Thesis (DPhil (Psychology))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / The literature in psychology repeatedly hints at identity representation as important in transforming the discipline of psychology in contemporary South Africa. It simultaneously names curriculum, race and gender as areas of silence within the discipline. These literatures coexist with the reality that few psychologists work in public health services, where approximately eighty six percent of South Africa’s population who cannot afford private health care, receive their services. Community psychology is generally viewed as the area of study that prepares practitioners to work in public health service. Thus the intersections of identity, community, psychology and community psychology become important. Yet no contemporary studies that systematically and empirically examine community psychology and identity, exist in South Africa. The current study therefore aims to examine identity and community psychology from a multi-levelled perspective in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. This work draws on multiple theoretical strands, broadly united under a social constructionist framework, to examine community psychology in the organisation of the university, in terms of student and practitioner perceptions (and therefore constructions) of community psychology and in the everyday talk of psychologists about their professional identities. The four studies of which this project consists use complementary quantitative and qualitative methodologies. A survey of all psychology departments, combined with interviews with one community psychology teacher in each department, examines teaching, learning and research practices in community psychology. The second study constitutes a survey of all psychology Honours students in the Western Cape whereas the third study surveys the perceptions about community psychology among senior psychologists in the Western Cape. The fourth and final study in this series uses three focus groups where senior psychologists, based in the greater Cape Town area, talk about their professional identity. The quantitative data were analysed using the descriptive statistics of frequencies and cross-tabulations. The qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis and discourse analysis as analytical tools. While the quantitative data do not consistently suggest a link between community psychology, race and gender, there are some areas, such as community work, in which this link is apparent. The nature of such a link is not clear. However, in the qualitative work, the link between community, psychology and identity is centrally situated in the constructions and practices of universities, students and practitioners. Community psychology is constructed as psychology for black people in terms of both who delivers services and who clients are. This represents parameters of inclusion and exclusion not only for community psychology but for psychology, as a whole. The implications of these findings are discussed, particularly in relation to organisational transformation in universities.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The primary aim of this study was to determine the relationship between stress (as manifested in anxiety and depression), coping strategies and burnout in South African clinical and counselling psychologists. The degrees of anxiety and depression, as well as the levels of burnout and types of coping strategies that psychologists used, were examined firstly. This was followed by an investigation into the coping strategies that correlated with anxiety and depression respectively. Stepwise multiple regression analyses were performed to complete this task. The relationship between anxiety and burnout, as well as between depression and burnout, were examined, using linear regression analyses. An investigation into the coping strategies that correlated with burnout was also performed, using stepwise multiple regression analyses. Finally, the influence of various biographical variables on burnout was determined, making use of linear regression analyses, t-tests, one-way analyses of variance and Tukey tests. The study was conducted with the aid of the internet, which involved the mailing of an explanatory letter to a stratified, randomly selected sample of a thousand psychologists, requesting the recipients to visit a web page and complete five questionnaires electronically. The test battery consisted of the following: A biographical questionnaire; the Beck Depression Inventory (BOl), which was used to determine the presence of depression; the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), to examine the levels of burnout; the S-scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAl), which was used to measure anxiety; and the Brief Coping Orientations to Problems Experienced (Brief COPE), for the measurement of fourteen