M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / Storytelling as a therapeutic intervention entails the narrating of events by externalising emotions, thoughts and responses to life-changing events such as loss and grief. This creates the opportunity for clients to engage with psychologists by projecting various beliefs and challenges, such as grief, through a range of therapeutic modalities. This study conducts an inquiry into the ways in which storytelling can be utilised by educational psychologists with adolescent clients to address behavioural challenges relating to grief. This qualitative study therefore aims to facilitate an understanding of the use and benefits of storytelling as a therapeutic intervention. This has been achieved by examining interviews with four educational psychologists who have utilised storytelling as a therapeutic intervention with adolescent clients to overcome challenges with grief. The participants (educational psychologists) discussed case studies during interviews, which provided evidence of their practical administration of storytelling as a therapeutic intervention incorporating integrated theoretical approaches through the use of blended therapeutic techniques. Behavioural challenges relating to grief were also predominant in the case study information provided by the participants. The participants further confirmed that the term ‘grief’ included different types of loss that were experienced among adolescent clients ...

Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references.

D.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / Children do not exist in isolation of their families and communities. Grief and loss therefore affect them on multiple levels, depending on their personal, social, communal, cultural and economic circumstances. The loss of one or both parents to AIDS in South Africa renders orphaned children and adolescents vulnerable. In addition their grief experiences are influenced by the personal, cultural and communal factors which determine how their feelings of grief and loss are understood and expressed. In certain contexts and cultures, their stories of grief and loss remain unheard and unacknowledged. In many instances, these stories are tucked away in the open spaces and silences of their thoughts and expressions. The purpose of this inquiry is to explore, through creative expressive arts in therapy, the stories of grief of adolescents orphaned by AIDS living in a South African children’s home. This critical ethnographic study describes how a qualitative arts based research method was used to integrate creative expressive arts modalities into therapy sessions as a method of data collection for the study. As such, the critical ethnographic design was employed in order to give attention to the cultural context of the 16 adolescent participants and how this context influenced their sharing of their grief experiences, following the loss of one or both parents to AIDS. This was done in order to answer the research question: ‘What is the story of grief as experienced by the adolescents orphaned by AIDS living in a South African children’s home, as explored through creative expressive arts in therapy?’ In light of this, the research aim of the study was to give an ethnographic account of grief as experienced by adolescents orphaned by AIDS living in a South African children’s home, as explored through creative expressive arts in therapy. Group therapy sessions using creative expressive arts facilitated the development of various data sets which were analysed by means of discourse analysis, in order to derive common themes relating to their stories of grief and loss. The adolescents storied their thoughts and feelings about grief in therapy, through creative expressive arts modalities, demonstrating how their bereavement is impacted by the personal, cultural and social context of the South African children’s home in which they live. The findings and practical implications of this qualitative, critical ethnography provide insight into the grief experienced by South African adolescents orphaned by AIDS. This research endeavour will also expose some of the underlying assumptions about grief of adolescents who have lost one or both parents to AIDS. The study will also indicate how their v life circumstances and grief experiences are subject to elements of power, control and even religious orientation in their culture and community. In order to give voice to the grief experiences of children and adolescents as forgotten mourners, recommendations advocate further research be conducted on the grief experiences of adolescents orphaned by AIDS in South Africa. This can be done in the form of in-depth case studies or larger studies which make use of one or more creative expressive arts modalities in therapy.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 348-360). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 2000. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (p. 348-360).

Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (MA (Social Work and Criminology))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Text in Afrikaans / This study is aimed at the development of strategies for therapists to be used with adolescents and late adolescents (15 to 20 years of age) who have lost a loved one. This will be done by focussing on the redefining of identity as a way of becoming. The starting point of the study is to be found in the problem formulation that the process of becoming of adolescents who have suffered the loss of a loved one, may be blocked because they do not have the necessary skills to overcome the loss. The second problem is that therapists do not have the necessary skills to empower these adolescents so that the redefining of identity can be achieved. / Social work / D. Diac. (Spelterapie)

