While psychotherapy constitutes psychologists’ primary form of intervention, psychotherapy research has evidenced a dearth of qualitative data surrounding the practise of psychotherapy as experienced from the perspective of the psychotherapist. To address this, the aim of the present study was to explore the lived experiences and meaning(s) of South African psychologists doing psychotherapy. In doing so, a qualitative research approach, embedded within an interpretive phenomenological theoretical framework, was adopted. Six South African psychologists were identified and selected using snowball sampling and in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted with each of the participants. Each interview was audio recorded and interpreted using interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA). From the data, the following four main themes were identified the space, the process, the Sisyphean burden, and being-seen whilst seeing-others. Additional subthemes and integrated themes including: the self and the search for meaning also emerged. The findings spoke to the complex, challenging and deeply meaningful experiences psychologists identified in doing psychotherapy. The explored experiences and identified meaning(s) reflected psychologists’ understandings of, and responses to, the challenging nature of their profession. As such, the findings of this research study endeavour to contribute towards bridging the epistemological gap, surrounding the paucity of idiographic research and qualitative accounts, of the lived experiences of psychotherapy amongst psychologists in South Africa. These findings therefore aim to shed light on, and better equip, current and future practising psychologists in navigating the inherent stressors of their profession. / Mini Dissertation (MA Clinical Psychology)--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Psychology / MA (Clinical Psychology) / Unrestricted

Research interrogating the development, implementation and enforcement of reactionary and conservative social and educational movements and policies has enabled us to show the con- tradictions and unequal effects and the disproportionate and disparate impacts on the lives of mi- nority students (Apple, 2009). This research study examined how the Board of Regents, Geor- gia’s higher education governing body, interprets and enforces the “lawful presence” require- ment set forth in USG Policy 4.1.6. The study gave primary consideration to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, who the data show have been systematically excluded from access to certain state colleges and universities without legal cause or justification. The study also examined the perceived impacts of Policy 4.1.6 on DACA students seek- ing admission to the state’s most selective colleges and universities. Data collected from partici- pant interviews of DACA students, along with data gathered through participant observation and documents analysis, were used to create a greater understanding of the impacts of Policy 4.1.6 on both DACA and undocumented students. The study is significant because it traverses matters of current legal import, while also contributing to the growing body of literature concerning access to postsecondary education for undocumented students. Using the methodological approach of critical theory, the study incorporated elements of critical race theory (CRT), critical Latino/a studies (LatCrit), and critical policy analysis in the exploration of the various narratives and counternarratives created by the enforcement of Policy 4.1.6. Using Interpretive Phenomenologi- cal Analysis (IPA) of the interview data, a critical assessment of the perceived impacts of Geor- gia immigration and education policy development and implementation is also provided. Finally, this study revealed the ways in which ‘race-neutral’ educational policies result in discriminatory practices against minorities, specifically undocumented students, the majority of who are Lati- no/a. The knowledge gained from this research gives policymakers on either side of this issue with analysis that can more effectively guide them in the interpretation of federal mandates and conflicting state laws that result in the subordination of significant segments of student popula- tions.

The theory of rejection sensitivity, suggests that early experiences of rejection (e.g. parental rejection, peer rejection) can result in the tendency to anxiously expect, readily perceive, and overreact to rejection by significant others in future relationships. An abundance of quantitative research has suggested that rejection sensitivity has significant implications regarding one’s thoughts and actions within intimate partnerships (e.g. Downey & Feldman, 1996); however, little is known about the lived experience of the women who are sensitive to rejection. The present research sought to move beyond the developmental perspective of the theory of rejection sensitivity (as presented in the first two chapters) by aiming to gain an understanding of how women experience rejection sensitivity within their intimate partnerships and how their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours have impacted their romantic lives. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to explore the lived experience of women who identified with rejection sensitivity. Data generated during two interviews with three participants was transcribed and analyzed using an interpretive phenomenological analysis approach. An over-arching theme of I won’t let it happen again: a journey of self-protection emerged that was representative of the women’s shared experience of protecting themselves from experiencing further rejection in their romantic relationships and was further illustrated throughout three secondary themes: I can control things so I won’t let it happen again, Wait…is it happening anyway?, and A continuous journey. Based on the present findings, considerations for further research and practice are offered. Given lack of research aimed at understanding the experiences of women who identify with rejection sensitivity, the value of the present study is twofold: This research makes a notable contribution to current literature, but also encourages women, and those devoted to helping them, to understand their own unique relationships with rejection sensitivity and navigate their own journeys with a sense of hope for mutually satisfying and beneficial romantic relationships in their futures.

