M.A. (Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

In this study psychotherapy training is described from a new epistemological perspective. This perspective, based upon new science and physics and Batesonian evolution, embodies elements of holism, reciprocity, circularity and a both/and view of the universe. From a new epistemological perspective understandings of psychotherapy training are constructed, not discovered. By precluding the notion of absolute truth, an infinite variety of alternative constructions of training becomes possible. The conceptual map constructed in this study incorporates a process model for the training of systemic psychotherapists. In terms of this model, training should be a context where various orders of learning are encountered by student and trainer. In particular, the trainees must learn how to differentiate from each other and how to separate from the trainer. Three evolutionary stages of training are identified to describe how an emancipatory learning context may be created. It is suggested that training may never be concluded. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

In this study psychotherapy training is described from a new epistemological perspective. This perspective, based upon new science and physics and Batesonian evolution, embodies elements of holism, reciprocity, circularity and a both/and view of the universe. From a new epistemological perspective understandings of psychotherapy training are constructed, not discovered. By precluding the notion of absolute truth, an infinite variety of alternative constructions of training becomes possible. The conceptual map constructed in this study incorporates a process model for the training of systemic psychotherapists. In terms of this model, training should be a context where various orders of learning are encountered by student and trainer. In particular, the trainees must learn how to differentiate from each other and how to separate from the trainer. Three evolutionary stages of training are identified to describe how an emancipatory learning context may be created. It is suggested that training may never be concluded. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / The purpose of this study was to determine if family therapy has potential in handling the behaviour problems of children with Tourette syndrome. This study was approached within a system theoretical framework and from an educational psychological perspective. The study was presented as follows: Chapter 1: Conceptualization, formulation of the problem and objectives. Chapter 2: A literature study regarding the spectrum of Tourette syndrome. Chapter 3: A literature study regarding the systemic approach on family therapy. Chapter 4: The methodology used in the study. Chapter 5: A qualitative-idiographic evaluation of the study. Chapter 6: Summary, conclusions and recommendations. Findings: Family therapy has potential for the successful treatment of the behavioral problems of children with Tourette syndrome. Conclusions: According to the literature study and the findings of this research, the behavior problems of children with Tourette syndrome can be treated successfully with family therapy. Family interactions as a whole show improvement, which in tum leads to the better handling of behavioral problems. These findings may be attributed to the small number of families involved in the study - thus more research in this field is needed.

This study examined how current family counseling/therapy programs train students to work with families with young children and made recommendations for training in this area based on recommendations of child and family therapy experts and the research and clinical literature. These recommendations explored what knowledge and skills all students should acquire versus students who want to specialize with this population. Changes to accreditation standards were also proposed as well as a description of resources to support changes in program curricula. Current training was measured by examining curricula from master's level marriage and family counseling/therapy programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP) and master's level social work programs with a family-related concentration accredited by the Council on Social Work Education Commission on Accreditation (CSWE), the accreditation standards from these three organizations, course syllabi from the COAMFTE and CACREP programs, and surveys of COAMFTE and CACREP program directors (60% response rate). Recommendations for training were obtained through a qualitative analysis of quotations from the literature concerning training and through interviews of child and family therapy experts (65% response rate). The results revealed the number of courses recommended by the literature and experts was much greater than the number of child-related courses per program and a great variety of textbooks were used. Accreditation standards also required little child-related course material. The on-campus clinics had low percentages of child-related facilities but high percentages of child-related resources. The results also showed the experts recommended much greater percentages of experiential activities than were required by the programs. Finally, a much larger percentage of experts than program directors agreed that accreditation standards should be changed to include more child-related courses.

