Scant literature is available on victims of sexual abuse who are still presiding in the same environment in which the sexual abuse occurred. Sexual abuse has been shown to cause symptoms of depression, feelings of low self-worth, low moral judgment and feelings of guilt. This study attempted to enhance the career resilience of a sexual abuse survivor by means of life design counselling. The research questions focussed mainly on the characteristics of sexual abuse and career resilience, the influence of sexual abuse on career resilience and how life design counselling can contribute to the career resilience of survivors of sexual abuse. The study was based on a single case study (intrinsic) design and a QUALITATIVE-quantitative approach. The observations and qualitative findings suggested that childhood sexual abuse (CSA) did influence the survivor?s intrinsic representations about herself as well as about others. The findings confirm the impact of CSA on survivors, highlighting previous research on CSA and its influence on future development (personal and emotional), as well as future career resilience and career adaptability. Life design counselling made it suitable as an intervention to be used with survivors of sexual abuse since it explores clients? subjective identity forms as influenced by their experiences and culminates in the writing of new stories. The study contributed to a more complete and comprehensive understanding of CSA and indicated that the life design counselling therapeutic intervention positively enhanced the participant?s self-insight. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Educational Psychology / MEd / Unrestricted

Vooronderstellings by die Beradene - 'n Pastorale Studie is a doctoral dissertation which explores the proposition and find that identifying presuppositions ("core beliefs") and taking it into account enhances the effectiveness of the pastoral counselling process. The practical-theological model of Heitink is used as method to do research. It entails hermeneutical, empirical and strategic aspects: Hermeneutically 1. To show from Scripture some relevant perspectives on the research concept "presupposition", with the counselee in view. 2. To show from boarder sciences such as Philosophy and Psychology some relevant perspectives on the research concept "presupposition", with the counselee in view. Empirically 3. To determine if "presuppositions" play a role with counselees. Strategically 4. To formulate guidelines for effective counselling, identifying "presuppositions" of counselees and dealing with those "presuppositions". Given the understanding of "presupposition" as a belief that takes precedence over another and therefore serves as a criterion for another particular perspectives are shown from Scripture which narrow down basic concepts like "view of man", "perception" and "world and life view" pointing out that presuppositions of counselees should be taken into account. Jay Edward Adams's use of the word "presupposition" can be traced back via Cornelius van Til to the influential figure lmmanuel Kant. Van Til's use of the word is not the same as Adams though Adams associated himself with Van Til. Taking Idealism into account does not make Cornelius Van Til an Idealist. H.G. Stoker supplements Van Til's understanding and use of the word "presupposition". "Depth" and "coherence" come in this way to light with "symbiosis" regarding counselling. Aaron T. Beck's therapeutic model pertinently gives attention to and focuses upon the counselee, especially information processing by the counselee. Presuppositions ("core beliefs") can thus be clinically investigated, taken into account and be dealt with during counselling. An empirical investigation at Lydenburg, Mpumalanga, SA shows that the counselling process is definitely influenced by presuppositions of counsellees. It is therefore needed that counselling (by the Church) gives urgent and in-depth attention to presuppositions of counselees. From the classical reformed paradigm of doing theology Vooronderstellings by die Beradene - 'n Pastorale Studie formulates a therapeutic design called "Referential Therapy" and some preliminary guidelines to identify and deal with presuppositions of counselees. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Pastoral))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Vooronderstellings by die Beradene - 'n Pastorale Studie is a doctoral dissertation which explores the proposition and find that identifying presuppositions ("core beliefs") and taking it into account enhances the effectiveness of the pastoral counselling process. The practical-theological model of Heitink is used as method to do research. It entails hermeneutical, empirical and strategic aspects: Hermeneutically 1. To show from Scripture some relevant perspectives on the research concept "presupposition", with the counselee in view. 2. To show from boarder sciences such as Philosophy and Psychology some relevant perspectives on the research concept "presupposition", with the counselee in view. Empirically 3. To determine if "presuppositions" play a role with counselees. Strategically 4. To formulate guidelines for effective counselling, identifying "presuppositions" of counselees and dealing with those "presuppositions". Given the understanding of "presupposition" as a belief that takes precedence over another and therefore serves as a criterion for another particular perspectives are shown from Scripture which narrow down basic concepts like "view of man", "perception" and "world and life view" pointing out that presuppositions of counselees should be taken into account. Jay Edward Adams's use of the word "presupposition" can be traced back via Cornelius van Til to the influential figure lmmanuel Kant. Van Til's use of the word is not the same as Adams though Adams associated himself with Van Til. Taking Idealism into account does not make Cornelius Van Til an Idealist. H.G. Stoker supplements Van Til's understanding and use of the word "presupposition". "Depth" and "coherence" come in this way to light with "symbiosis" regarding counselling. Aaron T. Beck's therapeutic model pertinently gives attention to and focuses upon the counselee, especially information processing by the counselee. Presuppositions ("core beliefs") can thus be clinically investigated, taken into account and be dealt with during counselling. An empirical investigation at Lydenburg, Mpumalanga, SA shows that the counselling process is definitely influenced by presuppositions of counsellees. It is therefore needed that counselling (by the Church) gives urgent and in-depth attention to presuppositions of counselees. From the classical reformed paradigm of doing theology Vooronderstellings by die Beradene - 'n Pastorale Studie formulates a therapeutic design called "Referential Therapy" and some preliminary guidelines to identify and deal with presuppositions of counselees. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Pastoral))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Background: The 'coming out' literature reveals there is a high degree of selectivity and fear of rejection around disclosure of sexual identity to others. It is suggested this distress can be particularly elevated around disclosure of sexual identity to the family. Recent research suggests that the age of disclosure around sexual identity within the family is shifting, but even with the recent growth of research within the lesbian, gay and bisexual community, researchers still do not fully understand the complexities of the 'coming out' process. Aim: This narrative study aimed to collect 'coming out' stories to better understand the process an adolescent goes through in disclosing their sexual identity to family. Participants: Seven participants were recruited through snowball sampling, four adolescents (one female and three male) who self-identified as lesbian or gay and three parents (three mothers) who had children that self-identified as lesbian or gay. Method: Participant stories were audio recorded in one semi-structured narrative interview, lasting up to 90 minutes. A narrative analysis was carried out drawing upon Labov's (1972) structural analysis and an adaption of Polkinghorne's (1995) narrative 'plots' to develop Thematic Concepts from the participant stories. Analysis: The structural analysis showed that participants did not restrict their stories to a single event of 'coming out' to the family. They spoke about 'coming out' experiences based around numerous chronological events across their life to date, and included evaluations of these. Five Thematic Concepts were developed from the seven participant stories - (1) the influence of self - a sense of knowing something; (2) the influence of the school environment; (3) the influence of culture and religion; (4) the influence of the digital age/new media; and (5) the influence of the family. Conclusions and Implications: Research literature suggests that 'coming out' should not be viewed as a one-time event, but an on-going process evolving across the lifespan. Historical and socio-political factors must also be considered in understanding the process of 'coming out'. With regards to clinical practice, this study suggests counselling psychology should be pro-active in advancing educative interventions to address heteronormativity and discrimination within society, as well as considering systemic approaches when working therapeutically with sexual minorities.