Objective: To date there have been few if any qualitative studies of adults who have experienced childhood sexual abuse (CSA) followed by psychotic experiences later in life. This study aimed to explore how a sample of four women make sense of their childhood experiences of sexual abuse and their psychotic experiences later in life. Methodology: Data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with four women. The data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) in order to develop a detailed understanding of the women’s search for meaning in their own lives. Results: Four major themes emerged from the analysis of the women’s accounts: ‘Interpersonal difficulties,’ ‘Striving to Get Better’ and ‘A Relationship with Shame’ and ‘Links Between CSA, Mental health & Psychosis’. These are explored in detail. Conclusions: The women’s accounts highlight the ongoing difficulty of living with psychosis and CSA, in particular, the role of psychosis in exacerbating isolation, shame and negative self perceptions. Attention is also drawn to the development of competence for therapists in this area of work. Clinical Implications: Supporting and validating existing healthy coping strategies as well as exploration of the interaction of psychosis and CSA through psychological mechanisms of shame as well as family / society discourses. Therapist/ researcher selfawareness is crucial in supporting clients with such traumatic histories.

The Birth Centre is a midwife-led, out-of-hospital facility for normal births in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Exploring women’s experiences of choosing the Birth Centre was the primary objective for this thesis. Through a feminist perspective and using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), each participant’s idiographic description of the decision-making experience was analysed. A sample of seventeen women participated in in-depth interviews. Six themes emerged through the qualitative analysis: Exercising personal agency; Making the decision in the context of relationships; An expression of one’s ideology; Really thinking it through; Fitting into the eligibility criteria; and The psychology of the space. The findings suggest that a woman’s sense of safety is related to these themes. The women had a normal birth influence in their lives from personal relationships, past experiences, or personal values and beliefs. The study highlighted the importance of access to midwifery services in order to increase awareness and access to the Birth Centre.

Background: The last few decades have seen neuroscience rapidly progress as a discipline. Development of research techniques such as neuroimaging have been utilised to increase an understanding of our species. Counselling psychologists are trained to combine the world of humanistic and phenomenological philosophies with an ability to understand and undertake psychological research, leading to interventions which are theoretically and subjectively informed. This work is undertaken through the reflexive and scientist-practitioner models which underpin the identity of the discipline. As such, counselling psychologists would seem ideally placed to integrate neuroscience into their work, utilising their reflective and scientist practitioner identities to both utilise and add to neuroscience research, helping to increase the understanding and efficacy of interventions for our species' mental health. However, it appears to be unknown as to whether this is something that counselling psychologists want, particularly in the UK. Aims and Method: The aim of this research was to explore UK based counselling psychologists' views and experiences of integrating neuroscience into their work. An interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) was undertaken. Six participants were recruited into three different groups of interest/understanding in integrating neuroscience into counselling psychology. One hour semi-structured interviews were carried out with each participant to explore their views and experiences relating to the paradigm. Findings and Discussion: Six master themes emerged from the analysis; 'The Dangers of neuroscience', 'Defining neuroscience', 'There are ways that neuroscience can help us', 'Methods of learning and the need for training', 'Integration: The opposition and the need - finding the balance', and 'My practitioner identity'. The themes presented various advantages, dangers and challenges to integration, some of which aligned with existing literature and some of which presented new thoughts and feelings on the paradigm. Conclusion: The six master themes highlighted that participants indicated an overall view that UK counselling psychologists are currently integrating neuroscience into their work, utilising neuroscience theory as a way to develop their understanding of clients, as well as to communicate with clients and multi-disciplinary colleagues. Participants provided a number of experiential advantages of integration and indicated that they want to integrate even more with neuroscience, incorporating neuroscience into doctorate and CPD training, though they acknowledged the importance of balanced integration.

