The tone of this dissertation is in the first person as allowed by the lens of constructivism used in it. Being constantly self-reflective, the author takes the reader through his personal journey to be a therapist, and the ethical dimensions encountered in the process, to indicate that one cannot do therapy \\'ithout considering ethics in the fusion of the professional and personal selves of the therapist.- What is lost in the delineated field of observation is hoped to be gained, in the richness of its personal material. Not aiming at drawing any generalisable arguments, the purpose of the dissertation is to provoke a dialogue about our ethical conduct with clients, indicating that our therapeutic conduct is enriched by constantly involving ourselves in the ethical dilemmas that emerge in the therapeutic process. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

This research deals with the relationship between self-efficacy, empathy and training in clinical psychology to understand how these variables influence the job prospects in this area of conclusive students of Psychology. The survey was conducted online to have the answers of psychology students from public and private institutions who were attending the last year of graduation, ie the 9th or 10th period. The survey instrument was composed of two questionnaires adapted and two standardized scales. The questionnaires adapted for this study has developed or adapted from the literature that address the training in clinical psychology at the undergraduate as well as questions addressing the prospect of future career in Psychology and Clinical Psychology items. Participants 199 students, 23.5 % were male and 76.5 % female, 15 Brazilian states and aged between 19 and 56 years. The average age for the total sample was 25.5 years (SD = 5.73). The results indicate that those with higher self-efficacy in higher education tend to have higher professional perspective in Clinical Psychology (t = -3.30, p = 0.00). As for empathy, the group with greater empathy showed greater job prospect in Clinical Psychology ( t = -2.78 , p = 0.00) and , regarding the evaluation of training, the group evaluated the best training in Clinical Psychology presented also greater job prospect in Clinical Psychology ( t = -7.34 , p = 0.00) . A linear regression analysis showed that job prospects in Clinical Psychology presents as significant predictors of the student´s age, self-efficacy assessment in higher education and training in Clinical Psychology, with explained variance of 38.4 % ( R ² = 0.384 ). Predictors showed older participants with higher self-efficacy in the education and training that best assessed in Clinical Psychology with a greater weight to the variance explained about the job prospects in Clinical Psychology . / Esta pesquisa trata da relação entre autoeficácia, empatia e formação em Psicologia Clínica para entender como essas variáveis influenciam a perspectiva profissional nessa área de atuação de estudantes concludentes do curso de Psicologia. A pesquisa foi realizada a partir de estudo online para respostas de estudantes de Psicologia de instituições públicas e privadas que estavam cursando o último ano da graduação, ou seja, o 9° ou 10º período. O instrumento de pesquisa foi composto de dois questionários adaptados e duas escalas padronizadas. Os questionários adaptados contém itens elaborados para este estudo ou adaptados da literatura que abordam a formação em psicologia clínica na graduação bem como questões abordando a perspectiva de futuro profissional em Psicologia e Psicologia Clínica. Participaram 199 estudantes, 76,5% do sexo feminino, de 15 Estados brasileiros e com idades entre 19 e 56 anos. A idade média para a amostra total foi de 25,5 anos (DP=5,73). Os resultados indicam que o grupo com maior autoeficácia na formação superior, tende a ter maior perspectiva profissional em Psicologia Clínica (t=-3,30; p=0,00). Quanto à empatia, o grupo com maior empatia apresentou uma maior perspectiva profissional em Psicologia Clínica (t=-2,78; p=0,00) e, em relação à avaliação da formação, grupo que avaliou melhor a formação em Psicologia Clínica apresentou também uma maior perspectiva profissional em Psicologia Clínica (t=-7,34; p=0,00). Uma análise de regressão linear mostrou que a perspectiva profissional em Psicologia Clínica apresenta como preditores significativos a idade do estudante, a autoeficácia na formação superior e a avaliação da formação em Psicologia Clínica, com variância explicada de 38,4% (R²=0,384). Os preditores indicaram participantes mais velhos, com maior autoeficácia na formação superior e que avaliaram melhor a formação em Psicologia Clínica com maior peso para a variância explicada quanto à perspectiva profissional em Psicologia Clínica.

This study explored and described the perception of clinical psychologists regarding thebarriers to the provision of psychological services in urban public health settings for people with first-episode schizophrenia. The qualitative research study utilised an explorative, descriptive interpretive research design. Purposive sampling was utilised to gain access to clinical psychologists, who had at least two years of public health experience working with people recently diagnosed with schizophrenia. Data was gathered from 11 participants from the Nelson Mandela Bay Health District of the Eastern Cape by means of in-depth interviews that were conducted in English by the researcher until data saturation had occurred. A computer-assisted qualitative thematic analysis of the collected data was conducted using NVIVO software. The findings have been categorised according to three broad domains: 1)contextual barriers 2)health care system-related barriers and 3)first-episode schizophrenia syndrome-related barriers. Several specific sub-themes were identified for each of these main domains allowing for recommendations and suggestions to be provided for attending to and overcoming these perceived barriers.