Background: The recent uprisings in Syria have displaced many individuals within and outside the country. Despite the large number of people affected by the war, little research captures their experiences. The literature in this area is predominantly of a statistical nature. This is problematic in the field of Counselling Psychology, which moves away from diagnosis to focus on individual experiences. Aim: The aim of this study is to understand the subjective experiences of Syrian refugees in the UK, particularly the strategies that have aided them in coping with these experiences. Research has indicated therapeutic benefits for the communication of coping strategies. Methodology: The research utilised a qualitative methodology, adapting principles of Narrative Inquiry. A total of three males participated in the research. Each participant was asked one opening question prior to beginning his story. Prompting questions were developed according to the content of each narrative. Each interview was transcribed and analysed in Arabic, which was the language spoken in the interviews. An inductive thematic analysis was utilised to analyse each transcript independently. Analysis: Each participant's story was presented separately, as the themes from each narrative differed from the rest. Essam's narrative was identified as consisting of five principal themes; 'Situation in Syria', 'Searching for a Better Place to Settle', 'Journey from Jordan to the United Kingdom', 'Support and Coping Strategies' and 'Feelings'. Mustafa's transcript was analysed as containing four principal themes; 'Experiences of the War While in Syria', 'Support and Coping Strategies', 'Impact of the War on Health' and 'Coming to the United Kingdom'. Talal's interview was analysed as covering six principal themes; 'Political Opinion', 'Experience of Being in the Army', 'Working to Help and Guide Others', 'Escaping from Syria', 'Life in the United Kingdom' and 'Support and Coping Strategies'. Conclusion: This research generates further understanding of the subjective experiences of Syrian refugees residing in the United Kingdom, which can inform future psychological interventions with this population. The participants' descriptions of various coping strategies that helped them with their experiences may help guide practitioners to understand potential barriers to treatment. Furthermore, cultural differences were identified which could also aid in understanding why Syrians may not attempt to access psychological support. Recommendations are suggested for working psychologically with Syrian refugees, alongside acknowledging limitations of the research and suggestions for further investigation and practice.

Text in English / In this study the use of the narrative analogy in couple's counselling has been outlined. A literature study situates the narrative analogy within a wider philosophical framework. The underlying assumptions of the narrative analogy, both in general and in the work with couples, as well as the role of the counsellor using the narrative analogy, are explored. A case example is described to illustrate the use of the narrative analogy. / Social Work / M. Soc. Sc. (Mental Health)

Text in English / In this study the use of the narrative analogy in couple's counselling has been outlined. A literature study situates the narrative analogy within a wider philosophical framework. The underlying assumptions of the narrative analogy, both in general and in the work with couples, as well as the role of the counsellor using the narrative analogy, are explored. A case example is described to illustrate the use of the narrative analogy. / Social Work / M. Soc. Sc. (Mental Health)

This study focuses on how a Personal Portfolio can facilitate the narration of an adolescent’s life story and the outcome on self understanding. An instrumental case study that was exploritative and descriptive in nature was used to gain insight into the potential value of using a Personal Portfolio to reflect an adolescent’s quest for identity development. Data were collected by means of Personal Portfolio activities, open-ended interviews, tape-recordings of participant interviews, reflective reports written by the research participant as well as observations and field notes recorded in a diary by the researcher. The thematic analysis of the data was done within a constructivist-interpretivist framework. Five core categories: Identity Crisis/Confusion, Identity Exploration,Identifying Developmental Assets, Unresolved Past Issues, and the Experience of Compiling a Personal Portfolio emerged. These core categories were further linked to sub-categories and related themes. This study found that compiling a Personal Portfolio supported the research participant’s quest for identity. In particular, it facilitated a process of self exploration regarding career choice and sexual identity and resulted in increased self-knowledge, an awareness of personal assets and an overall improved sense of self-worth and self-confidence. This study also provided the research participant with a platform to work from and the means to solve some personal problems. The study further more concluded that a Personal Portfolio is a cost effective method that is suitable for use in a diverse South African context which could be utilised by counsellors and educators with their task to assist adolescents with their identity development. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

