Competency-based therapy as developed by Marianne Walters is a theory-based, systemic approach modified by a feminist perspective. This thesis presented the theoretical foundations of competency-based therapy and applied them to therapy with a female-headed single-parent family with three young-adult daughters. The theory of competency-based therapy encompasses five major concepts which taken together distinguish it from other approaches to therapy. (1) Human behavior must be understood in its social context and the therapist needs to address problematic social stereotypes. (2) People have the capacity for functional behavior and the therapist's task is to focus on clients' competence to engender change. (3) The therapist sets the context for change by creating a new perspective and by working with process. (4) The therapist uses his or her own response to the family process as a guide to interventions. (5) The goal of therapy is empowering the client to make choices about how her or she will live and behave. The dysfunction which brought this family to therapy was related to the wider social context which socializes women in ways which create special difficulties for the female single-parent. The emphasis competency-based therapy places on addressing the social inequities women face and on empowering women through a systematic search for competence is illustrated by the case study. / Master of Science

Recent reviewers of the group psychotherapy literature have called for the introduction of new constructs that may contribute to a deeper understanding of what it is about process groups that make them effective in eliciting change. To this end, this study investigates the potential of a newly defined and operationalized construct known as self-compassion. Drawing on the writings of various scholars of Buddhism, Neff has theorized that self-compassion consists of three main, mutually influential components: self-kindness (the act of being gentle with oneself in instance of pain or failure); mindfulness (holding painful thoughts and feelings in balanced awareness, without over-identifying with them); and common humanity (the perception of one’s experiences as part of the larger human experience). This paper argues that there are strong parallels between each of these three components and existing theory on the mechanisms of change in group psychotherapy. The study was motivated by the belief that preliminary quantitative support for the role of self-compassion in change through groups may highlight the importance of the construct and help orient both group practitioners and group researchers towards a new theoretical lens through which the power of groups may be better understood. 92 subjects were enrolled in the study: 57 in a non-treatment Control condition, and 35 in a Treatment condition. The Control group was comprised of undergraduates from the Educational Psychology Department subject pool at the University of Texas at Austin; the Treatment group was formed by UT undergraduate and graduate students who were enrolled in a process psychotherapy group at the UT Counseling and Mental Health Center. A pre-test/post-test design was employed, with subjects taking identical surveys at baseline (beginning of Fall 2007 semester) and follow-up (end of the same semester). A variety of inferential statistical techniques were utilized, and results indicated that there was a significant relationship between participation in process group psychotherapy and positive mental health outcomes as measured by self-report levels of depression, perceived stress, and happiness; that participation in a therapy group was associated with increased levels of self-compassion; and that as a predictor of mental health outcome in relation to therapy groups, self-compassion was on the whole equivalent to one construct (hope) often cited in the group literature as a powerful therapeutic mechanism, and a more powerful predictor than another (altruism). The overall results offer exciting implications for future research and clinical practice, as they suggest that self-compassion may well serve as an important component of a robust theoretical, organizing lens through which the power of group psychotherapy may be more clearly understood. / text

Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1991.

Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1991. / Also available in print.

Thesis (M.A.)--East Carolina University, 2009. / Presented to the faculty of the Department of Psychology. Advisor: Jeannie Golden. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed May 3, 2010). Includes bibliographical references.

South African society is exposed to the reality of violence and crime, and at the same time HIV / AIDS is claiming the lives of many parents. Consequently schools throughout the country have an increasing number of bereaved adolescents among their learners. The effects of parental death during the adolescent years make severe inroads into the cognitive, psychosocial and moral development of adolescents. These detrimental effects of parental death motivated the researcher to investigate the effects of teacher- facilitated group work on bereaved adolescents. A mixed (qualitative and quantitative) research method was used to investigate the said effects. Accordingly a questionnaire was designed using the Likert rating scale. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were used as quantitative data collection tools for this study. The data from the BDI and BAI were tabulated. Structured interviews, games, personal documents and focus group interviews were used as qualitative data collection tools. The data were analysed and reduced and prominent themes emerging from data sources were identified and discussed. While bereavement is a very traumatic event for the adolescent, the study findings illustrate that teacher-facilitated group work provides members with various benefits which help them learn more about themselves and improve their interpersonal relationships, thus providing a supportive climate in which they could deal collaboratively with their bereavement. The findings also point out that group work provides the bereaved adolescents with a place where they are understood, where they can talk about their thoughts and feelings without being judged. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