different coping strategies. A total of 238 registered psychologists (representing a response rate of 23.8%) participated in the study. Results indicated that 134 (56.3%) psychologists experienced above-average levels of anxiety, while 129 (54.2%) were at least mildly depressed. Regarding the three components of burnout, 72 (30.25%) and 64 (26.89%) experienced high and moderate levels of emotional exhaustion respectively, 49 (20.59%) and 65 (27.31%) experienced high and moderate levels of depersonalization respectively, while 68 (28.57%) and 84 (35.29%) reported strong and moderate feelings of reduced personal accomplishment respectively. Participants made use of all 14 coping strategies, as measured by the Brief COPE, but the coping strategy of active coping was used mostly, while behavioural disengagement was used the least. A combination of the coping strategies of self-blame, behavioural disengagement, denial, a lack of humour, self-distraction, a lack of acceptance of the reality of the stressful situation, venting and substance use, was a significant predictor of high levels of anxiety. A combination of substance use, self-blame, self-distraction, denial, and a lack of seeking instrumental support, contributed significantly to the prediction of depression. The participants' levels of anxiety and depression, respectively, were both significant predictors of burnout, as measured on all three MBI subscales. Emotional exhaustion was significantly predicted by the combination of behavioural disengagement, venting, a lack of humour, and active coping, while a combination of behavioural disengagement, a lack of positive reframing, venting, a lack of religious involvement, selfdistraction, the absence of emotional support seeking, and the absence of denial, significantly predicted depersonalization. The combination of a lack of the use of positive reinterpretation, selfdistraction, a lack of humour, self-blame, a lack of planning, seeking instrumental support, and behavioural disengagement, significantly predicted feelings of reduced personal accomplishment. Regarding biographical variables, the following results were obtained: Age was a significant predictor of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, but not of feelings of reduced personal accomplishment. Male psychologists experienced significantly more emotional exhaustion and depersonalization than their female counterparts, but no significant difference between the sexes was found for reduced personal accomplishment. The number of hours per week spent in conducting psychotherapy with patients/clients was a significant positive predictor of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and feelings of personal accomplishment. The number of years in practice only contributed significantly to the prediction of emotional exhaustion, but not to the prediction of depersonalization or feelings of reduced personal accomplishment. Participants who followed a psychodynamic therapeutic approach experienced significantly more emotional exhaustion than those who used a combination of cognitive behavioural therapy and personcentered therapy. When comparing the systemic and narrative approaches, the former contributed more significantly to feelings of reduced personal accomplishment in psychologists. No significant differences regarding scores on any of the three MBI subscales were found between participants who were married, divorced, or had never been married. Experiencing difficulties with the settlement of accounts by medical aid schemes was a significant predictor of burnout, with respect to all three MBI subscales. Having difficulties with bad debts, however, contributed significantly to the prediction of a decrease in depersonalization, but not to the prediction of emotional exhaustion or reduced personal accomplishment. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die primêre doelstelling van hierdie studie was om ondersoek in te stel na die verband tussen stres (soos gemanifesteer in angs en depressie), streshanteringstrategieë en uitbranding by Suid- Afrikaanse kliniese en voorligtingsielkundiges. Die mate van angs en depressie, asook die vlakke van uitbranding en tipes streshanteringstrategieë wat sielkundiges gebruik het, is eerstens vasgestel. Vervolgens is die streshanteringstrategieë wat verband hou met angs en depressie onderskeidelik, met behulp van stapsgewyse meervoudige regressie-analises bepaal. Die verband tussen angs en uitbranding, asook tussen depressie en uitbranding, is met behulp van lineêre regressie-analises ondersoek. Verder is die streshanteringstrategieë wat verband hou met uitbranding deur middel van stapsgewyse meervoudige regressie-analises bepaal. Laastens is die invloed van, verskeie biografiese veranderlikes op uitbranding deur middel van lineêre regressieanalises, t-toetse, eenrigting-variansie-analises en Tukey-toetse ondersoek. Die studie is met behulp van die