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Aim: To understand the experiences of self-harm and the process of seeking and accessing help for self-harm from the perspectives of counselling clients, gatekeepers and counsellors. Method: A qualitative study which focuses on the ideas and experiences of (1) current counselling clients who have a history of selfharm, (2) community gatekeepers in a range of ro les who are often the fi rst point of contact for people who self-harm when they seek help, including community workers, youth workers, helpline supervisors, clergy and the partner of a person who selfharms, and (3) counsellors who have experience of working with people who selfharm. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 10 participants from each sample group (tota l n = 30). Data analysis of the three sets of findings was conducted using Strauss and Corbin's (1 998) Grounded Theory and facilitated with NVivo 9.0. Findings: Each set of findings yielded six major categories, all of which inter-relate to form the core category, 'The journey through self-harm: Developing a healing reconnection with self and others". Discussion: The three perspectives were synthesised and areas of convergence and divergence with the existing evidence base were identified to provide a composite portrayal of the helping process for people who self-harm. Implications: Core and critical implications have been deduced from the find ings in relation to practice and research. A pertinent implication of the study is that it is possible to recover from self-harm, with the support of helpers who can relate with compassion and humanity and thus promote the individual's capacity for self-healing. Conclusion: There is a need for individual helpers and the organisations in which they work to seek to listen to, understand and respond to the individual life story communicated by every person who self-harms.

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Surveys estimate that between 4.6% and 13% of the population in the UK engaged in self harm (Meltzer et al, 2002; Hawton et al., 2002). Studies have generally indicated that anxiety, depression and childhood traumas are predictive of deliberate self harm (DSH). Furthermore, studies generally support the view that the functions of impulsive forms of DSH are related to avoiding or escaping aversive motions. Based on such findings, the experiential avoidance model (Chapman et al. 2006) suggests that DSH is used as a way to disrupt unwanted thoughts, feelings or memories. This study investigated the effect of processes of worry and rumination in elation to DSH.

Although the therapeutic relationship is considered an essential precursor of therapy, developing effective therapeutic relationships with psychopathic patients is frequently viewed as a challenging if not impossible task. Many commentators have dismissed psychopathic patients as untreatable. There has been a lack of research exploring how clinicians may develop therapeutic relationships with the patient group, including a lack of studies into psychopathic patients' views. The aim of the current study was to explore how patients with psychopathy experience past and present therapeutic relationships and what therapist characteristics and behaviours they find helpful and unhelpful in supporting the development and maintenance of therapeutic relationships. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven psychopathic patients in a special hospital setting and the resultant data was transcribed and analysed using grounded theory methodology. Grounded theory was chosen because it offers a clear, systematic method of analysis and aims to generate theory that is derived from participants' lived experience and can be used to inform future clinical intervention. Eight categories emerged from the analysis; 1. negative past experiences of others; 2. offending; 3. characteristics and beliefs about the self that impact engagement; 4. beliefs about others and therapy that impact engagement; 5. factors that facilitate therapy; 6. problems in relationships; 7. helpful and unhelpful staff member characteristics and 8. helpful and unhelpful staff member behavio~~s:Tllese categories inter-relate to form a grounded theory. The related recommendations may be used by services, psychologists and multi-disciplinary team~ to inform the development of therapeutic relationships with psychopathic patients.

The aim of the current research was to explore the relationship between masculinity and hostility and consider the influential nature of psychopathic traits upon this relationship. Two components of hostility were measured; over-controlled hostility and hostility, and masculinity was identified as comprising a range of masculine scripts, each of which could have differing relationships with hostility. Two studies were conducted in an attempt to explore these relationships in an offender (N = 22) and a non-offender sample (N = 85). Study 1 used a sample of mentally disordered offenders whilst Study 2 was conducted using the general population. It was hypothesised that high levels of masculinity would correlate with high levels of hostility and that there would be a negative correlation between masculinity and over-controlled hostility. Furthermore, it was anticipated that psychopathy would influence these relationships. Whilst Study 1 only provided partial support for the hypotheses whilst Study 2 was more promising in terms of significance, however similar trends emerged across both cohorts. Whilst masculinity was found to significantly predict levels of hostility (in the anticipated direction), it no longer provided a unique contribution to the model of regression following the introduction of psychopathy. Discussions of these results consider whether these findings can be generalised to an offending population and if so, what implications this may have on the treatment of violent offenders.

The study used a qualitative approach to explore CAMHS professionals' experiences of carrying out self-harm assessments, including thinking about the relationship with young people in the assessments and whether clinicians' experiences of the work changes over time. Clinicians working in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) undertake the work of assessing young people who attend hospital due to self-harm. These clinicians must make the decision about whether a young person can be safely discharged home, as well as thinking about their wider needs.