Thesis (M.A.)--University of South Florida, 2006. / Title from PDF of title page. Document formatted into pages; contains 40 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

Background and objectives: Despite the large amount of research around counselling psychology and working with culture, ethnicity and religion, literature has mainly focused on clients' experiences of therapy. We know little about trainee counselling psychologists and how they experience working with clients from different ethnic and/or religious backgrounds. The objective of this study was therefore to explore UK-based trainee counselling psychologists and their experiences of working with clients from different backgrounds and to also explore educational implications trainee counselling psychologists identify when working with clients from different backgrounds. Therefore, following the aim of this study the two research questions, which will be, explored area as follows: 1. How do trainee counsellingpsychologists experience working with clients from different ethnic/religious backgrounds? and 2. What educational implications are identified by trainee counselling psychologists when working with clients from different ethnic/religious backgrounds to themselves? Method and analyses: A qualitative design was used within project. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve UK-based trainee counselling psychologists who had experiences of working with clients from different ethnic/religious backgrounds. A systematic review of the literature was conducted in order to inform the research and to also produce a coding template, which was used to analyse the findings of this thesis. The interview material was analysed using thematic analysis. Analysis: The findings from the first research question revealed eight major themes, which were extracted from the coding template, these themes included: challenges, exploration, relationship, client's perspective, appropriateness, competency, sense of self and emotional responses. These eight major themes were extracted via the coding template and expanded further as the interviews were analysed. The interviews provided a richer understanding ofthese themes and they are introduced and outlined in depth in turn. Following the first researchquestion, the second research question concentrates on educational implications identified by trainee counselling psychologists. These findings yielded a total of four main themes, which included: course input, practical experience, personal experience and reflectivity. These themes are also outlined and explored further in the discussion of this thesis. Conclusions: The research enabled, for the first time, an insight into trainee counselling psychologists' reported experiences of working with clients therapeutically who were from different ethnic/religious backgrounds. Some trainee counselling psychologists reported that rather than working with clients from different backgrounds, working with clients from similar backgrounds posed to be quite difficult as well. More importantly, the idea of reflectivity and personal growth were key elements identified when working with differences in therapy. Trainees expressed that their own sense of self and personal development were key factors when working with clients from different backgrounds. The Discussion of this thesis further expanded on the findings relevant in this thesis. Finally, the Conclusion explored the implications for counselling psychology and education, additionally future considerations for research are also mentioned.

No abstract available / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

This dissertation examines the use made of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator in the pastoral work of Anglican Clergy. The practical theological focus of the study is reflection on praxis. Various theories of pastoral work are discussed. The history and development of the MBTI is given as well as the Jungian background to it. A qualitative research, grounded theory approach, is utilised. Interviews of 14 Anglican clergy generate the data for the research. The research questions are: "Why do Anglican clergy use the MBTI?"; "How do Anglican clergy use the MBTI?" The research findings show that Anglican clergy use the MBTI for the purpose of personal growth, clergy self-care, and understanding relationships. Anglican clergy attend workshops which encourage the application of MBTI insights in pastoral work. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M.Th. (Practical Theology)

No description available.

Esta pesquisa de doutorado é uma investigação em psicologia social sobre a produção da subjetividade eclesiástica, tal como ela se processa na instituição seminário católico. Utilizando o instrumental teórico da análise institucional com base em Baremblitt, Foucault, Goffman e Costa-Rosa, mapeamos os operadores institucionais subjetivadores do dispositivo pedagógico \"seminário\", enfocando tanto suas relações de poder quanto seus aspectos místicos, atentos às dimensões instituintes e instituídas. Nosso campo de pesquisa é um seminário católico diocesano de teologia, onde vivem 50 seminaristas em regime de internato, na etapa final de preparação para o sacerdócio, os quais, uma vez ordenados, passarão a ocupar posições de relevância que consistem na coordenação de comunidades paroquiais amplas. Os dados foram obtidos através da observação do cotidiano institucional e de entrevistas semidirigidas com os diversos atores institucionais. Os resultados obtidos indicam que a formação do clero pode ser considerada como um domínio ainda flutuante, constituindo um campo de noções conexas que reconhecemos como sendo pertinentes aos saberes pedagógicos, psicológicos e teológicos. Há uma grande desconexão entre o contrato simbólico plasmado nos projetos e programas e a implementação concreta de operadores outros no dia-a-dia, produtores de efeitos diversos. A formação sacerdotal não seria regida pelos projetos oficiais, pela teologia da vocação ou pela teologia da espiritualidade, mas parece ser improvisada e fortemente condicionada pela realidade econômica precária das dioceses que mantêm o estabelecimento. As diversas correntes teológicas e espirituais parecem ter menos incidência na formação dos seminaristas (embora a dimensão acadêmica ocupe um espaço relevante no processo), do que os diversos rituais de passagem que transformam um candidato leigo em sacerdote católico: rito de admissão oficial como seminarista diocesano, ritos de instituição dos ministérios de leitor e acólito, rito de ordenação diaconal e, finalmente, o rito de ordenação sacerdotal. Há o desconhecimento e a denegação da dimensão totalitária e disciplinar do seminário teológico. O modo de funcionamento hegemônico do seminário seria o asilar ou conventual, baseado no enclausuramento, na tutela completa da existência do candidato ao sacerdócio, na vivência grupal e no panoptismo, atraído pela força gravitacional do paradigma tridentino. Concluímos que o atual formato do seminário teológico seria promotor de um padre fortemente clericalizado, com tendências ao autoritarismo e à centralização de poder. Provavelmente seria difícil que pudesse produzir um padre orientado pelo paradigma libertador, capaz de implementar as práticas desse modelo. Em termos de seus efeitos éticos, esse seminário estaria produzindo uma subjetividade serializada, submetida e alinhada com a manutenção do status quo eclesial e social. Parece que os futuros padres egressos da formação aí desenvolvida apresentariam uma tendência preponderante para \"funcionários do sagrado\", mais do que para \"profetas libertadores\". / This doctorate research is an investigation in Social Psychology about the ecclesiastical subjectivity production, as it is processed in a Catholic Seminary. Using the theoretical tool of institutional analysis based on Baremblitt, Foucault, Goffman and Costa-Rosa, we mapped the institutional operators that subjectivate the pedagogical device, the Seminary, focusing both their power relations and their mystical aspects, attentive to establishing and established dimensions. Our research field is a Catholic Diocesan Theological Seminary, where 50 seminarians live in boarding system, in final stage of preparation to priesthood; once ordained, they will be settled in relevant positions concerned to coordinate large parish communities. The data were obtained by observing the institutional daily life and by semidirected interviews with the diverse institutional actors. The outcomes indicated that ecclesiastical formation can be considered as a yet floating domain, composing a field of connected notions that we recognized as being pertaining to pedagogical, psychological and theological knowledge. There is a remarkable disconnection between the symbolical pact mould in projects and programs and the real implementation of other day-by-day operators: productors of diverse effects. The priest formation would not be led by official projects, by theological vocation nor by theological spirituality, but it seems to be improvised and strongly conditioned to dioceses\'s economical and precarious reality which maintains the establishment. The manifold theological and spiritual tendencies seem to be less incident in Seminarians formation (though academical dimension plays a great role in the process), than the rituals of passage which transform a candidate layman in a Catholic priest: rite of admission to candidacy as a Diocesan Seminarian, rites of institution in the ministries of reader and acolyte, rite of diaconal ordination and, finally, the rite of priestly ordination. There is neither recognition nor admission of totalitarian and disciplinary dimension by Theological Seminary. The homogeneous way of functioning of the Seminary would be retreat or conventual, based on enclosurement, thorough tutorship of candidate\'s existence to priesthood, on group livelihood and panoptism, attracted by gravitational force of Tridentine paradigm. We concluded that the actual format of the Theological Seminary would promote a priest strongly ecclesiastical, with tendencies to authoritarianism and to power centralization. Probably it would be difficult to come to produce a priest oriented to the liberator paradigm, able to implement practices from such model. In terms of ethical effects, this seminary would be producing a serialized subjectivity, subdued and aligned to the maintenance of ecclesiastical and social status quo. It seems that the future priest from such developed formation would present a major tendency to \"sacred servants\" more than to \"liberator prophets\".

A umbanda caracteriza-se como um culto de possessão, cujos participantes, em transe, incorporam espíritos que se apresentam nos terreiros em cerimônias geralmente públicas a fim de trabalhar a serviço de seus fiéis e consulentes. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi investigar e descrever os processos interpretativos na umbanda, numa perspectiva etnopsicológica. Trata-se de um estudo de caso, de corte longitudinal, com base no método da escuta participante, entendida como a extensão do método psicanalítico a pesquisas de campo, mediante a utilização de técnicas etnográficas. A pesquisa de campo foi realizada no Centro de Umbanda Oxalá (Ribeirão Preto Estado de São Paulo Brasil), onde as consultas concedidas pelos espíritos incorporados pelo paide-santo foram integralmente acompanhadas mediante registros em diário de campo. Para tanto, a pesquisadora foi admitida no lugar de cambona do pai-de-santo, ou seja, um auxiliar da cerimônia. A teoria psicanalítica sobre a interpretação assumiu um valor heurístico nesta pesquisa, ao possibilitar a formulação de hipóteses de trabalho como diretrizes que permitiram ao pesquisador buscar a compreensão dos processos interpretativos na umbanda. As consultas apresentaram o uso de ingredientes-coisas-significantes que se assemelham a uma oração, mas performaticamente rezada pelo corpo, como frases que compõem um poema cuja interpretação se enuncia do próprio sistema simbólico umbandista. Sugere-se, portanto, que a interpretação neste contexto parece apresentar ricas possibilidades de combinações de recursos que se revelam para além do verbal. A psicanálise se mostrou um instrumento relevante para a pesquisa no que tange à experiência de campo, às relações transferenciais e ao refinamento da escuta. A perspectiva lacaniana foi útil na medida em que compreende que a interpretação se faz presente no acontecimento e o acontecimento inclui a sua interpretação; além de ter possibilitado a análise no registro simbólico a partir do entrecruzamento entre dois eixos, metáfora e metonímia, o que facilitou a imersão da escuta na própria linguagem dos espíritos da umbanda e, por fim, ter permitido mapear interpretações que operam na materialidade, ao pé da letra e ao pé das coisas. De outro modo, percebeu-se que o método freudiano de interpretação dos sonhos não estabeleceu aproximações com o que ocorre nos terreiros, pois na umbanda a interpretação não parece operar a partir de conteúdos manifestos para o acesso a conteúdos latentes. No caso da umbanda, a interpretação se dá em ato, ou melhor, é, em si, o próprio ato, inscreve-se no corpo, dá-se a ver, mas um ver que seja rente à pele e não restrito aos olhos. Além disso, embora tenha sido útil a ideia de que o autor da interpretação dos sonhos seja o próprio sonhador, no caso da umbanda, o sujeito intérprete não é somente o médium, o espírito, o cambono ou os consulentes. O sujeito da interpretação perpassa todos esses personagens, mas reside no próprio sistema simbólico umbandista. Desse modo, propõe-se que a espiritualidade não seja desconsiderada, mas tratada como um recurso para o desenvolvimento de novas noções de acolhimento que não somenterespeitem a cultura do outro, mas, sobretudo, incorporem-nas às suas estratégias de cuidado. Embora esta pesquisa não tenha pretendido investigar como as comunidades afrobrasileiras compreendem saúde e doença, sofrimento e cuidado, ela buscou contribuir para um entendimento de como, mediante procedimentos interpretativos, esse universo cultural refina a escuta e o acolhimento daqueles que a ele recorrem. / Umbanda is characterized as a possession cult, whose members, in a trance, incorporate spirits that appear in the terreiros (specific places for the religious ritual) on generally public ceremonies in order to \"work\" in the service of his faithful and consultants. The objective of this research was to investigate and describe the interpretative processes in Umbanda, from a ethnopsychological perspective. It is a case study of longitudinal type, based on the method of the participant listening, understood as the extension of the psychoanalytic method to field research, by using ethnographic techniques. The field research was accomplished in the Oxalá Umbanda Center (Ribeirão Preto - São Paulo - Brazil), where queries granted by spirits embodied by the father-of-saint were fully accompanied by records on the field diary. To achieve this purpose, the researcher was admitted into the place of father-of-saints Cambona, that is, an auxiliary of the ceremony. Psychoanalytic theory of interpretation assumed a heuristic value in this research, to enable the formulation of working hypotheses as guidelines that allowed the researcher to seek the understanding of the interpretative processes in Umbanda. The consultations showed the use of \"ingredients-things-significant\" that resemble a prayer but prayed performatively by the body, such as phrases that compose a poem whose interpretation is enunciated in the own umbandista symbolic system. It is suggested, therefore, that the interpretation in this context appear to present rich possibilities of combinations of features that are revealed beyond to the verbal. Psychoanalysis has proved an important tool for research regarding the field experience, the transference relationship and refinement of listening. The lacanian approach was useful in the sense that it comprises the interpretation that is present on the event and the event includes the interpretation; besides the possibility to analyze the symbolic register from the intersection of two axes, metaphor and metonymy, which facilitated the immersion of listening into the language of Umbanda spirits and, finally, it has allowed mapping interpretations that operate in materiality, to the letter and the bottom of thingsquite literally. Otherwise, it is clear that Freud\'s method of dream interpretation has not established approaches to what happens in the terreiros, because for Umbanda the interpretation does not seem to operate from manifest content access to latent content. In the case of Umbanda, the interpretation occurs in act, or rather is, the act itself, it is part of the body, reveals itself, but is a way to \"seeing\" that is close to the skin and not restricted to eyes. Furthermore, although it has been useful the idea that the author of dream interpretation is the dreamer himself, in the case of Umbanda, the subject interpreter is not only the medium, the spirit, the cambono or consultants. The subject of interpretation permeates all these characters, but resides in the proper symbolic system of Umbanda. Thus, it is proposed that spirituality is not disregarded, but treated as a resource for the development of new notions of protection that not only respect each other\'s culture, but above all that they can incorporate them to their care strategies. Although this research did not intend to investigate how african-Brazilian communities understand health and illness, suffering and care, it sought to contribute to an understanding of how, through interpretive procedures, this cultural universe refines listening and acceptance of those who turn to him.