internet uitgevoer, wat behels het dat elke lid van 'n gestratifiseerde, ewekansig-geselekteerde steekproef van 'n duisend geregistreerde kliniese en voorligtingsielkundiges 'n brief per pos ontvang het, met die versoek om 'n webbladsy te besoek en vyf vraelyste daarop te voltooi. Die toetsbattery het bestaan uit die volgende: 'n biografiese vraelys; die Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), wat gebruik is om die teenwoordigheid van depressie by die deelnemers vas te stel; die Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), om die vlakke van uitbranding te ondersoek; die S-skaal van die State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAl), vir die meting van angs; asook die Brief Coping Orientations to Problems Experienced (Brief COPE), wat gebruik is om te bepaal in watter mate deelnemers 14 streshanteringstrategieë gebruik het. 'n Totaal van 238 geregistreerde sielkundiges (wat 'n responskoers van 23.8% verteenwoordig) het aan die studie deelgeneem. Die resultate het aangedui dat 134 (56.3%) sielkundiges bogemiddelde angsvlakke ervaar het, terwyl 129 (54.2%) minstens tot 'n ligte mate depressief was. Wat die drie komponente van uitbranding betref, het 72 (30.25%) hoë en 64 (26.89%) matige vlakke van emosionele uitputting ervaar, 49 (20.59%) en 65 (27.31%) het onderskeidelik hoë en matige vlakke van depersonalisasie ervaar, terwyl 68 (28.57%) en 84 (35.29%) onderskeidelik sterk en matige gevoelens van verminderde persoonlike bekwaamheid gerapporteer het. Die deelnemers het van al 14 Brief COPE-streshanteringstrategieë gebruik gemaak, terwyl die meeste van aktiewe streshantering en die minste van losmakingsgedrag gebruik gemaak het. 'n Kombinasie van die streshanteringstrategieë van selfblamering, losmakingsgedrag, ontkenning, 'n gebrek aan humor, self-afleiding, 'n gebrek aan aanvaarding van die realiteit van die stresvolle situasie, emosionele ontlading en substansgebruik, was 'n beduidende voorspeller van hoë angsvlakke. Die gesamentlike gebruik van substansgebruik, selfblamering, self-afleiding, ontkenning en die afwesigheid van instrumentele ondersteuningsoeke, was 'n beduidende voorspeller van depressiewe simptomatologie. Die deelnemers se angs- en depressievlakke onderskeidelik, was albei beduidende voorspellers van uitbranding ten opsigte van al drie die subskale van die MBI. Die streshanteringstrategieë wat emosionele uitputting beduidend voorspel het, was 'n kombinasie van losmakingsgedrag, emosionele ontlading, 'n gebrek aan humor en die gebruik van aktiewe streshanteringsmetodes. Depersonalisasie is beduidend voorspel deur die gesamentlike voorkoms van losmakingsgedrag, 'n gebrek aan positiewe herformulering, emosionele ontlading, 'n gebrek aan geloofsbeoefening, self-afleiding, die afwesigheid van emosionele ondersteuningsoeke en die afwesigheid van ontkenning. Die gesamentlike voorkoms van 'n gebrek aan positiewe herformulering, self-afleiding, 'n gebrek aan humor, selfblamering, 'n gebrek aan beplanning, instrumentele ondersteuningsoeke en losmakingsgedrag, was beduidende voorspellers van verminderde persoonlike bekwaamheid. Wat die biografiese veranderlikes betref, is die volgende resultate vir die totale steekproef verkry: Ouderdom was 'n beduidende voorspeller van emosionele uitputting en depersonalisasie, maar nie van verminderde persoonlike bekwaamheid nie. Manlike sielkundiges het beduidend meer emosionele uitputting en depersonalisasie ervaar as hulle vroulike kollegas, maar geen beduidende verskil tussen die geslagte is ten opsigte van verminderde persoonlike bekwaamheid bevind nie. Die aantal ure wat per week aan psigoterapeutiese werk met pasiënte/kliënte bestee is, was 'n beduidende positiewe voorspeller van emosionele uitputting, depersonalisasie en gevoelens van persoonlike bekwaamheid. Die aantal jare wat sielkundiges reeds gepraktiseer het, was slegs 'n beduidende voorspeller van emosionele uitputting, maar nie van depersonalisasie en gevoelens van verminderde persoonlike bekwaamheid nie. Sielkundiges wat 'n psigodinamiese terapeutiese benadering toegepas het, het beduidend meer emosionele uitputting ervaar as diegene wat 'n kombinasie van kognitiewe gedragsterapie en persoonsgesentreerde terapie gebruik het. In vergelyking met 'n narratiewe benadering, het die toepassing van 'n sisteembenadering tot beduidend minder gevoelens van persoonlike bekwaamheid by sielkundiges gelei. Geen beduidende verskille ten opsigte van sielkundiges wat getroud, geskei of nooit getroud was, is ten opsigte van enige van die drie MBI-subskaaltellings gevind nie. Die ervaring van probleme met die vereffening van rekeninge deur mediese fondse was 'n beduidende voorspeller van uitbranding ten opsigte van al drie die MBI-subskale. Die ervaring van probleme met oninbare skulde was egter 'n beduidende voorspeller van 'n afname in depersonalisasie, maar nie van emosionele uitputting of verminderde persoonlike bekwaamheid nie.