Text in Afrikaans / Summaries in English and Afrikaans / Die dood van 'n ouer he! 'n effek op die totale lewe van die kind en dompel die kind in emosionele nood wat terapeutiese begeleiding noodsaak. Na afloop van die afsterwe van 'n ouer, vind daar fisieke, emosionele, sosiale en kognitiewe veranderinge in die kind se lewe plaas waarop hy nie voorbereid is nie, en wat hy ook nie verstaan nie. Hierdie veranderinge veroorsaak dat die kind se leefwereld in so mate verander dat sy funksionering benadeel word. Daar is met hierdie studie gepoog om vas te stel watter effek die dood van 'n ouer op die kind he! en tot watter mate terapeutiese begeleiding die kind se emosionele nood kan verlig. Daar is in die studie gevind dat rou inderdaad 'n gekompliseerde proses is wat lei tot die ontstaan van talle onbeantwoorde vrae, gevoelens van magteloosheid en emosionele pyn. Kinders wat in rousmart verkeer word dikwels deur die samelewing misgekyk en kry as gevolg hiervan nie voldoende hulp nie. Di! lei tot die ontstaan van persoonlikheidsontwikkelingsprobleme, relasionele probleme en intra-psigiese probleme soos 'n swak selfbeeld, ego-verdedigingsmeganismes, persoonlike kwesbaarheid, ongunstige betekenisgewing en ongunstige belewenisse. Hierdie probleme veroorsaak dat die kind in sy selfaktualisering gerem word en as gevolg hiervan nie sy gegewe moontlikhede verwerklik nie. Die studie het verder bewys dat die kind wat 'n ouer aan die dood afgestaan het, wel deur middel van terapeutiese begeleiding deur 'n sielkundige gehelp kan word om die verlies van 'n ouer in so 'n mate te hanteer dat die faktore wat die kind se selfaktualisering rem, opgehef kan word. Die studie voorsien die sielkundige van riglyne ten opsigte van die proses van terapeutiese begeleiding aan die kind wat 'n ouer aan die dood afgestaan het. Riglyne word gebied ten opsigte van die hantering van die kind se onmiddellike situasie, die evaluasie van die kind-inrousmart, die vasstelling van doelstellings en doelwitte vir terapeutiese begeleiding, die selektering van terapeutiese tegnieke, die terapeutiese hulpverlening aan die kind, die hulpverlening aan die oorblywende ouer en die hulpverlening aan die onderwyser wat gemoeid is met die kind-in-rousmart. Riglyne word ook gebied ten opsigte van die terminering van terapie. / The death if a parent has an influence on the total life of a child and causes emotional trauma that necessitates therapeutic guidance. After the death of a parent, physical, emotional, social and cognitive changes occur in the child's life for which he is not prepared and that he also does not understand. These factors cause such a change in the child's life-world that his functioning is hampered. In this study it was endeavoured to determine what effect the death of a parent has on a child's life and to what extent therapeutic guidance can alleviate the child's emotional trauma. In this study it was found that mourning is indeed a complicated process that gives rise to countless unanswered questions, feelings of helplessness and emotional pain. Children suffering grief in mourning are often ignored by society and as result of this, they do not receive adequate assistance. This leads to problems concerned with the development of the personality, relational problems and intrapsychological problems such as a poor self-concept, ego defence mechanisms, personal vulnerability, negative ways of acquiring meaning and unfavourable ways of experiencing life. These problems give rise to the hampering of the child's selfactualisation and because of this he cannot realise his potential. The study has furthermore proved that the child who has lost a parent through death, can be helped by a psychologist. This can be done by means of therapeutic guidance so that the child can handle the loss of a parent to such an extent that the factors that hamper his self-actualisation can be removed. The study provides guidelines for therapeutic guidance to the child who has Jost a parent through death. Guidelines are given on handling the child's immediate situation, the evaluation of the child in mourning, the determination of aims and objectives for therapeutic guidance, the selection of therapeutic techniques, therapeutic assistance to the child, assistance to the remaining parent and assistance to the educator who is involved with the child in mourning. Guidelines are also given for the termination of therapy. / Educational Studies / D.Ed (Clinical Psychologist)