Assignment (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The transition to motherhood represents a critical period in a woman's life. It presents the mother with the opportunity for personal development, while simultaneously rendering her vulnerable to psychological problems. The South African low-income mother faces additional challenges in having to contend with a host of poverty-related stressors. The mother's at-risk status extends to her infant, who depends on her for the fulfilment of its needs. Current mental health policy does not consider the special needs of mother-infant dyads, despite its orientation to prevention. The current paper seeks to explore the potential of group therapy with low-income mother-infant dyads. It outlines the possible theoretical underpinnings for psychotherapeutic group work with low-income mothers and infants, by making use of attachment theory, feminist theory and community psychology. It reviews the theories' individual contributions and explores their compatibility in considering group therapy with low-income mother-infant dyads. Further, it reviews empirical studies and interventions with mother-infant dyads, with a particular emphasis on group therapy interventions. It argues that group therapy may be a viable and effective approach to psychological work with low-income mother-infant dyads. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die oorgang tot moederskap verteenwoordig 'n kritiese periode in 'n vrou se lewe. Dit bied die moeder die kans vir persoonlike ontwikkeling, terwyl dit haar gelykertyd kwesbaar maak vir sielkundige probleme. Die Suid-Afrikaanse lae-inkomste moeder moet boonop bykomstige uitdagings, in die vorm van 'n menigdom armoed-verwante stressors, die hoof bied. Die moeder se kwesbare status sluit ook haar baba in, wat op haar aangewese is vir die vervulling van sy/haar behoeftes. Huidige geestesgesondheids-beleid neem, ten spyte van 'n voorkomende oriëntasie, nie die spesiale behoeftes van moeder-kind pare in ag nie. Hierdie werksopdrag beoog om die potensiaal van groepsterapie met lae-inkomste moederkind pare te ondersoek. Dit beskryf kortliks die moontlike teoretiese begrondings van psigoterapeutiese groepswerk met lae-inkomste moeder-kind pare deur gebruik te maak van bindings-teorie, feministiese teorie sowel as gemeenskaps sielkunde. Dit hersien die teorieë se onderskeidelike bydraes en ondersoek hulle aanpasbaarheid met betrekking tot die ondersoek van groepsterapie met lae-inkomste moeder-kind pare. Hierdie werksopdrag hersien dan ook verder empiriese studies en intervensies gemik op moeder-kind pare, met 'n spesifieke fokus op groepsterapie intervensies. Daar word geargumenteer dat groepsterapie 'n geskikte en effektiewe benadering tot sielkundige werk met lae-inkomste moeder-kind pare is.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This programme is aimed at providing parent guidance to single parents. It is based on a reciprocal and egalitarian work relationship, using the parent's own skills, knowledge, unique strengths and previous successes. Solution-focused therapy developed from postmodernism. Therefore the absence of an objective reality functions independently of a reality that is linguistically constructed. The assumptions that underpin Solution-focused therapy are discussed, since they form an essential element in the composition of this programme. Since the guidance programme is implemented in a group context, attention is paid to the therapeutic factors, dynamics and principles of solution-focused group work. Techniques unique to Solution-focused work, such as the miracle question, exceptions questions and grading questions are explained. These techniques are put into practice over six sessions: (1) identifying problematic issues in single parent families, (2) focusing on any slight change, (3) if it works, don't fix it, (4) if it doesn't work, do something else, (5) focus on what is right, (6) celebrate changes and exceptions. Goals are set and procedures work out for each session. The programme is aimed at enhancing the single parent's own capacity for generating solutions and constructing alternative meaning in a move away from a problem orientation towards a solution orientation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie program is op ouerleiding aan enkelouers gerig. Oit berus op 'n wederkerige en eqalitere werksverhouding, gebaseer op die ouer se vaardigheid, eie kennis, unieke vermoens en vorige suksesse. Oplossingsgerigte terapie het ontwikkel vanuit die postmodernisme. Hiervolgens is daar nie 'n objektiewe werklikheid wat onafhanklik funksioneer van die lingu"istiese gekonstrueerde weergawe van die realiteit nie. Die aannames waarop Oplossingsgerigte terapie berus word bespreek, aangesien dit 'n belangrike element in die samestelling van hierdie program vorm. Aangesien die ouerleiding in groepverband geskied, word daar aandag geskenk aan die terapeutiese faktore, dinamiek en beginsels van oplossingsgerigte groepwerk. Tegnieke eie aan oplossingsgerigte werk, soos die wonderwerkvraag, uitsonderingsvrae en graderingsvrae, word verduidelik. Die verpraktisering van bogenoemde geskied in ses sessies wat soos volg uiteengesit is: (1) die identifisering van problematiese kwessies by enkelouergesinne, (2) fokus op klein veranderinge, (3) as dit werk, moet dit nie 'regmaak' nie, (4) as dit nie werk nie, doen iets anders, (5) fokus op dit 'wat reg is', (6) die viering van verandering en uitsonderings. uiteengesette doelwitte en prosedurenotas. Hierdie program poog om die ouer se eie kapasiteit vir die generering van Elke sessie het oplossings te fasiliteer en alternatiewe betekenisse te konstrueer, deur die klem te verskuif van 'n probleemgerigtheid na 'n oplossingsgerigtheid.

