This study explored the relationship between psychotherapists' personality and choice of theoretical orientation. A total of 493 participants (274 practitioners and 219 students) completed a web-based survey. Personality was assessed using the HEXACO Personality Inventory (HEXACO-PI; Lee & Ashton, 2004) while theoretical orientation preference was assessed using a modified version of the Theoretical Orientation Profile Scale-Revised (TOPS-R; Worthington & Dillon, 2003). In the practitioner sample, the Humanistic/Existential scale was found to be significantly correlated with the Openness Unconventionality scale (r = .34). Results further revealed that practitioners' theoretical orientation preference differed based on the Conscientiousness and Openness personality dimensions. In the student sample, the cognitive-behavioural orientation was significantly correlated with Conscientiousness ( r = .37) and the Conscientiousness Prudence facet scale (r =.36). The humanistic/existential scale was significantly related to Openness ( r = .34) and the Openness Creativity subscale (r = .35). Results further indicated that students' theoretical orientation preferences were different based on the Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness personality dimensions. Lastly, results showed that students' theoretical orientation preferences were significantly related to their supervisors'. Implications for future research, training, and practice are discussed.

No description available.

Text in Afrikaans / Every person yearns to function as an independent and integrated human being who experiences inner peace and wholeness. The search for a way of life that leads to wisdom and life knowledge has continued through the centuries and according to Hancock (2005:8) it began as early as 40 000 years ago. This research study takes up this search, describing human wholeness from a spiritual, philosophical and psychological perspective, in the context of specific essential characteristics. Together with this, applicable therapeutic approaches were researched to structure an intervention model to achieve wholeness. Wholeness therapy is an eclectic approach based on medical hypnoanalysis with added aspects of the rational-emotive behavioural therapy of Albert Ellis, choice theory of William Glasser and Victor Frankl’s logotherapy. By means of qualitative research a case study from a psychological practice was described, in which a person was enabled to experience wholeness through wholeness therapy which is described in full. / Educational Studies / D.Ed. (Sielkundige Opvoedkunde))

Text in Afrikaans / Every person yearns to function as an independent and integrated human being who experiences inner peace and wholeness. The search for a way of life that leads to wisdom and life knowledge has continued through the centuries and according to Hancock (2005:8) it began as early as 40 000 years ago. This research study takes up this search, describing human wholeness from a spiritual, philosophical and psychological perspective, in the context of specific essential characteristics. Together with this, applicable therapeutic approaches were researched to structure an intervention model to achieve wholeness. Wholeness therapy is an eclectic approach based on medical hypnoanalysis with added aspects of the rational-emotive behavioural therapy of Albert Ellis, choice theory of William Glasser and Victor Frankl’s logotherapy. By means of qualitative research a case study from a psychological practice was described, in which a person was enabled to experience wholeness through wholeness therapy which is described in full. / Educational Studies / D.Ed. (Sielkundige Opvoedkunde))

At the University of North Texas, and as per the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) standards, masters students in counselor training are required to choose a personal theoretical approach to the counseling process. The purpose of this study was to investigate an experimental counseling theory identification procedure compared to the traditional procedure of helping students identify a personal theory of counseling. The investigation assessed the effect on 1) counselor self-report of confidence in theoretical orientation selection/identification, and 2) the degree to which a student consistently identifies, conceptualizes and utilizes a particular counseling theoretical approach. Volunteer participants (n=35) were recruited from three sections of COUN 5660 and were randomly drawn to group assignment within each class. The experimental condition focused on exploration of personal beliefs related to human nature, maladjustment and the nature of change as a basis for theory selection. The comparison group received the standard theory selection activities. The TCQ and TOPS-R were used to examine the effect of treatment and were administered at three points of time. Data was analyzed using a split plot ANOVA to examine group differences, changes across time, and the possible interaction of change with group membership. Statistical and practical significance of findings were analyzed. Results revealed no statistically significant differences between groups over time. Because findings revealed statistically significant main effect findings for time-ranging from moderate to large-post hoc analysis was conducted. One-way ANOVAs were conducted for each dependent variable to further understand results. Results indicated that both groups demonstrated a statistically significant increase over time in theory confidence, with large treatment effects for both groups. Post hoc results on the TOPS-R Humanistic/Existential scale and the Cognitive/Behavioral scale revealed mixed results regarding treatment effect.

Text in Afrikaans / Die komplementariteit tussen afstand en intimiteit in die terapeutiese verhouding word ge"illustreer en bespreek aan die hand van 'n enkeie gevallestudie. Die klem is op rekursiewe en selfverwysende prosesse wat tussen die terapeut en kiient plaasvind, sodat die vvyse waarop intiemer en meer afstandelike interaksies ge-kokreer is, uitgelig word. Die terapeutiese proses word binne die raamwerk van die ekosistemiese en sosiale konstruksionistiese epistomologie bespreek. Navorsing word uitgevoer volgens die naturalistiese navorsingsparadigma en raakpunte tussen die navorsingsparadigma en epistomologie wat bespreek is, word aan die hand van die gevaliestudie ge"illustreer. In die studie word daar ook verwys na verwante kwessies, soos aanraking en grense in die terapeutiese verhouding, terapie as 'n a-sosiale konteks, terapie as 'n paradoksale situasie en die neutraliteit van die terapeut, wat aansluit by die tema van hierdie studie. Hierdie temas word geintegreer tydens die bespreking van die gevallestudie. / An individual case study is used in this study, to discuss the complementarity between distance and intimacy in the therapeutic relationship. The focus is on recursive and selfreflective processes between the therapist and the client in order to explain the way in which intimate and distant interactions were coconstructed. The therapeutic process was discussed in the context of ecosystemic and social constructionist epistemologies. Research was done according to the principles of the naturalistic research paradigm and overlaps between this research paradigm and epistemologies that were discussed are brought forward through the discussion of the case study. There are also references in this study to related issues, such as touching and boundaries in the therapeutic relationship, therapy as an a-social and paradoxical context, and the neutrality of the therapist, which connect with the theme of this study. These themes are integrated in the discussion of the case study. / Psychology / M.A. (Kliniese Sielkunde)