Supervision of practice makes an important contribution to the development of psychotherapeutic skills in the training of psychologists (Bernard and Goodyear, 1998). Much research has, until recently, focussed on dyadic, hierarchical models of supervision, even though other forms of supervision have been developed. Peer group supervision has had little attention in the literature, although it is a common form of supervision utilised by psychologists in practice (Lewis, Greenburg and Hatch, 1988). A review of the literature considers the purposes of supervision; elements of dyadic supervision; various forms of group, peer and peer group supervision; and the leaming process in supervision. The development and implementation of a peer supervision group (pSG) of intern psychologists within the training setting of a University is described in this study. The PSG model was developed from the model proposed by Wilbur, Roberts-Wilbur, Morris, Betz and Hart (1991). Transcripts from nine audio-taped PSG sessions were analysed, and a comparison with four audio-taped dyadic supervision sessions was then undertaken. Grounded Theory methodology was employed in the design of the study and analysis of the data. The form and content of the two models of supervision were examined, with particular attention to the perspective of the trainees' learning experiences. The relative merits of both forms of supervision were assessed, and this analysis clearly demonstrates that peer group supervision has the potential to complement dyadic supervision by contributing differing learning experiences. A model of key influences upon, and effects of, participation in the two forms of supervision has been developed. Suggestions are made of ways in which dyadic supervision may be optimised, and recommendations for further development of the PSG emerge. The results were then considered from a neo-Vygotskian perspective. This enabled the findings to be linked to a comprehensive theory of learning, pointing to the key role of speech in thinking, and the contributions of the various forms of dialogue to deepened understandings. The discussion includes: consideration of techniques which enable trainees to obtain assistance from both more experienced practitioners as well as from their peers; an exploration of aspects of subjectivity and intersubjectivity; and contextual influences which have bearing on the study. This study identifies the need for further consideration of the supervision process in South Africa, and makes recommendations for the training of supervisors. The neo-Vygotskian model offers great promise both as a framework for understanding the leaming process in. supervision, and for developing guidelines for enhancing supervisory practice.

M.Ed. / This study investigates the process of structural family therapy with a family from a collective consciousness background. The aim was to explore, describe and explain key-elements that played a prominent part in the process. The rationale for the investigation is derived from changes caused in the South African family by an evolving South African society. These changes influence the effective functioning of families with a collective consciousness regarding traditional social roles and the family's autocratic authority structure. It is therefore imperative that psychologists will be able to adequately counsel these families. Minuchin's structural family therapy approach can address this problem, as its principles are congruent with the world view of collective consciousness. This model, developed in the United States of America, must be researched within the collective consciousness context. Such research will contribute to the adjustment of the approach in order for it to be legitimately used with families with collective consciousness. The report of the study commences with a theoretical framework in which structural family therapy is explained. The development of family therapy, taking into consideration the relationship between family therapy and structural family therapy, is addressed. Basic principles and processes of structural family therapy are discussed. During these processes the family structure and patterns of interaction are explored and analysed. The family is encouraged to change dysfunctional patterns of interaction. The focus then moves to an overview of the South African family with collective consciousness. The family's particular world view with it's characteristics and difficulties are discussed. The theoretical framework is complemented by a chapter on the design of the research, proving the rationale for the choice of format and methods of data collection and analysis. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive case study of a family with collective consciousness undergoing structural family therapy, was conducted for two months. The establishment of a trust relationship and the exploration of the family structure were key issues. This was inhibited by language differences, participation of the family and ineffective translation, but was rectified by the culturally sensitive approach of the therapist and cooperation from the family. The use of metaphors, especially graphic and projective family drawings, use of space and concrete family sculpting contributed to problem exploration and the modification of dysfunctional interaction patterns. The success of structural family therapy with a family of collective consciousness is indicated by the acceptance of the therapist as a confidant and friend of the family. Finally, conclusions and recommendations were made regarding the use of structural family therapy with a family from a collective consciousness background.

No description available.