Emergency department (ED) nurses exposed to pediatric resuscitations are at a high risk of developing posttraumatic stress (Adriaenssens et al., 2012; Lavoie et al., 2016). This may be especially true in community hospital EDs where nurses have less exposure to, knowledge about, and resources for managing these events (Gangadharan et al., 2018; Gilleland et al., 2014; Goldman et al., 2018). Interventions to proactively prevent nurse trauma in these contexts remain uninvestigated. To inform such interventions, this study aimed to understand the largely unknown lived experiences of these nurses. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with four registered nurses who experienced at least one pediatric resuscitation while working in a community hospital ED in Ontario. Data analyzed using Smith et al.’s (2009) interpretive phenomenological analysis revealed three superordinate themes (i.e., “Conceptualizing Pediatric Resuscitations,” “Seeing What I See,” and “Making Sense of What I Saw”) and nine corresponding subthemes. This study provides insight into the infrequent but profound experiences of nurses resuscitating children in community hospital EDs. Participants, who conceptualized these events as unnatural, emotional, and chaotic, were comforted by those who understood their experiences and distressed by those who could not see what they saw. To reconcile what they saw, the nurses reflected and ruminated on the event, ultimately restructuring their experiences of themselves, others, and the world to make room for a new reality where the safety of childhood is not certain. The findings of this study have implications for nursing practice, education, leadership, and research that may enhance nurse coping following these events.

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In December 2004, at the SoDIS® (Software Development Impact Statements) symposium in Auckland, an industry certification as a method of credentialing teachers and analysis of SoDIS was mooted. SoDIS, a process of ethics-based risk assessment and analysis of downstream risk to project and software stakeholders, including the public, is currently in the process of progressing from prototype to commercial product. Certification was proposed to ensure the integrity of the process and the quality of service to stakeholders.Certification sponsored by industry, commercial organisation, or professional association (collectively referred to as industry certification, or certification) has been a form of credentialing for over half a century. Industry certification was adopted by the IT industry when Novell, Inc. began testing and certifying IT industry and IT network professionals in 1986 (Cosgrove, 2004; Novell, 1996). Global certification testing centres were established in 1990 by Drake International (now Thomson Prometric) (Foster, 2005).During the 1990s, industry certification became a veritable juggernaut: a "multi-billion dollar business" (Cosgrove, 2004, p. 486), an industry that has arisen in its own right (Adelman, 2000) and driven by several dynamics (Hitchcock, 2005). In 2000 there were over 300 discrete IT certifications with approximately 1.6 million individuals holding approximately 2.4 million IT certifications (Aldelman, 2000). The total number of available certifications is impossible to quantify (Knapp & Gallery, 2003). Many academic institutions both at tertiary and secondary level are integrating industry certification, especially IT certification, into their curricula.Is industry certification, however, a pedagogically robust form of credentialing? Does it have value to its stakeholders? Is it an appropriate form of credentialing for the SoDIS process? This research, using both Phenomenography and Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) as a joint methodology, focuses on the experiences of actors with the phenomenon of industry certification and extracts both the essence of the understanding and perceptions of the value and validity of industry certification, and the essence of industry certification itself.Due to the vast amount of literature found describing industry actors' perceptions of and experiences within the phenomenon, the research is predominantly literature-based. Further data was collected from interviews with a small, purposive sample of industry certification holders and employers, with the research further informed by my own experiences within the domain which is the focus of the research. The methodology paradigm is interpretive: the research aims to interpret the social construction that is the phenomenon of industry certification.While this research does not attempt to single out specific industry certifications to determine their value or pedagogical robustness, the findings suggest that, in general, well designed and well administered certifications with integrity and rigour of assessment processes, are indeed pedagogically sound, with significant value. The research identifies both benefit and criticism elements of typical certifications, along with elements of the various certification programmes categorised into standard (typical), and more rigorous (less typical) certification programmes.The research develops and presents a paradigm for building an appropriate vendor specific or vendor neutral certification programme that is pedagogically sound with value for its stakeholders. The contrasts and complementary aspects of industry certification and academic qualifications are highlighted. It is therefore concluded, and supported by data from the interviews, that such a credential is indeed appropriate for teachers and analysts of SoDIS.