A review of the adult psychotherapy outcome literature reveals decades of empirical studies that support the efficacy of group treatment for mental health concerns (Burlingame, Fuhriman, & Mosier, 2003; Horne & Rosenthal, 1997). Although research demonstrates positive results for the utilization of group therapy, between 33-50% of clients drop out before treatment is completed (Baekeland & Lundwall, 1975; Wierzbicki & Pekarik, 1993). Methods for improving psychotherapy retention have been addressed through the application of a client feedback model (i.e., monitoring treatment outcome routinely). Although using client feedback has been found to be beneficial for improving retention and even enhancing client outcome in both individual (Lambert et al., 2001a; Lambert et al., 2002; Miller, Duncan, Brown, Sorrell, & Chalk, 2006; Reese, Norsworthy, & Rowlands, 2009; Whipple et al., 2003) and couples psychotherapy (Anker, Duncan, & Sparks, 2009; Reese, Toland, Slone, & Norsworthy, 2010), evidence of client feedback efficacy in a group format is limited but worthy of investigation given the positive individual and couples therapy findings. In the current study, I evaluated the effects of client feedback in group psychotherapy using a randomized clinical trial design. Participants (N = 85) attended psychotherapy groups that were randomly assigned to a client feedback (Feedback) or treatment as usual (TAU) condition. Clients in the Feedback condition were predicted to experience a statistically significantly higher pre-post gain on the ORS compared to group clients in the TAU when controlling for their initial functioning. The effect size (ES) for Feedback between treatment conditions was found to be d = 0.35 on the Outcome Rating Scale when initial treatment functioning was controlled, which is a medium ES (Cohen, 1988). Additionally, statistically significantly more clients in the Feedback condition experienced reliable and clinically significant change, attended statistically significantly more sessions, and dropped out at a lower rate than clients in the TAU condition. Results of this study were similar to those generated by other studies that evaluated the efficacy of client feedback with individuals (Reese et al., 2009) and couples (Anker et al., 2009; Reese et al., 2010). Study limitations and implications for future work are provided.

The purposes of the present investigation were (1) to determine whether systematic desensitization could be administered in a group setting, (2) to evaluate the stability of any reductions in test-anxiety which resulted from group desensitization, and (3) to make recommendations for counseling research and practice which were warranted by the results of the investigation.