Little empirical research has been done to examine the effects that working with traumatized individuals has had on their therapists. It is known that mental health professionals often do suffer ill effects, especially symptoms of secondary traumatic stress disorder. The present investigation tested predictors of secondary traumatic stress disorder in the therapists who provided services for the Oklahoma City bombing. Predictors were therapist social network involvement, years of counseling experience, and amount of self-reported empathy experienced from others. Indicators of secondary traumatic stress were the Frederick Reaction Index-A, the Compassion Fatigue Self-test for Helpers, and the SCL-90R. Hypotheses were tested using a series of hierarchical multiple regressions. Results demonstrated no significance for years of experience or social network, but perceived empathy accounted for 11% of the variance on the SCL-90 and the Compassion Fatigue Self-test for Psychotherapists with social network and years of experience controlled.

The literature claims that, whilst hindering normal narcissistic development, a family of origin characterised by high levels of cohesion and low levels of adaptability, promotes individual proficiency in interpersonal skills. Coupled with unconscious motivations for interpersonal need gratification, a subsequent predisposition towards a career choice in psychotherapy is likely. This study set out to test these assumptions by comparing family of origin types, levels of narcissism and career self-efficacy in postgraduate Masters psychology students, postgraduate final year law students and final year electronic engineering students currently enroled in University of Natal training programmes (N=85). Informed by the literature, this study hypothesised that trainee psychotherapists would report more extreme family of origin types, predict career self-efficacy in the direction of social occupations and display higher levels of narcissism than students in other fields of specialisation. The Narcissistic Personality Inventory (Raskin & Terry, 1988), FACES III of the Circumplex Model (Olson, McCubbin, Barnes, Larsen, Muxen & Wilson, 1985) and the Career Self-Efficacy Scale (Matsui & Tsukamoto, 1991) were utilised to assess the dimensions of narcissism, family of origin and career self-efficacy respectively. This study was unable to find significant connections between family of origin, narcissism and career self-efficacy, thereby failing to provide empirical support for the literature's claims. Results have been discussed in terms of theoretical and practical implications and attempts have been made to account for the general lack of significant findings. Limitations of this study's research design and recommendations for future research in this area have been offered. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1996.

The aim of the study was to measure the presence of work engagement and wellbeing among Gestalt play therapists in South Africa. A literature study was undertaken to examine the concepts of work engagement and well-being, and a conceptual framework was given of the Gestalt play therapist and the work that they do with traumatized children within the South African context. This literature study forms the theoretical framework in which the study was done. After completion of the literature study, the empirical study was conducted. The researcher made use of a biographical questionnaire and four psychometric instruments to compile research data; it is the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale, Subjective Happiness Scale and Scales of Psychological Well-being. The data obtained was quantatively analysed, research findings were discussed and recommendations were made. The empirical data indicated work engagement and well-being to be statistically significant present in Gestalt play therapists in South Africa. / M. Diac. (Play Therapy) / Social Work

Inledning: Psykisk ohälsa och missbruksproblem utgör betydande riskfaktorer för suicid i vårt samhälle. Psykoterapeuters erfarenheter och upplevelser kring att bedöma suicidrisk hos patienter är ett viktigt bidrag för överlevnad och till vidare forskning för att minska antalet självmord. Syftet var att få ta del av ett antal psykoterapeuters upplevelser kring att bedöma suicidrisk hos patienter. Frågeställningarna fokuserade på terapeuternas upplevelser av att i mötet med patienter bedöma risken för suicid och vilka faktorer som enligt deras erfarenheter påverkat deras upplevelser. Metod: Datainsamling gjordes genom intervjuer med sex psykoterapeuter. Studien hade en induktiv kvalitativ forskningsansats och tillämpade en tematisk analysmetod. Resultat: Studien visar att själva samtalet och etablerandet av allians med patienten är avgörande för bedömningsarbetet. Patientens upplevelser av meningslöshet och tomhet ses som främsta riskfaktorer, liksom missbruk. Gränsen mellan psykoterapi och psykiatri upplevs ibland som otydlig, vilket kan påverka de terapeutiska ramarna. Familj och närstående beskrivs som en alltför outnyttjad resurs. Oro för att göra en felaktig bedömning, tvivel på den egna kompetensen, oro att bli ifrågasatt och granskad är personliga upplevelser som terapeuterna beskriver. Handledning och kollegialt erfarenhetsutbyte upplevs som främsta stödet i arbetet. Diskussion: Resultatet visar att terapeuterna upplever suicidriskbedömning som en viktig del i patientarbetet. Möjligt att bedöma är graden av suicidalitet hos patienten. Att kunna förutsäga ett faktiskt självmord är omöjligt. / Mental health problems and addiction problems are the two main risk factors for suicide in our society. The experiences psychotherapists have made in assessing the risk of patients committing suicide are important to further research in order to decrease the suicide numbers. The purpose of this study was to look into the experiences psychotherapists have made in assessing the risk of suicide in patients. The questions focused on the experiences of assessing the risk of suicide and which factors that might have had an influence on these experiences. Data was collected by interview with six psychotherapists. The study had an inductive qualitative approach and thematic analysis was used as method for analysis of data. Results show that the conversation and establishing of an alliance with the patient is decisive for the assessment. Feelings of meaninglessness and emptiness in the patient are seen as the main risk factors along with addiction. The sometimes indistinct borderline between psychotherapy and psychiatry may affect the therapeutic framework. Family and relatives are described as an unutilized resource. The risk of making a false assessment can at times create worries in the therapists and doubts about their own ability. Supervision and exchanging experiences with colleagues are mentioned as the main support in the work. Discussion: The results show that the therapists sees assessment of suicidal risk in the patient as an important part of the work. It is possible to assess the suicidality in the patient. It is impossible to predict an actual suicide. Further research is required to increase knowledge in the subject.