The hypothesis derived from four case studies proposes that if at a philosophical level the training is choreographed at confusing levels of philosophical punctuations, and the training programme involves an ongoing commentary on the 'self' of the trainee, and this ongoing commentary interrupts or interferes with the process in which the 'self' comes to be defined, then on an experiential level the training context is unstable for experiential exploration, and the trainee experiences psychological discomfort. A further five case studies are investigated using focused interviews and content analysis to verify the hypothesis. The author-text-reader metaphor serves to describe the trainer-training-trainee relationship. This reveals that the trainee experiences psychological discomfort, often perceived as psychological damage, when the training text is incoherent and therefore unreadable. In each instance where the training text was found incoherent the trainer was identified as the author, and therefore responsible and accountable for the trainee's psychological discomfort. / Na aanleiding van vier gevallestudies word 'n hipotese afgelei wat voorstel dat wanneer opleiding op 'n filosofiese vlak gechoreografeer word vanuit onsamehangende vlakke van filosofiese punktuasies, en waar sogenaamde opleidingsprogramme voortgesette kommentaar op die 'self' van die student lewer, en waar hierdie voortgesette kommentaar die proses waardeur die 'self' gedefinieer word onderbreek of beinvloed, word die opleidingskonteks op 'n ervaringsvlak onstabiel vir ervaringsondersoek en die student beleef sielkundige ongemak. 'n Verdere vyf gevallestudies word daarna ondersoek, en deur middel van gefokusde onderhoude en inhoudsanalise word die hipotese bevestig. Die skrywer-teks-leser metafoor word dan aangewend om die dosent-opleiding-student verhouding te beskryf. Dit onthul dat die student sielkundige ongemak ervaar, dikwels beskou as sielkundige skade, wanneer die opleidingsteks onsamehangend en dus onleesbaar is. In elke geval waar die opleidingsteks onsamehangend bevind is, word die dosent as die skrywer geiidentifiseer en kan dus verantwoordelik en aanspreeklik gehou word vir die student se sielkundige ongemak. / Psychology / M. A. (Clinical Psychology)

The hypothesis derived from four case studies proposes that if at a philosophical level the training is choreographed at confusing levels of philosophical punctuations, and the training programme involves an ongoing commentary on the 'self' of the trainee, and this ongoing commentary interrupts or interferes with the process in which the 'self' comes to be defined, then on an experiential level the training context is unstable for experiential exploration, and the trainee experiences psychological discomfort. A further five case studies are investigated using focused interviews and content analysis to verify the hypothesis. The author-text-reader metaphor serves to describe the trainer-training-trainee relationship. This reveals that the trainee experiences psychological discomfort, often perceived as psychological damage, when the training text is incoherent and therefore unreadable. In each instance where the training text was found incoherent the trainer was identified as the author, and therefore responsible and accountable for the trainee's psychological discomfort. / Na aanleiding van vier gevallestudies word 'n hipotese afgelei wat voorstel dat wanneer opleiding op 'n filosofiese vlak gechoreografeer word vanuit onsamehangende vlakke van filosofiese punktuasies, en waar sogenaamde opleidingsprogramme voortgesette kommentaar op die 'self' van die student lewer, en waar hierdie voortgesette kommentaar die proses waardeur die 'self' gedefinieer word onderbreek of beinvloed, word die opleidingskonteks op 'n ervaringsvlak onstabiel vir ervaringsondersoek en die student beleef sielkundige ongemak. 'n Verdere vyf gevallestudies word daarna ondersoek, en deur middel van gefokusde onderhoude en inhoudsanalise word die hipotese bevestig. Die skrywer-teks-leser metafoor word dan aangewend om die dosent-opleiding-student verhouding te beskryf. Dit onthul dat die student sielkundige ongemak ervaar, dikwels beskou as sielkundige skade, wanneer die opleidingsteks onsamehangend en dus onleesbaar is. In elke geval waar die opleidingsteks onsamehangend bevind is, word die dosent as die skrywer geiidentifiseer en kan dus verantwoordelik en aanspreeklik gehou word vir die student se sielkundige ongemak. / Psychology / M. A. (Clinical Psychology)