Supervision of psychotherapy constitutes a major component of the professional training undertaken by individuals pursuing careers in clinical psychology. The empirical literature has only recently begun to address the impact which supervision has on the development of its recipients. The present study explored relationships between changes in the theoretical orientations and personal values of therapist trainees and the theoretical orientations and values of the training faculty who provided them with supervision during a one year training program. Trainee theoretical orientation and personal values were assessed at the beginning and at the end of the training program for three successive training years, yielding a trainee sample N of 16. Follow-up assessment of theoretical orientation was obtained from this sample three to five years after they had completed this one year program. Background characteristics assessed included measures of personality functioning, locus of control and prior clinical experience. Parallel data were collected from 11 supervisory faculty. Regression analyses assessed the extent to which changes in trainee orientations and values could be predicted on the basis of the perspectives held by their supervisors. Trainees were found to enter the program with a positive bias toward psychoanalytic and experiential forms of therapy and a negative bias toward cognitive-behavioral therapy. Through the follow-up assessment this psychoanalytic orientation was maintained and consolidated. Trainees also became more accepting of cognitive-behavioral treatment and less supportive of experiential therapy. While supervisors' orientations were generally found to be unrelated to changes in trainee orientation during the training period, follow-up data suggested that supervisors had influenced the orientations currently held by former trainees. Changes in orientation were found to be unrelated to trainee background characteristics or level of prior clinical experience. Current findings suggested that trainee perceptions of supervisors' influence were related to supervisor status within the training program. Trainees entered the program with value systems that were similar to those of their supervisors. These values did not change substantially during the course of training. Trainee personality characteristics were more frequent predictors of those value changes which did occur than were supervisor values.

Teachers' satisfaction with school psychological services has been studied for more than 30 years. Few to no studies, however, are available that provide data about the perceptions of school psychologists regarding their perceived value within different service delivery models, particularly those involving Response to Intervention (RTI) models. The present study was designed to determine if any differences existed between the satisfaction ratings of school psychologists in RTI versus non-RTI school districts as self-reported by teachers and school psychologists. General education teachers, special education teachers, and school psychologists from RTI and non-RTI school districts across the United States were surveyed about their satisfaction with school psychological services using the School Psychology Perceptions Survey (SPPS, 2004). Responses were evaluated for significance using Kruskal-Wallis and in the event significance was found, Tukey's HSD was used to determine where the difference occurred. Both special and general education teachers reported statistically significant differences in their satisfaction ratings of school psychological services. Teachers from RTI school districts reported greater satisfaction levels with school psychological services when compared to teachers from non-RTI districts. School psychologists who worked in RTI school districts reported higher job satisfaction ratings than those who worked in non-RTI school districts. In terms of teachers' and school psychologists' satisfaction ratings of school psychological services, the results suggest that RTI school districts provide a more satisfying model of school psychological service delivery compared to non-RTI school district models.

Background: attachment theory provides an account of human behaviour across the lifespan, has a strong theoretical foundation and is clinical applicable. It is particularly relevant to older adults, who are often exposed to a greater number of losses. Despite a growing awareness of increasing life expectancy worldwide, services for older adults in the NHS remains under-resourced. However, increased exposure to death and loss in the work might result in clinical psychologists being more reluctant to choose this specialism and may raise issues about their own early attachment experiences. Therefore, it is important to understand how clinical psychologists approach the complexities of their work in light of their own early attachment experiences. Qualitative research of the lived experiences of clinical psychologists is sparse and to date there are no studies addressing this specific issue. Aims: this is an exploratory study which addresses a gap in the literature. The aims are to capture the early attachment experiences of clinical psychologists specialising in working with older adults. It is hoped that the outcome of the study will shed some light on the characteristics of this under-researched group and how they manage the challenges of the work. Methodology: a semi-structured interview schedule was developed to explore how clinical psychologists make sense of their work with older adults in light of their early attachment experiences. Interviews were carried out with five clinical psychologists working in specialist older adult services. The transcripts of the interviews were then analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Results: the analysis of the five interviews yielded five main themes – “Making sense of early attachment relationships”, “Developing identity in childhood and adolescence”, “Understanding of decision to work with older adults”, “Work with older adults as both challenging and rewarding” and “The person within the professional”. Each of the main themes and their subthemes were supported by excerpts from narratives of participants experiences. Implications: this study highlighted several research and clinical implications. First, the role of non-parental childhood attachments in the development of internal working models is currently an under-researched area which may provide important insights into resilience factors in the face of childhood adversity. Second, clinical implications suggest that access to older adult work early on in the career of clinical psychologists may increase desirability of working in specialist services. Third, the study supports attachment theory as a useful approach to understanding the work with older adults and as a valuable area for the professional development of clinical psychologists. Finally, systemic working with older adults remains an important part of the work which would benefit from further research in this area.

Hearing disclosures of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a clinical reality for many therapists. Psychologists within mental health services are working increasingly with clients who have traumatic histories, including the presence of CSA. Recently there has been a drive towards improving services for adult survivors of CSA, with an emphasis on asking health and social care service-users about abuse. Recent research has demonstrated that the experience of talking about CSA in psychological therapy can be a complex experience for client and clinician with varied consequences for both parties. The research into psychologists‟ experiences of CSA disclosure has been limited to surveys of psychologists‟ practice and knowledge and has lacked a scientific approach. This study aimed to expand on the scientific research into CSA disclosure with a Constructivist Grounded Theory approach (CGT). CGT was used to explore psychologists‟ experiences of CSA disclosure from clients in Adult Mental Health. Eight psychologists took part in the current study and were recruited from a large Clinical Psychology service in Scotland. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews. Core categories constructed in this study contributed to a model of psychologists‟ experiences of disclosure in AMH clinical practice. Core categories referred to “Negotiating the Dance of Disclosure” and “Nurturing the Pre-conditions to Disclosure”, which occur in parallel to the therapeutic relationship; whereas “Growing Personally and Professionally” and “Carrying the Weight of the Work” refer to the impact of hearing disclosures and talking about CSA with clients. Research findings are discussed and the implications of this model in relation to theory and areas of development for research and clinical practice are considered.

Attachment theory has established itself as applicable to many types of relationships, encompassing caregiver-child, romantic, interpersonal, and psychotherapeutic interactions. This project sought to investigate the application of attachment theory to clinical supervision. Using suggestions put forth in previous work by Watkins and Riggs, this study examined the dyadic interactions inherent in both supervision and attachment. Using the working alliance as determination of the quality of supervision, attachment styles, leader-follower attachment, and attachment-based expectations were explored as predictors for supervisor-trainee dyad outcome in a training clinic for doctoral psychology students. The study design is longitudinal and prospective. Findings indicate the necessity of measurement of supervisory-specific attachment rather than general attachment, the stability of working alliance over time, and the large contribution of the leader-member attachment framework to the understanding of supervisory attachment. Implications include the importance of maintaining hierarchical, evaluative boundaries within supervisory relationship, consistent with a leader-follower dynamic.

M.Ed. / The research in this qualitative study focuses on the role of the educational psychologist as consultant in Inclusive Education. The rationale for the investigation is derived from the changing and expanding role of the educational psychologist. This role has been implicated by the move from excluding learners who experience barriers to learning from mainstream schools, towards a policy of Inclusive Education. Inclusive Education aims at restructuring and transforming schools and curricula, in order to promote needs-driven, holistic, effective, community-based and quality service delivery. However, the implementation of Inclusive Education poses complex problems to those involved. Knowledge, skills and attitudes are required in which most teachers, parents as well as personnel at the education support services are not yet trained. This necessitates a comprehensive solution, such as collaborative consultation. The educational psychologist thus needs to reflect on her current role, and should change and expand her role to that of a consultant. The report of the study commences with a theory framework in which collaborative consultation is explicated. The nature of collaboration as a constructivist learning and problem solving process, in whole school development for Inclusive Education, is discussed. Thereafter collaborative consultation as an ecosystemic approach to, and reflective practice in whole school development, is discussed and illustrated. The chapter ends by a summary of the role, knowledge, skills and attitudes of the consultant in whole school development for Inclusive Education. The theory framework is followed by a chapter on the design of the qualitative study, substantiating the choice of format and methods of data collection and analyses. A rich and tightly woven description of the chronological course of the research process is provided, when examples of raw data and data analysis from the sketches and transcriptions of the focus group and individual interviews are presented.