This is a novel attempt to produce a rigorous mathematical model of a complex system. The complex system under study is the relationship between therapists and their clients. The success of psychotherapy depends on the nature of the relationship between a therapist and a client. We use dynamical systems theory to model the dynamics of the emotional interaction between a therapist and client. We determine how the therapeutic endpoint and the dynamics of getting there depend on the parameters of the model. ... We describe the emotional state of both the therapist and client with coupled, first order, nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODE's). The rate of change of the emotional state of the therapist and client is proportional to their previous state, their uninfluenced state when alone, and an influence function which depends on the state of the other person. We formulated influence functions based on the research literature on psychotherapy and the therapeutic alliance. We then determined the critical points from the intersection of the nullclines and used a numerical ODE solver (Matlab ODE113) to compute the trajectories from different initial conditions. ... The results validate this prototypical approach to psychotherapy ; we have shown that human interaction (in the context of psychotherapy) can be quantified and modeled using differential equations. / by Michael Douglas Norman. / Vita. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2012. / Includes bibliography. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader.

Text in Afrikaans / Die komplementariteit tussen afstand en intimiteit in die terapeutiese verhouding word ge"illustreer en bespreek aan die hand van 'n enkeie gevallestudie. Die klem is op rekursiewe en selfverwysende prosesse wat tussen die terapeut en kiient plaasvind, sodat die vvyse waarop intiemer en meer afstandelike interaksies ge-kokreer is, uitgelig word. Die terapeutiese proses word binne die raamwerk van die ekosistemiese en sosiale konstruksionistiese epistomologie bespreek. Navorsing word uitgevoer volgens die naturalistiese navorsingsparadigma en raakpunte tussen die navorsingsparadigma en epistomologie wat bespreek is, word aan die hand van die gevaliestudie ge"illustreer. In die studie word daar ook verwys na verwante kwessies, soos aanraking en grense in die terapeutiese verhouding, terapie as 'n a-sosiale konteks, terapie as 'n paradoksale situasie en die neutraliteit van die terapeut, wat aansluit by die tema van hierdie studie. Hierdie temas word geintegreer tydens die bespreking van die gevallestudie. / An individual case study is used in this study, to discuss the complementarity between distance and intimacy in the therapeutic relationship. The focus is on recursive and selfreflective processes between the therapist and the client in order to explain the way in which intimate and distant interactions were coconstructed. The therapeutic process was discussed in the context of ecosystemic and social constructionist epistemologies. Research was done according to the principles of the naturalistic research paradigm and overlaps between this research paradigm and epistemologies that were discussed are brought forward through the discussion of the case study. There are also references in this study to related issues, such as touching and boundaries in the therapeutic relationship, therapy as an a-social and paradoxical context, and the neutrality of the therapist, which connect with the theme of this study. These themes are integrated in the discussion of the case study. / Psychology / M.A. (Kliniese Sielkunde)

This descriptive research addressed the challenges of working with the conscious and unconscious aspects of diversity in order to enhance insights into covert and deeper diversity dynamics in organisations. The research supported the evolving trend of shifting the systems psychodynamic orientation from the group to the individual context. The general aim was to describe a systems psychodynamic coaching model, and to determine its trustworthiness in assisting executives to work effectively with conscious and unconscious diversity dynamics. Literature was reviewed to provide a theoretical foundation of diversity challenges which executives face in South African organisations. This was augmented by systems psychodynamic literature, which provided a theoretical basis upon which to understand the intrapsychic aspects of the executives and their interplay with systemic dynamics. The empirical study was conducted over ten months to determine the trustworthiness of executive coaching in diversity from a systems psychodynamic perspective. Data was gathered using the organisational role analysis approach, and analysed by means of the systems psychodynamic discourse analysis method. Nine major themes and their related sub-themes were identified, namely, gender, race, ethnicity, authority, disability, language, age, de-authorisation of diversity work, and the coaching process. Through the coaching, the executives gained insights into their intrapsychic environment and the complex, multifaceted and intersecting nature of diversity in their organisations. They were assisted to take up their leadership roles more effectively and to take action on behalf of their organisations. The research hypothesis formulated and the conclusion made was that executive coaching from a systems psychodynamic perspective displays trustworthiness. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Consulting Psychology)

This is a postmodernist dissertation contextualised within the new epistemology. The dissertation's descriptive methodology mirrors a personal journey from intrapsychic to ecosystemic psychology which operates within the domain of language and narrative discourse. As such it is founded on the principles of ecosystemic rather than Newtonian thinking. A conversation between various participants constructs the dissertatioi1 through polyphony and academic dialogue. This is then deconstructed through the use of metalogue thereby allowing the dissertation to operate simultaneously on a number of different levels. As it is a postmodernist text, the structure is in a sense an 'anti-structure' in that it is indirect while it is still acknowledged as a construction. In this way it is constructed and deconstructed in terms of its own premises. Expectations in terms of conventional dissertation formulae are challenged without negating academic requirements. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)