In the psychology of religion, prayer is one area which has received relatively small attention in the past. In the case of Muslim prayer, with a few exceptions, the field is yet to be explored. This convergent parallel mixed-methods study examined the relationship of Muslim prayer acts and perceived psychosocial functions and meaning-making functions. The data was gathered using semi-constructed interviews as well as standardized instruments: Brief RCOPE, Sense of Coherence (SoC) and CD-RISC 2 resilience scale. The participants consisted of twelve males and four females currently residing in the central parts of Sweden. Focus was placed on the five daily prayers (Ṣalāt), the supplication prayer (Duʿāʾ) as well as the constant reminder of God (Dhikr). The theoretical parts focused mainly on meaning-making, coping, and ritual theory. The research question of this study was: “What role or roles do Muslim rituals, with a focus on prayer, have in the psychosocial functions and meaning-making functions in everyday life?”. For the Brief RCOPE questionnaire, the results included relatively high scores for positive coping and relatively low scores for negative coping (Positive Coping max: 28,00; min: 20,00; average: 23,75; range: 8,00. Negative Coping max: 15,00; min: 7,00, average: 10,19; range: 8,00. Religious coping on a general level max: 1,00; min 2,00, average: 1,06; range: 1,00). For the Sense of Coherence (SoC) scale, the results included different scores, in total medium to low (max: 75,00; min: 44,00; average: 56,00; range: 31,00). In the case of CD-RISC 2 resilience scale, the results were diverse with both high and low scores (max: 8,00; min: 3,00; average: 5,56; range: 5,00). From the interviews, several findings emerged including the centrality of prayer in the informant’s lives. Meaning-making emerged as a central part concerning all forms of prayer. The Muslim identity was also seen as absolutely central in their life. When performing prayers in line with the informants’ own theological understanding, this produced very positive feelings. When not performing the prayers, this resulted in negative feelings and anxiety. The latter also related to a more or less constant stress of not being a good enough Muslim and therefore ending up in Hell after death for most of the informants. The religious community was seen as very positive since many of the informants struggled with what they thought of as Un-Islamic values and behaviors present in the surrounding society.

