While the importance of confidentiality in eliciting sensitive information in psychotherapy is generally assumed, there has been little experimental testing of this hypothesis. Therapists are understandably reluctant to manipulate conditions of confidentiality in a therapy situation, since such manipulation may adversely affect the progress of the client. In view of this circumstance, analogue experiments are an alternative in producing empirical data. The current study in an analogue. Forty-five male and forty-five female subjects were orally administered the same structured interview by a female experimenter. Interview questions were derived from existing standard personality and clinical assessment instruments, and school regulations and situations encompassed in school discipline codes. Questions were rated by mental health professionals who work with children and adolescents and by junior high school teachers as to their presumed sensitivity for a junior high school population. Seventh and eighth grade male and female subjects were randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions: confidentiality explicitly assured; confidentiality neutral; and confidentiality. Seventeen items were judged most sensitive by the panel of rates. A frequency of sensitive self-disclosure, computed for these questions revealed a nonsignificant trend consistent with the experimental hypotheses that self-disclosure would be highest in the confidential conditions, and lowest in the nonconfidential condition. Thus subjects in the confidentiality assure condition had the highest mean disclosure rates, while subjects in the nonconfidential condition had the lowest mean disclosure rates. Additionally, defensiveness of subjects was moderated by confidentiality condition. Males and females showed differences in patterns of behavior under the three confidentiality conditions. Females disclosed less frequently across conditions, with greatest differences shown in the nonconfidential condition. Also females' patterns of defensiveness differed from those of male subjects. Post-test responses to a questionnaire indicated that a majority of subjects tended to assume a condition of confidentiality, unless they were explicitly informed otherwise, and that females valued confidentiality more highly than males. The results provide support for the hypothesis that confidentiality is perceived as an important condition in a situation in which an individual is asked to disclose sensitive and personal information, and that behavior is influenced by confidentiality condition, although male and female adolescents may be affected differently.

Seriously emotionally disturbed adolescents in residential placement tend to act out aggressively. Such behavior often creates an atmosphere of intimidation and fear which contributes to the high stress, sense of incompetence, and frequent turn over of youth care staff. Formal training for these practitioners is limited in scope and availability. The training program, Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) (Budlong I 1983) which was the focus of this study, was designed to train youth care workers to deal with aggressive youth. It was anticipated that the program would increase youth care workers perceived sense of competence and reduce their perceived level of job stress. The Occupational Stress Inventory (OST) and the Correctional Institution Environment Scale (CIES) were used to measure reported perceptions of competence. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was used to measure reported perceptions of job stress. Fifty one subjects, from four residential centers, were randomly assigned to a training group, a training group with follow-up, or a control group. A four way ANOVA was used to analyze main effects and single interactive effects of the classification variables (i.e., age, educational attainment and experience) with training. In general, the analysis provided the following conclusions: (1) Neither reported self efficacy nor reported job stress were significantly impacted by TCI Training; (2) Although younger participants receiving training without follow-up reported a greater sense of depersonalization (i.e., higher perceived stress) and a lower sense of competence in using supportive skills than their older counterparts, younger participants who received follow-up in addition to the training, reported a lower sense of depersonalization (i.e., lower perceived stress) and a higher sense of competence in using support skills than their older counterparts; (3) Older participants reported lower levels of depersonalization after receiving training. Implications for these findings are discussed. / Ed. D.