This research seeks to adopt a post-foundationalist practical theology paradigm, as discussed by J C Müller, in order to create a bridge between the three concepts of the pastoral care perspective, the narrative perspective based on social-constructionism and post-foundationalism. Furthermore, I made use of Müller’s seven movements of methodology which laid a strong foundation to base my research on regarding married migrant women living within Korean multicultural families. Korean society which is a homogeneous culture is currently facing many challenges as a result of becoming more and more multicultural. These multicultural issues are becoming major social and political issues in South Korea. The main reason that South Korean society has become more multicultural is because of intercultural marriages which have also resulted in an increase in multicultural families. These migrant women are faced with many kinds of discrimination and prejudice as a result of their different appearance, culture and language. Furthermore, Korean culture often deprives women of having any position above men especially once they are married. After being married a woman should become invisible, voiceless, and nameless in order to become culturally acceptable. This often results in a migrant woman feeling stressed, fearful, isolated and alone which often results in the development of a low self-esteem, a lack of self-confidence and a low self-image. In my research, I sought to listen to and identify the stories of migrant women, namely foreign women who have married Korean men with a focus on the impact on their identities within a Korean multicultural family through a narrative perspective in order to have a positive growth and outcome from their intercultural differences within South Korea. I decided to view my co-researchers not as co-researchers but as companions on a journey which we could undertake together. The use of the metaphors ‘journey’ and ‘companions’ seemed to give my companions the freedom to speak more openly and placed us on an equal level. Furthermore, I not only discovered my companions’ identities through their own stories, but also developed my companions’ true identities/multi-identities through the broader, inter-relational stories of other people within multicultural communities through a six step process of Listening to the voice, Gaining voice, Giving voice, Finding alternative voice, Retelling voice and Creating future voice. I made use of the narrative approach in order to listen to my companions so that a unity would exist between their past, present and future stories. As I listened to the stories of my companions from a narrative perspective new possibilities were opened which lead to alternative and future stories. Furthermore, my companions were given the opportunity to find themselves and make new identities on the real journey of life. Through the process of my research I also developed a multicultural identity model specifically for married migrant women in South Korea, but ultimately the purpose of my research was not to show or develop a multicultural identity model regarding migrant women, but was more to help these migrant women find their identities themselves and in this become self-empowered to become contributors to Korean society. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / gm2014 / Practical Theology / unrestricted

This study reveals the impact of an exemplar narrative arts learning programme on the self-concept of Grade 9 learners in the Life Orientation classroom. The episodic narrative arts learning programme was designed in response to a suggestion in the government guidelines for Life Orientation and merged the outcomes for Arts and Culture and Life Orientation. The aims of narrative counselling were employed to allow the learners to tell their stories to themselves and others. The arts component, based on the arts therapies, allowed the learners an opportunity to give visual substance to their individual and collective narratives through arts activities that occurred within a small group. Brief video recordings were made of each group’s interactions during the narrative arts episodes in order to compile an edited video overview of the process that could be screened for the learners on completion of the programme. The aims of positive psychology were embedded in the structure and design of the arts episodes and activities. This is an interpretive study with a phenomenological focus, because the lived experiences of the participants and the teacher-researcher are paramount and the narrative element in the study necessitates the inclusion of the postmodern paradigm. This qualitative arts-based research project is based on a two-month Life Orientation learning programme that occurred during school hours on the grounds of a faith-based school. Forty-seven learners were divided into six small groups of approximately eight learners each in which they remained for the duration of the programme and were assigned to a specific teacher-facilitator. Fourteen learners volunteered to participate in four rounds of interviews, which were conducted with each participant to determine the impact of the narrative arts activities on the self-concept over the course of the programme. The transcribed interview responses were interpreted and classified according to five predetermined self-concept domains established by an examination of literature. Data analysis occurred in four cycles which align with the four rounds of interviews. Two data analysis approaches were employed and the data triangulated: a scientifically-accountable and a more intuitive approach. Findings based on the interpreted interview responses of these 14 participants indicate that the exemplar narrative arts programme primarily impacted on two self-concept domains, namely the social and personal-emotional domains. The participants’ self-descriptors revealed that the small group arts activity context allowed them to become gradually more other focused and stimulated varied measures of self-insight and self-growth. Once the limitations are recognised, the study could contribute to the inclusion of more arts-based assignments in Life Orientation programmes to aid the development of self-concept, the inclusion of this particular exemplar approach in more educational settings, openness to “team teaching” in the high school and more innovative applications of video recording within an educational or research setting. The exemplar narrative arts approach is a means for strengthening psychological support services in the school, because it reinforces the formulation of identity by allowing learners an opportunity to become actively busy writing and living their life stories / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted