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The study investigated the extent of burnout condition among counsellors in Kenya. The sources of burnout were explored and personality style was positively correlated with burnout development. Impact of burnout on counsellor wellness and productivity was also established. It examined whether counsellor supervision was an appropriate strategy in the management of counsellor burnout. The study utilized a pluralistic design that combined both qualitative and quantitative methods (Howard, 1983). The qualitative design permitted collection of rich data from study subjects' experiential and perceptual fields. This ensured study findings would be relevant and applicable to specific counsellor situations. The study population comprised 20 counsellors and 9 Kenya Counselling Association (KCA) accredited counsellor supervisors. The counsellor sample was drawn from 2 Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) centres, 2 rehabilitation centres and 2 educational institutions. This diverse population was a helpful representation in terms of generalizability of the study. Three data collection instruments utilized were: Questionnaires, focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. The study's validity and reliability were ensured through the two sample populations (counsellor and counsellor supervisors), test re-test and pre-test procedures for questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Tallying identified items checked content validity. The study findings showed that burnout seriously affected practitioner effectiveness and led to malpractice and client harm. The study predictably established that supervision is an appropriate strategy in the management of counsellor burnout. The metaphor of motor vehicle maintenance was utilized in the development of the Holistic Burnout Supervision Model (HBSM) that focussed on wellness maintenance of the counsellor in a lifecycle. HBSM identified two levels in wellness maintenance: Preventative (servicing) and curative (repair). The study recommended that counselor - training institutions should incorporate in their curriculum burnout and supervision modules. This would create awareness about burnout and appropriate prevention strategies at counsellor formation stages. People care agencies should also institutionalize the burnout supervision facility in order to ensure counsellor resiliency and vitality. / Psychology / D. Phil (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)

In South Africa the Center for Child Youth and Family Studies is training practitioners yearly to work as play therapists from a gestalt approach. Once these practitioners successfully complete their training and qualify they could begin practicing play therapy from a gestalt approach. Each of these recently qualified play therapists is then responsible for organising and committing to their own supervision. Therapists who do not attend supervision risk stagnation and burn out due to a lack of positive interaction in relation to receiving knowledge and support from those more experienced in gestalt play therapy and from their peers. At present there is a perceived lack of supervision resources based on a gestalt approach particularly for those recently qualified play therapists working from a gestalt approach that are geographically distant from the areas where training takes place. This study sought to answer the question of what supervision resources are currently available to recently qualified play therapists working from a gestalt approach in South Africa. In order to answer this question combined quantitative and qualitative research approaches were used. An internet survey questionnaire was completed by recently qualified play therapists working from a gestalt approach which formed part of the quantitative section of the research. Structured interviews were conducted via Skype with professionals experienced in the field of Gestalt therapy theory and supervision from a gestalt approach and this formed part of the qualitative section of the research. Overall the results from the merged data indicate a lack of supervisors qualified to give supervision based on a gestalt approach. This factor contributes to the overall lack of supervision resources based on a gestalt approach for recently qualified play therapists working from this approach. Geographical distance from supervision resources places financial and time constraints on recently qualified play therapists that prevent them from accessing supervision based on a gestalt approach. Despite this results indicate those recently qualified play therapists working from a gestalt approach are attempting to meet their responsibility and requirement for supervision. / Psychology / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

The study investigated the extent of burnout condition among counsellors in Kenya. The sources of burnout were explored and personality style was positively correlated with burnout development. Impact of burnout on counsellor wellness and productivity was also established. It examined whether counsellor supervision was an appropriate strategy in the management of counsellor burnout. The study utilized a pluralistic design that combined both qualitative and quantitative methods (Howard, 1983). The qualitative design permitted collection of rich data from study subjects' experiential and perceptual fields. This ensured study findings would be relevant and applicable to specific counsellor situations. The study population comprised 20 counsellors and 9 Kenya Counselling Association (KCA) accredited counsellor supervisors. The counsellor sample was drawn from 2 Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) centres, 2 rehabilitation centres and 2 educational institutions. This diverse population was a helpful representation in terms of generalizability of the study. Three data collection instruments utilized were: Questionnaires, focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. The study's validity and reliability were ensured through the two sample populations (counsellor and counsellor supervisors), test re-test and pre-test procedures for questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Tallying identified items checked content validity. The study findings showed that burnout seriously affected practitioner effectiveness and led to malpractice and client harm. The study predictably established that supervision is an appropriate strategy in the management of counsellor burnout. The metaphor of motor vehicle maintenance was utilized in the development of the Holistic Burnout Supervision Model (HBSM) that focussed on wellness maintenance of the counsellor in a lifecycle. HBSM identified two levels in wellness maintenance: Preventative (servicing) and curative (repair). The study recommended that counselor - training institutions should incorporate in their curriculum burnout and supervision modules. This would create awareness about burnout and appropriate prevention strategies at counsellor formation stages. People care agencies should also institutionalize the burnout supervision facility in order to ensure counsellor resiliency and vitality. / Psychology / D. Phil (Psychology)

In South Africa the Center for Child Youth and Family Studies is training practitioners yearly to work as play therapists from a gestalt approach. Once these practitioners successfully complete their training and qualify they could begin practicing play therapy from a gestalt approach. Each of these recently qualified play therapists is then responsible for organising and committing to their own supervision. Therapists who do not attend supervision risk stagnation and burn out due to a lack of positive interaction in relation to receiving knowledge and support from those more experienced in gestalt play therapy and from their peers. At present there is a perceived lack of supervision resources based on a gestalt approach particularly for those recently qualified play therapists working from a gestalt approach that are geographically distant from the areas where training takes place. This study sought to answer the question of what supervision resources are currently available to recently qualified play therapists working from a gestalt approach in South Africa. In order to answer this question combined quantitative and qualitative research approaches were used. An internet survey questionnaire was completed by recently qualified play therapists working from a gestalt approach which formed part of the quantitative section of the research. Structured interviews were conducted via Skype with professionals experienced in the field of Gestalt therapy theory and supervision from a gestalt approach and this formed part of the qualitative section of the research. Overall the results from the merged data indicate a lack of supervisors qualified to give supervision based on a gestalt approach. This factor contributes to the overall lack of supervision resources based on a gestalt approach for recently qualified play therapists working from this approach. Geographical distance from supervision resources places financial and time constraints on recently qualified play therapists that prevent them from accessing supervision based on a gestalt approach. Despite this results indicate those recently qualified play therapists working from a gestalt approach are attempting to meet their responsibility and requirement for supervision. / Psychology / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

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)

Background/objective: Many studies report positivelearning results for e-learning for skill development in anumber of different settings, whereas one of these settings isin the work with mental health. However, mental healthissues are a globally increasing problem, not least in Sweden,and the need for effective and easily accessible skilldevelopment alternatives is therefore very high. This studytherefore aims to examine and deliver an insight into theuser experience of e-learning for skill development forpsychologists and psychotherapists.Method: A qualitative approach has been adopted wheresemi structured interviews with three psychologists and onepsychotherapist make up the empirical material. Theempirical material is analyzed through a developed modelbased on previous literature in the field.Results/analysis: The user experience for e-learning for skilldevelopment is generally positive. E-learning is perceived aseasily accessible, globalizing and the environmentallyfriendly option for skill development. Limitations are in theform of lacking learning dynamics, pedagogy and quality incomparison to traditional learning. E-learning, however,makes for a very good complement to traditional learning.Conclusions: E-learning is a valued learning method and isperceived to facilitate and help psychologists andpsychotherapists in their professions. However, successfactors such as cost-effectiveness, availability, interactivity,environmentally friendly and facilitating doesn’t compensatefor limitations in the form of lacking learning dynamics.Therefore, e-learning is best used as a complement totraditional learning rather than an independent learningmethod. / Bakgrund/syfte: Flertalet studier visar på positiva lärresultatför e-lärande för kompetensutveckling inom flera olikakontexter, varpå en av dessa kontexter är i arbetet medmental ohälsa. Mentala ohälsan ökar dock världen över, inteminst i Sverige, och behovet av effektiva och lättillgängligakompetensutvecklingsalternativ är därför större ännågonsin. Denna studie ämnar därmed undersöka och bidramed en inblick i hur användningsupplevelsen av e-lärandeför kompetensutveckling ser ut hos psykologer ochpsykoterapeuter.Metod: Ett kvalitativt tillvägagångssätt har anammats därsemistrukturerade intervjuer med tre psykologer och enpsykoterapeut utgör det empiriska materialet. Det empiriska materialet analyseras utifrån en framtagen analysmodellbaserad på tidigare litteratur på området.Resultat/analys: Användningsupplevelsen för e-lärande förkompetensutveckling är överlag positiv. E-lärande upplevssom bland annat lättillgängligt, globaliserande och ettmiljövänligt alternativ för kompetensutveckling.Begränsningar upplevs i form av bland annat bristandelärandedynamik, pedagogik och kvalitét i jämförelse medtraditionellt lärande. E-lärande utgör dock ett väldigt brakomplement till traditionellt lärande.Slutsatser: E-lärande är ett uppskattat lärandesätt somupplevs underlätta och hjälpa psykologer ochpsykoterapeuter i deras yrken. Framgångsfaktorer somkostnadseffektivt, tillgängliggörande, interaktivt,miljövänligt och underlättande väger dock inte upp förbegränsningar i form av bristande lärandedynamik. Därförgör sig e-lärande bäst som ett komplement till traditionelltlärande snarare än ett fristående lärandesätt.

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Background: Compassion-fatigue is a condition which therapists are forced into as a consequence of the nature of their work. The phenomenon has historically, and to some extent currently, been described as secondary trauma, vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress and burnout. The goal of this paper is to bring clarity as to what the phenomenon is and how it has been used in research, how common it is, what factors have been identified in the research that increase or decrease risk of developing it and lastly if any attempts have been made to develop a specific approach in preventing and/or treating the condition. Method: This current paper is a scoping review with a systematic approach.12 published studies, quantitative and qualitative in nature, were included and passed for review. Results: The result of the review indicates a deficit in data regarding prevalence of the phenomenon in the population and a general lack of randomized and experimental data. Most of the published studies were exploring psychologist experiences and secondarily attempting to identify factors predicting the development of compassion-fatigue. In conclusion, the phenomenon, regardless of what term is used, seems to be clearly delineated from conditions more akin to exhaustion and depression. Discussion: According to this study compassion-fatigue seems to be a condition that is sparked by the extraneous use of one’s empathic abilities past a tolerable point. Increased exposure by psychologists to work with patients with trauma may increase the risk of developing compassion-fatigue. It is still unknown what the mechanisms are that causes the condition and its prevalence among the population and further research, preferably randomized and experimental with comparison groups, is needed in order for this area to be fully mapped and explained.