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explores the needs of sibling-bereaved adolescents in high schools in the Western Cape, South Africa. A grounded theory approach was used to examine unexpected sibling bereavement with specific focus on participant perceptions and experiences regarding support provided by their high school. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with siblings who were in high school when their brother or sister died suddenly. An argument is developed for why high schools need insight into effective ways of supporting sibling-bereaved adolescents as they attempt to fit in and function at school. As this study was conducted in a multi-language environment, attention is given to the differing abilities of adolescents to articulate their bereavement experience. The effectiveness of focus groups with this population and the importance of providing psycho-education support during the interviewing process are emphasised. The scarcity of studies on adolescent bereavement in South Africa can be attributed to a combination of the emotional painfulness of the subject for adolescents and gatekeeping by school personnel and parents. Understandably, concerns about disclosure and fresh trauma/grief triggering may be given precedence over research. Themes grounded in the data uncovered a psychosocial journey involving disruption, transition and changed self. Bereaved siblings felt singled out as different from their peers when they return to school. Hence discreet acknowledgement and disclosure of the death is important to them. A key finding is that accomplishment plays a significant role in boosting the flagging morale of bereaved adolescents. Accomplishment aids their inviduation and stimulates them to regain interest in their own life goals. While individual teachers and other school personnel were considered helpful, there was an absence of a structured plan of support for bereaved adolescents in the schools examined. Attachment theory foregrounded an explanation of why the loss of a sibling during adolescence can have a lasting influence on the future of those left behind. Most adolescents in the study evidenced a desire for an on-going connection with their sibling who died while they simultaneously took on new roles to try and fill the void created by their death. Findings from this study are intended to provide richer insight into the complexity of adolescent sibling bereavement and may also serve to inform educational and health care interventions for bereaved learners in South Africa. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie verken die behoeftes van adolessente in hoërskole in die Wes-Kaap, Suid-Afrika, ná die verlies van ’n broer of suster. ’n Gegronde-teorie-benadering is gebruik om ondersoek in te stel na adolessente wat onverwags ’n broer of suster verloor het, met bepaalde klem op deelnemers se opvattings oor, en ervarings van, die steun wat hulle van hul onderskeie hoërskole ontvang het. Onderhoude en fokusgroepe is dus gehou met adolessente wat op hoërskool was toe hul broer of suster skielik gesterf het. Die studie beredeneer waarom hoërskole insig moet hê in die doeltreffende ondersteuning van adolessente wat ’n broer of suster aan die dood moes afstaan, namate hulle weer op skool probeer inpas en funksioneer. Aangesien hierdie studie in ’n meertalige omgewing uitgevoer is, word adolessente se wisselende vermoëns om hul ervaring van verlies te verwoord, in ag geneem. Die doeltreffendheid van fokusgroepe met hierdie populasie, sowel as die belang van psigo-opvoedkundige steun gedurende die onderhoudproses, word beklemtoon. Die seldsaamheid van Suid-Afrikaanse studies oor adolessente wat broers of susters verloor, kan toegeskryf word aan ’n kombinasie van die emosionele pyn wat die onderwerp by adolessente oproep, en skoolpersoneel en ouers wat adolessente teen sodanige navorsing beskerm. Uiteraard is dit te verstane dat kommer oor openbaarmaking en die vars trauma/hartseer wat dit kan ontlok, dikwels voorrang kry bo navorsing. Die temas wat in die data vasgelê was, bring ’n psigososiale reis van ontwrigting, oorgang en verandering van die self aan die lig. Adolessente wat broers of susters aan die dood moes afstaan, het met hul terugkeer skool toe uitgesonder en anders as hul portuur gevoel. Dus is oordeelkundige erkenning en openbaarmaking van die sterfgeval vir hulle belangrik. Een van die belangrikste bevindinge is dat prestasie ’n beduidende rol speel om die verswakte moreel van sodanige adolessente ’n hupstoot te gee. Prestasie help met hulle individuasie, en stimuleer hulle om opnuut in hul eie lewensdoelwitte belang te stel. Hoewel individuele onderwysers en ander skoolpersoneel as tegemoetkomend beskou is, was daar geen gestruktureerde ondersteuningsplan vir die adolessente in die betrokke skole nie. Die gehegtheidsteorie doen ’n verklaring aan die hand van waarom die verlies van ’n broer of suster gedurende adolessensie ’n blywende invloed kan hê op die toekoms van die kinders wat agterbly. Die meeste adolessente in die studie het ’n begeerte getoon na ’n voortgesette band met hul oorlede broer of suster, terwyl hu lle terselfdertyd nuwe rolle aanvaar het om die leemte van die oorledene te probeer vul. Bevindinge uit hierdie studie is bedoel om dieper insig te bied in die kompleksiteit van adolessente wat broers of susters verloor, en kan ook opvoedkundige en gesondheidsorgintervensies vir sodanige leerders in Suid-Afrika rig.