The purpose of this study was to answer the question, "Do British Columbia school psychologists use a multifaceted approach to assess English As A Second Language students?" Another purpose of the study was to measure the prevailing procedures used to psychologically assess ESL students in British Columbia school districts. A data collection design was developed that consisted of a mailed self-administered questionnaire that was to be completed by all of the school districts in British Columbia. The questionnaire items were grouped in 3 separate sections - The first section (4 items) of the questionnaire requested personal and demographic information. The second section (35 items) asked participants to indicate on a 4 point Likert scale (always(1) - usually(2) -sometimes(3) - never(4)) the techniques and testing instruments they used during the psychological assessment of an ESL student. These techniques and instruments were selected from the literature outlining multifaceted assessments and included (a) the use of tests translated into the student's L I, and the assessment of the student's L 1, (b) reference to peers and siblings, (c) use of translators, (d) parental involvement, (e) number of years in an English - speaking school system before assessment, (f) use of norm-referenced standardized tests, (g) assessment of the student’s social/cultural/linguistic background, and (h) an awareness of the bias found in widely used tests, and the use of test results to prescribe treatment. The third section (open-ended) invited the participants to briefly describe the guidelines, if any, that their district followed to distinguish learning English As A Second Language difficulties from cognitive processing problems. The results revealed that many B.C. school psychologists involved in the assessment of ESL students are cognizant of the linguistic/ socio/cultural bias found in norm-referenced standardized tests and, as a result, are not extensively administering tests such as the WISC-R to ESL students, nor are they relying exclusively on the test scores to prescribe treatment for ESL students. Moreover, many psychologists are using peers and siblings to establish more realistic norms. Many of the psychologists are assessing the students' academic records (when available) and health records, and involving the ESL students' parents in the assessment process. The data also indicated that several phases of a multifaceted assessment need to be addressed by many of the school psychologists in British Columbia that are involved in the assessment of ESL students. These include: 1)the assessment of the students' L 1, and the use (when appropriate) of standardized tests translated into the student's L 1 2)involving trained translators in the interview and assessment of ESL students, and the interview of the students' parents 3) measuring the students' current level of functioning with 'dynamic' assessment and adaptive behaviour measurement (such as Feurerstein's Learning Potential Assessment Device) 4) involving the students' classroom teacher in the assessment through the use of anecdotal reporting 5) understanding that it takes at least five years, on the average, for an immigrant child who arrives in the host country after the age of six to approach grade norms in L2 Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency. This study has revealed the wide range of psychological assessment procedures currently employed by British Columbia school psychologists. Some psychologists are utilizing all of the data at their disposal to accurately assess ESL students, while others are employing practices that may produce inaccurate and misleading results. In this regard, this study has established a need for valid multifaceted psychological assessment of ESL students procedures to be adapted by all of British Columbia's 75 school psychologists. / Education, Faculty of / Language and Literacy Education (LLED), Department of / Graduate

Psychotherapy is an interpersonal encounter where a therapist collaborates with clients to facilitate a healing process. Due to the personal nature of the therapeutic encounter, the therapist requires the necessary skills and knowledge, as well as a differentiated sense of self. The importance of supporting the psychotherapy trainee’s own differentiation process seemed to have been neglected in research in recent years. In South Africa there has recently been increasing pressure to select larger groups of trainees which has the risk that the tending to differentiation would further be neglected. The purpose of this research study is to reemphasise the importance of differentiation of self of the psychotherapy trainee by examining my own process of differentiation during my psychotherapy training. This study introduces the reader to these concepts and explores psychotherapy training in general and the Unisa training method specifically. The research design of this study is autoethnography which falls in the realm of social constructionism and the coding method is Thematic Data Analysis. The research findings as reflected in the two global themes namely individuation; and gaining and strengthening authentic relationships, seem to accurately reflect the process of differentiation. The specific training method of the Unisa training team in combination with the way in which I engaged with this process seemed important for the facilitation of this process of differentiation. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

A serious problem confronts the psychologist whose patient threatens, within the privacy of a therapy session, to inflict violent harm upon some third person. Therapists in Texas face a risk of unjust legal liability because of a lack of widely accepted, clearly and fully articulated standards. A questionnaire was submitted to Texas psychologists and Texas judges of mental illness courts. It involved a hypothetical case of a patient who threatened to kill his girlfriend. The hypothesis that no consensus exists at present among psychologists or judges appears to be supported by the data. Comparisons are made of the attitudes of psychologists and judges. Correlations between psychologist attitudes and certain demographic and practice variables are reported. The need for new legislation in Texas concerning legal liability of therapists for the violent behavior of patients is discussed. Proposed legislation for Texas is set out. Among its important features are (1) recognition that continued therapy is itself a protective strategy and (2) establishment of good faith as the standard by which the behavior of the therapist is to be judged.