The aim of this study was to design a Gestalt guideline to assist the Grade R teacher to identify, understand and manage the temperamental patterns of the Grade R child enabling optimal adjustment of the child. Intervention research (Design and Development model of Rothman & Thomas) as phase model was partly used as method for this study. A qualitative approach was followed during data collection. The needs and concerns in relation to temperament and temperamental patterns were explored through semi-structured interviews with 12 Grade R teachers. The identified problems were analyzed and in order to address the problems, information was gathered through relevant literature and consulting with professionals. Functional elements of successful models were identified and used in the Gestalt guideline. The study concludes at Phase 4 by designing a Gestalt guideline as preliminary intervention for the Grade R teachers. The Gestalt approach was used as cornerstone for the guideline. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Spelterapie))

The aim of the current study was to investigate the impact of psychotherapists&rsquo / Emotional Intelligence (EI) on adolescent patients&rsquo / perceptions about psychotherapists&rsquo / success and on adolescent patients&rsquo / preference about psychotherapists to consult. In order to examine EI level of psychotherapists who are represented in selected movies, the Scale for Evaluating Psychotherapist&rsquo / s Emotional Intelligence was created for specific to this study. 50 high school students aged between 16 and 18 were participated in the study. The participants watched two movies of which one is representing high EI psychotherapist and the other representing low EI psychotherapist. Then they completed the Scale for Evaluating Psychotherapist&rsquo / s Emotional Intelligence for each movie. Since the experimental group sample size was small, non-parametric tests were conducted in data analysis. According to results, adolescents evaluated high EI psychotherapist as more successful than the one who has low EI. Accordingly, adolescents preferred to consult high EI psychotherapist when needed rather than the one who has low EI.

Thesis (M.A.) - Carleton University, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 88-95). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

The aim of this study was to design a Gestalt guideline to assist the Grade R teacher to identify, understand and manage the temperamental patterns of the Grade R child enabling optimal adjustment of the child. Intervention research (Design and Development model of Rothman & Thomas) as phase model was partly used as method for this study. A qualitative approach was followed during data collection. The needs and concerns in relation to temperament and temperamental patterns were explored through semi-structured interviews with 12 Grade R teachers. The identified problems were analyzed and in order to address the problems, information was gathered through relevant literature and consulting with professionals. Functional elements of successful models were identified and used in the Gestalt guideline. The study concludes at Phase 4 by designing a Gestalt guideline as preliminary intervention for the Grade R teachers. The Gestalt approach was used as cornerstone for the guideline. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Spelterapie))

The study explores and describes the satisfaction that clients placed at Trinity Children and Family Services have with the agency's therapeutic services. Therapeutic services in this case refers to the therapy that the residents receive from their individual and group therapists, and their interactions with the unit case manager/dorm supervisor and unit counselors.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, and San Diego State University, 2004. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 55-68).

A wide range of individuals, from counselors to psychiatrists, have recognized the value of residential treatment centers for at-risk youth. Many residential treatment centers foster therapeutic interventions indoors. Typically, however, there have been few initiatives taken to enhance the outdoor landscapes of these facilities. In particular, potential supplements to therapeutic practices such as landforms and sculpture have been overlooked. This creative project explores how outdoor settings can be enhanced with landforms to provide at-risk youth with alternative venues to address aggressive and antisocial behaviors. Additionally, group activities are considered that could take place in these spaces, using landforms as educational tools.The purpose of this creative project was to determine ways to utilize sculptural landforms in support of treatment plans at a residential treatment facility. The research process included interviews with employees of the Youth Opportunity Center (YOC) in Muncie, Indiana, site visits to various outdoor public spaces, and reviews of the writings of Clare Cooper Marcus and Marni Barnes. The research phase contributed to the development of a design program, and led to the development of design concepts for the YOC. These concepts are documented in master plan, elevation, and sketch form. The research and design concepts are found in the following document. / Department of Landscape Architecture

The purpose of the present study was to compare a traditional therapeutic technique (client-centered) to a structured social skills training package in the group treatment of adolescents with school and social adjustment problems, An additional consideration was made of the efficacy of the specific training program used as applied to this population. Seven indices of change (four of which are behavioral and three self-report) were included in the study as dependent variables. Subjects were students attending an "alternative" high school whose population consisted primarily of pre-adjudicated juvenile delinquents, status offenders, and other students experiencing various social adjustment difficulties in more traditional high school environments.