This project investigated the spiritual well-being (SWB) of psychotherapists in training and their physiological reactions to religious questions posed by a mock client. Electrodermal activity served as an index of physiological arousal interpreted as anxiety. Thirteen psychotherapists in training at the University of North Texas were recruited. They participated in a simulated intake session with a mock client who asked the psychotherapist neutral questions, personal-other questions (POQs), and personal-religious questions (PRQs). It was discovered that the level of SWB did not affect subjects' anxiety responses to PRQs. There also was no difference in subjects' anxiety responses for POQs between high and low SWB therapists. However, psychotherapists did experience some anxiety associated with questions related to their counseling experience and expertise.

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the current process research by investigating a psychotherapist's experience during psychotherapy. Massage therapy and relaxation therapy were used to manipulate psychotherapist's bodily focus, physiology, and affective state. Topics discussed include: the bodily focus of the therapist, neurobiological models of experience, mind-body boundary issues, and a present-time focus. Doctoral level Counseling and Clinical graduate students were used as participants.

The purpose of this study was to explore heterosexual bias in the diagnosis and treatment of gay males. Two hundred-fifty (134 males and 116 females) mental health professionals from the Division of Psychotherapy (29) of the American Psychological Association participated in the study. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two case history conditions, which presented a 35-year-old male seeking therapy. Both conditions were equivalent with regards to the presenting problem (i.e., diagnostic symptoms) with the exception of his significant other (i.e., gay vs. non-gay condition). Potential bias was measured through a diagnostic rating Likert scale and a treatment plan questionnaire. Other independent variables that could potentially have an effect on diagnostic ratings were explored, such as gender, year of graduation, and theoretical orientation of the respondents. Results of the statistical analyses failed to confirm evidence of heterosexual bias. Implications for further research and training are discussed.

In order to prepare counselor-trainees to practice competently and maximize client outcomes, counselor-trainees must develop a broader understanding and explanation, called a case conceptualization, of their clients presenting problems, personality, and systemic dynamics. There is a limited body of research that examines the effects of training on the ability for counselors to develop an effective case conceptualization. This is the first study to train counselors to develop competence in formulating an integrative case conceptualization. This quasi-experimental study aimed to determine whether an intervention had an effect on the 85 counselors in training that participated in a 2-hour training. Data was analyzed using paired sample t-tests, an independent t-test and correlation methods. Participants’ CCEF scores significantly improved from the training (t = -25.970, df = 84, ES = 3.67, p < 0.001). Participants’ CFCCM scores significantly improved as well (t = -21.693, df = 84, ES = 2.78, p < 0.001). Participants’ scores also significantly improved with their perceptions about case conceptualization (t = -30.828, df =84, ES = 5.47 p < 0.001), for items 1-5. Item 6 resulted in values of (t = -13.295, df = 84, ES = 2.14, p < 0.001). The level of cognitive complexity as measured by the CCQ did not have a significant effect on the quality of the counselors in training case conceptualizations. Compared to the CFCCM, the CCEF is a much shorter and easier instrument for evaluating a case conceptualization. Overall, results of this study provide support that counselors in training can improve their quality of case conceptualization skills in as little as 2 hours. This can aid in understanding and explaining their client’s situation better, which may significantly improve the treatment process and client. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

A quasi-experimental, between groups design was used to evaluate differences in emotional behavior, as measured by the Specific Affect Coding System (SPAFF), between professional therapists and their clients and a master therapist and his client. This coding system also was used to determine how emotional behavior shown by a master therapist changes over the course of six psychotherapy sessions. The research team recorded counseling sessions at a university counseling center in the southeastern United States and coded this video data using SPAFF in real time. Data were analyzed quantitatively to determine whether significant differences in SPAFF codes exist between the master therapist, professional therapists at the university counseling center, and their respective clients. Results indicated that the master therapist showed significantly more neutral and less negative affect than his counterparts at the university in both sessions one and four. The master therapist’s client showed significantly more neutral affect and less negative in session one and significantly more positive affect and less negative affect in session four. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

The psychological trauma from a traumatic event is known to be 'contagious' for a witness. Psychotherapists who work with traumatised clients can potentially experience terror, anger and despair; causing secondary traumatic stress that can lead to compassion fatigue and burnout. So, how do psychotherapists, who often carry their own trauma histories, bear such fear and pain when being with and listening empathically to traumatised clients without feeling overwhelmed or losing a sense of hope? The purpose of this grounded theory study was to identify the main concerns of psychotherapists when working with traumatised clients and to describe and generate a conceptual model that explains the processes therapists use to continually manage these concerns. Over a period of ten months, eleven psychotherapists with a minimum of five years work experience were recruited from the New Zealand Association of Psychotherapists (NZAP). Constant comparative analysis of eleven interviews generated through open-ended questions was carried out. A total of twenty-one drawings obtained at different stages of the participant interviews, were used to fully capture the inner world of the traumatic impact. The emerging theory, whose development is grounded in the data, shows that psychotherapists grow through three main psychosocial developmental stages of balancing the impact of trauma: DOING to protect from pain and fear, BALANCING doing with being, and BEING with trust, pain and joy. The participants, however, were likely to involuntarily recycle the three stages when experiencing personal traumatic stress or organisational stressors, in addition to holding clients' trauma. The intention of this research was to raise awareness of work-related traumatic stress, and to provide an educational conceptual model to assist psychotherapists' understanding of how to positively manage secondary traumatic stress and its impact on the physical, emotional and spiritual, before it manifests in burnout, disillusionment or illness.