This study explores high-performing male psychology students’ narratives of identity. The rationale for undertaking this study is that men presently represent a shrinking minority within the academic and professional practice of psychology in South Africa. While much quantitative research has noted gendered trends within the field, there remains a paucity of qualitative data on these men’s thoughts and experiences within the South African context. A narrative research design, underpinned by an interpretative phenomenological epistemology, was employed to explore this topic in a participant-led manner. The unique life stories of the six male participants, recruited from third-year, honours and masters psychology courses, were explored through an open-ended narrative interview that was later followed by a semi-structured interview. Both interviews were audio-recorded and the interview transcripts were subjected to a two stage inductive thematic analysis in which emergent themes were interrogated both for each participant and between participants. The first round of data analysis yielded thirty thematic codes according to which these participants’ narratives of identity could be interpreted and during the second stage of analysis these codes were clustered into six master themes which were mapped onto the secondary research questions informing this study. Thematic analysis revealed: (1) active efforts by the participants to defy hegemonic gender norms and (re)define masculinity through engagement in what is traditionally defined as “women’s work” in their adoption of a care-giver role by providing emotional support to others while also attempting to redefine psychology as a profession that is not exclusively feminine. (2) These participants reported selecting their career option on the basis of passion as opposed to pragmatics by valuing their desire to engage in this field over hegemonic concerns with prestige and earning-potential. However, such considerations were peripheral rather than absent in their narratives. (3) Consistent with previous findings, these men all reported experiencing life struggles as a route to developing empathy and therefore exhibited elements of the wounded-healer model. (4) Those men who are pursuing careers neuropsychology and industrial psychology showed an interest in humanity (scientists) fostered by feelings of difference while those in therapeutic orientations report developing a desire to help (helpers) based on experiences of marginalisation. While the participants differed as to whether they were more inclined towards the more traditionally masculine values of science or the more traditionally feminine values of care, they all reported a desire to both help and understand as professional psychologists. (5) While diversity and difference were reported by these men to contribute to an enhanced sense of empathy and social interest, they mentioned such a sense of difference having developed from the experience of early geographic movement and exposure to multiple cultures. This seems to have fostered a keen social awareness that contributed to a growing interest in the different lifestyles that people and communities enjoy which they now study and work with as aspiring psychologists. (6) Furthermore, their dynamic and changing world is suggested to have garnered a love of variety and iterative sense of self which has permitted continuing development in professional psychology as they report finding the personal growth and development endemic to the field to be an important part of how they understand themselves. Findings of the research which may broadly map directions for future research include a lack of conflation by these men of sexual orientation and masculinity suggesting that homosexuality is not necessarily understood as a contravention of masculine norms not suggested by previous research findings. Importantly, while feelings of difference were explored in this study, race was a shared silence during the interviews and further investigation into the experiences of black men aspiring to become male psychologists in the South African context is considered vital to enhancing our understanding of the diverse body of professionals in South African psychology.

Hypnotherapy has been utilised with children and adolescents for more than 200 years. Despite this fact, there has been no documented research on the use of hypnotherapy for children and adolescents in South Africa. This research focused on the perspectives of qualified South African psychologists on the use of hypnosis as a therapeutic technique for children and adolescents. The aim of the research was to expand on current knowledge and understandings of hypnosis and hypnotherapy, to explore how the technique has been adapted to a South African context and to identify drawbacks found in the use of this technique. The research sample comprised eight qualified psychologists who utilise hypnotherapy with children and adolescents. The research design for this study adopted a qualitative approach in which semi-structured interviews were utilised. Although the technique largely relies on foreign practises that have not been adapted to the South African context, it still proved highly valuable. While the psychologists opinions differed on the ages and conditions for which hypnotherapy could be applied, this seemed to be based on their personal experiences and success rates rather than on inherent limitations of the technique. The educational psychologists who specialised in treating children and adolescents found that there were no limitations on the use of the technique and they were confident in its application for all ages. There was also a prevailing belief, on the part of the psychologists, that black individuals appear to be more responsive to hypnotherapy than other races. The overall findings of this research study suggest that hypnotherapy is a beneficial therapeutic technique for children and adolescents in a South African context. The research aimed to further educational psychologists’ knowledge on the applicability of this technique to children and adolescents. With an awareness of its benefits, training by these professionals may be undertaken or the opinions of specialists trained in this area may be sought.