The mini-dissertation explains how systems theory provided a healing context for me in my training as a clinical psychologist over two years. The emergence of my authentic voice is narrated in an autoethnography (five act drama) about what happened. The main theoretical bases for the dissertation are – constructivism to understand the learning and teaching I experienced; learning as a collaborative endeavour and the emergence of my authentic voice with help from more skilled others. Systems theory informs the entire study at every theoretical level. Bowen’s family therapy theory is significant for the differentiation of the self and his I-position is equated with the emergence of an authentic voice. Myth, epic narratives, the hero’s journey amplify my interpretation of the differentiation of self. The raw data for the qualitative research were observations, interviews, creative writing, photocollage, a collection of readings, songs and dialogues. The themes emerging from the autoethnography were about obstructions because of the authoritarian nature of my upbringing, life and work. These themes lessened in force in clinical training until my authentic voice emerged in relation to self and as a clinical psychologist. A recommendation from the dissertation is that autoethnography provides a good vehicle for reflection and intense interior scrutiny needed to become a practising clinical psychologist; the autoethnographical exercise could be used by training clinical psychologists more extensively on their journey to maturity. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

Background/objective: Many studies report positivelearning results for e-learning for skill development in anumber of different settings, whereas one of these settings isin the work with mental health. However, mental healthissues are a globally increasing problem, not least in Sweden,and the need for effective and easily accessible skilldevelopment alternatives is therefore very high. This studytherefore aims to examine and deliver an insight into theuser experience of e-learning for skill development forpsychologists and psychotherapists.Method: A qualitative approach has been adopted wheresemi structured interviews with three psychologists and onepsychotherapist make up the empirical material. Theempirical material is analyzed through a developed modelbased on previous literature in the field.Results/analysis: The user experience for e-learning for skilldevelopment is generally positive. E-learning is perceived aseasily accessible, globalizing and the environmentallyfriendly option for skill development. Limitations are in theform of lacking learning dynamics, pedagogy and quality incomparison to traditional learning. E-learning, however,makes for a very good complement to traditional learning.Conclusions: E-learning is a valued learning method and isperceived to facilitate and help psychologists andpsychotherapists in their professions. However, successfactors such as cost-effectiveness, availability, interactivity,environmentally friendly and facilitating doesn’t compensatefor limitations in the form of lacking learning dynamics.Therefore, e-learning is best used as a complement totraditional learning rather than an independent learningmethod. / Bakgrund/syfte: Flertalet studier visar på positiva lärresultatför e-lärande för kompetensutveckling inom flera olikakontexter, varpå en av dessa kontexter är i arbetet medmental ohälsa. Mentala ohälsan ökar dock världen över, inteminst i Sverige, och behovet av effektiva och lättillgängligakompetensutvecklingsalternativ är därför större ännågonsin. Denna studie ämnar därmed undersöka och bidramed en inblick i hur användningsupplevelsen av e-lärandeför kompetensutveckling ser ut hos psykologer ochpsykoterapeuter.Metod: Ett kvalitativt tillvägagångssätt har anammats därsemistrukturerade intervjuer med tre psykologer och enpsykoterapeut utgör det empiriska materialet. Det empiriska materialet analyseras utifrån en framtagen analysmodellbaserad på tidigare litteratur på området.Resultat/analys: Användningsupplevelsen för e-lärande förkompetensutveckling är överlag positiv. E-lärande upplevssom bland annat lättillgängligt, globaliserande och ettmiljövänligt alternativ för kompetensutveckling.Begränsningar upplevs i form av bland annat bristandelärandedynamik, pedagogik och kvalitét i jämförelse medtraditionellt lärande. E-lärande utgör dock ett väldigt brakomplement till traditionellt lärande.Slutsatser: E-lärande är ett uppskattat lärandesätt somupplevs underlätta och hjälpa psykologer ochpsykoterapeuter i deras yrken. Framgångsfaktorer somkostnadseffektivt, tillgängliggörande, interaktivt,miljövänligt och underlättande väger dock inte upp förbegränsningar i form av bristande lärandedynamik. Därförgör sig e-lärande bäst som ett komplement till traditionelltlärande snarare än ett fristående lärandesätt.

Several quantitative studies show a significant association between the experience of childhood maltreatment and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Some researchers argue for the need of a more psychosocial approach in ADHD assessment of children partly because of the relationship between these variables. The purpose of the present study was to focus on psychologists working with ADHD assessment of children in Sweden and to examine their psychosocial approach and discretion.This study was based on six qualitative interviews which were analysed through thematic analysis. The theoretical framework used were Lipskys theory of street-level-bureaucracy as well as the Power Threat Meaning Framework. The results show that a psychosocial perspective is present during the assessment for instance when looking at the child’s history and when the ADHD-symptoms arose. However, the psychosocial focus is dictated by the amount of time and discretion the psychologist’s experience that they possess. The assessment is further affected by the psychologists characteristics such as knowledge and experiences. One of the main conclusions is that factors such as time, personal characteristics and a flexible discretion influence whether a more medical or psychosocial focus dominate the ADHD assessment.

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