The problem concerns determining whether healthy and unhealthy religious beliefs can be distinguished. A 150 item Religious Beliefs Inventory (RBI) was developed to assess healthy and unhealthy religious beliefs. In a pilot study, RBI scales were developed and the MMPI-168 was used as the criteria measure. Fifteen of the 23 RBI scales yielded an average reliability of .79 and an average validity of .48 for 95 undergraduate university subjects. The present study seeks to cross-validate the results of the pilot study with a church-active sample. Six judges/pastors evaluated RBI items as healthy or unhealthy and their responses were used to formulate and validate the RBI scoring system. For the 196 church-active subjects, Hypothesis 1 is supported by eleven of the seventeen significant predicted correlations between the RBI and the validity criteria MMPI- 168, ranging from .14 to .28 with an average of .20. The average reliability of 15 RBI scales is .71. Hypothesis 2 is supported by five of eight significant predicted positive correlations between the RBI and the Rehfisch RI (Rigidity) scale, ranging from .18 to .25 with an average of .17. One or more of the following explanations may account for the absence of higher and more numerous significant correlations for support for Hypotheses 1 and 2 found in the present study: (a) the distribution of scores on 18 of 24 RBI scales are skewed to the right; (b) there are significant differences between characteristics of the pilot study undergraduate sample and the church-active sample participating in the present study; (c) there is a need to assess an individual's degree of involvement in his religious beliefs; (d) psychometric improvements are needed in the RBI; and (e) limitations of the validity criteria. In conclusion, although the RBI is not ready for clinical use, fifteen of the RBI scales appear to hold promise and deserve further revision and research.

Religion and spirituality are acknowledged coping resources, yet for many years, the use of religion and spirituality was not practiced in therapy. Psychologists were once branded the least religious of all academicians; however there is evidence of an integration of psychology with religion and spirituality. Recently, studies have been conducted to prove the success of using religion and spirituality to cope with psychological disorders, prevent unhealthy behaviours and promote resilience. Despite this, very little research to date has explored South African psychologists’ perceptions on this matter. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of psychologists in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality area about the use of religion and spirituality in therapy. Purposive sampling was employed to obtain a sample and focus groups were used to the collect data. The data was analyzed using Tesch’s model of qualitative content analysis. Many themes emerged from the data analysis process. The participants indicated that they perceive the definitions of religion and spirituality as difficult to define and reach consensus on. Nevertheless, the participants recognized that religion and spirituality are important aspects of their clients’ lives and that they cannot be ignored in therapy. Particular emphasis was placed on the fact that religion and spirituality are coping mechanisms for both clients and psychologists. Most of the participants indicated that they were willing to discuss religion and spirituality with their clients if they brought it up. The participants highlighted specific factors that made it possible for them to engage with their clients on religious and spiritual levels, and factors that made it difficult for them to do so. The value of the research was discussed. Limitations of the study were also highlighted and based on these, recommendations for future research were outlined.