also include issues particular to participants‟ training experience. All the individuals in this study feel there was a lack of information and support. Some highlight the inter-connectedness of the training and new motherhood experience. The findings are discussed in relation to the existing literature and recommendations are made for training institutions and future pregnant trainee therapists in relation to this issue. Author keywords: Pregnant trainee therapist, disclosure, transference, counter-transference, identit
Therapy : not a mans world. A qualitative study of the influence of male gender role conflict on male therapists and their work with clients
No full textThe study of Male Gender Role Conflict (MGRC) has emerged relatively recently as
a distinct research area in Psychotherapy and Psychology. Gender Role Conflict
(GRC) is defined as a psychological state in which socialized gender roles have
negative consequences for the individual or others. GRC occurs when rigid, sexist, or
restrictive gender roles result in restriction, devaluation, or violation of others or self.
Very little has been researched to date on the impact of MGRC among male therapists
specifically, and this forms the basis of the study. The study sets out to research
qualitatively, the influence of MGRC on male therapists, and its impact on their work
with clients in therapy. Established concepts and patterns of MGRC were used to
frame the research questions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five
individual male therapists in the Greater Dublin Area. The interviews were analysed
using qualitative thematic analysis. The study showed that MGRC was an influential
factor on male therapists’ and their work, particularly with regards to their experience
of failure in therapy, the experience of strong emotions with clients in therapy, and
their interaction with male clients. Failure could spillover from the professional into
the personal; strong and intense client-emotions in certain circumstances could
negatively impact therapists and cause or exacerbate emotional restrictiveness;
masculine ideology and identity could be threatened by a fear of the feminine and this
was reflected in client preference and experience; overall, the potential incongruence
between masculine norms and psychotherapy practice were highlighted. Author keywords: Gender, male, masculinity, conflict, role
An exploration of the experience of internalised homophobia among gay Irish men : a phenomenological approach
No full textThis study concerns the issue of internalised homophobia among gay Irish males, and
seeks to develop an insight in to the experience and impact of the phenomenon.
Research participants were five gay males between the ages of thirty-one and fiftyseven,
from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds across various regions of Ireland.
The concepts of homophobia and the internalisation of homophobia, are discussed,
with particular reference to attitudes to homosexuality across time, and the impact of
internalised homophobia. Theory and research relevant to the topic are also reviewed,
and the lack of empirical work in the Irish context is emphasised. A
phenomenological approach was utilised in the research in order to attain a
description of the experiences and consequences of internalised homophobia.
Appropriate ethical issues, such as confidentiality and the right of withdrawal, are
addressed. Three specific themes emerged on analysis of the participants exploratory
interviews: the process of internalisation of homophobia, the development of
strategies to cope with the negative introject, and subsequent attempts to integrate
sexuality into identity. The study adds to the current literature and research findings
on the experience of internalised homophobia and provides an insight into the
phenomenon in the Irish context. Author keywords: internalised homophobia, homophobia, homosexuality, sexualit
What would you do if I sang out of tune...? a qualitative study of music performance anxiety in professional Irish musicians
No full textThe literature on music performance anxiety (MPA) suggests that everyone who performers for an audience experiences it to some degree (Gabbard, 1983), and that it can both facilitate and debilitate performance (Mor et al.1995; Steptoe & Fidler, 1987). Psychology research proposes the severity of MPA occurs on a continuum and offers 3 classifications: MPA as a focal anxiety; a specific social phobia; and comorbid with other disorders. A limited amount of psychotherapy exists on MPA. Psychoanalytic practitioners explain MPA phenomena in terms of underlying developmental vicissitudes of a universal nature that are activated in the performance setting. This study aims to explore the experiences of MPA in Irish musicians. The researcher investigates how the participants experience and view MPA; how they cope; whether talking about MPA helps; and their relationship with the audience.
The findings show the participants’ have conflicting views about whether MPA facilitates or debilitates performance. With regard to coping, the findings indicate the importance of rituals, preparation, and discussion with teachers and peers for self-regulation. In spite of this, the findings show participants are somewhat unwilling to speak about MPA with peers. The researcher proposes shame and oedipal dynamics underlying relationships with peers play a key role in the reasons participants do not discuss MPA with peers. Finally, the researcher investigates why performances where the participants’ feel connected to the audience are the most exhilarating. Author kewywords: Music performance, anxiety, stage fright, psychotherapy, musicia
The courage to change : an exploration of the impact of role models and other influential factors on the lives of male criminal offenders
Get PDFThe purpose of this study is to provide a small platform for the often-silenced
voice of the convicted criminal in society. Ex-prisoners live in all of our communities
and are our brothers and sisters, our parents and our children. They are also modeling
their lives on some of us and finding a better way to live through rehabilitation and
involvement in services and groups that are available to them.
The notion of the role model is one that is known to each of us and for many
of us the exposure to negative role models has been minimal. But for some of the
population of our society, negative role models are par for the course in their early
developmental landscape and the influence of negative role models is detrimental to
the course of their future. This study reveals the experience of six ex-prisoners in
Ireland in relation to role models throughout different stages of their lives. It
highlights the negative effects these role models had and it uncovers the change in
behaviour of the participants throughout the different life stages.
The findings of this study expose the disastrous and destructive impact of
illegal drug use on the lives of the chosen sample. The findings of this study introduce
the impact of environment on the participants’ lives, the participants’ early
developmental experiences, their search for power and ultimately the reparative
nature of insight and introspection for the respondents. Author keywords: Role model, criminal behaviour, anti-social behaviour, life stages, environment, addiction, money, influences, familiy impac
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Perceptions of childhood experiences held by adults with Social Anxiety Disorder A study of perceptions of childhood care and abuse, parental styles and attachment types in adults with Social Anxiety Disorder
No full textSocial Anxiety Disorder is one of the most widespread of the anxiety disorders (Kessler et al 1994, Last, Perrin, Hersen & Kazdin, 1992, as cited in Elizabeth et al., 2006) and is 'characterised by clinically significant anxiety, provoked by exposure to a specific feared object or situation, often leading to avoidance behaviour' (APA, 2000, p.429). There are many factors involved in the aetiology of this disorder; biological, psychological and environmental and theories abound as to the main causes of the disorder. The aim of this study is to examine perceptions of childhood care and abuse, parenting styles, attachment styles and experience of counselling, if any, in adults living with Social Anxiety Disorder, when compared to a control group. Quantitative research using existing reliable and validated questionnaires where available, are used to measure these. Respondents were recruited from a follow up support group for Social Anxiety which is run by the Mater Hospital The control group sample was recruited randomly from the general population. In general, scores for perceived adverse experiences in childhood were higher for the sample than for the control group. Respondents from the sample group recorded higher levels of antipathy and neglect from their parents, higher levels of physical and sexual abuse and greater incidents of psychological abuse than the control group. It is not surprising therefore that these individuals live their lives in fear of humiliation and rejection, as this is what the majority of them were exposed to, at some level, growing up. The main attachment styles for the sample group were avoidant styles A and D while the control group had a higher incidence of secure attachment style, A. A higher percentage of the sample group had experienced one-to-one counselling and less of these than the control group considered that it would be of benefit to them in the future, indicating that CBT Group Therapy was all that had worked for their SA
The meaning of miscarriage. A study of the perceptions about miscarriage, in comparison to other types of loss
No full textIt is reported that one out of every four women experience miscarriage.
Literature reports that many who have experienced such a loss felt the need
to speak about their loss in order to move on through their grief. These
people also felt that this was a time when support was required. Yet, these
individuals also reported that there was often silence surrounding this event.
This study attempted to compare society's views about miscarriage against
those about another type of loss, namely the death of a spouse in order to
ascertain if miscarriage was also viewed as a loss, and to determine what the
perceptions are concerning the levels of emotions expected after miscarriage,
and the expected impact this event would have on an individual. Results
indicated that although miscarriage was also viewed as a loss that required
mourning, the level of emotions expected were less severe than those
associated with spousal loss. In addition, the expected impact of the event included more avoidance thoughts and behaviours for those who had
experienced miscarriage. Analysis of the questionnaires of 6 participants who
had experienced miscarriage, provided varied results, however significantly,
50% of these people reported that they often avoided thinking or talking about
the event, and often avoided dealing with their feelings. Further research is
however required in order to check if there is a correlation between such
avoidance and the reported silences
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