This study examines the intersection of religion, mental health, and psychotherapy, specifically focusing on the concept of religious injury or harm. The literature review reveals a gap in research regarding the identification of religion as a potential source of emotional pain in religious individuals. To address this gap, this longitudinal study utilized intake data from 1303 clients and follow-up data from 748 clients three months after the completion of psychotherapy treatment. Primary objectives of the study were to examine whether religious commitment changes over the course of psychotherapy, explore if religious commitment influences mental health counseling outcomes, and better understand the relationship between psychological distress, religious commitment, and therapy outcomes among individuals who perceive religion as having harmed them. The results demonstrate that regardless of religious injury status, psychological distress decreased throughout the treatment period. Furthermore, psychotherapy not only reduced psychological distress but also altered client's religious commitment. Higher religious commitment at follow-up appeared to mitigate the negative effects of religious harm on therapy outcomes, resulting in lower levels of religious harm and improved therapy outcomes. These findings suggest that psychotherapy can effectively alleviate psychological distress and modify religious commitment for individuals who perceive religion as harmful. This research contributes to the existing literature on psychology and religion and emphasizes the need for further exploration of the complex relationship between religion, mental health, and therapeutic interventions.

Estimates of healthy years of life lost due to mental illness are increasing, calling greater attention to the provision of effective psychotherapy services. Hypothesized to be the key mechanism through which competencies are developed in trainee clinicians and subsequent client outcomes, clinical supervision is deserving of greater attention. Drawing on a sample of supervisors, trainees, and clients from a training clinic, the present study sought to clarify the relational factors that could facilitate the asserted supervisor-client outcome link and to better understand if, and how, clinical supervisors influence client outcomes. With the exception of supervisor openness to experience, supervisor factors did not predict meaningful variance in client outcomes. Trainee extraversion and openness to experience predicted significant variance in leader-member exchange and supervisory working alliance. Dispositional trainee factors (e.g., personality) appear to impact trainee perceptions of the supervisory relationship. Implications for training and development are discussed, in addition to directions for future research.

In hierdie studie is psigoterapeutiese uitkoms navorsing gedoen (Lindegger, 1999). Die navorser het as intern opvoedkundige sielkundige ‘n groepgebaseerde gestalt-dramaterapie program van 12 sessies ontwikkel ten einde selfagting-ontwikkeling by die kind met leerhindernisse aan te spreek. Gebrekkige motivering, ongunstige selfagting, sowel as problematiese sosiale vaardighede word geassosieer met leerhindernisse (DSM-IV-TR, 2000). Die Self-Esteem Index (SEI) is as meetinstrument gebruik en met aanvang en terminering van die intervensie afgeneem. Sekere strategieë is toegepas ten einde leerhindernisse te akkommodeer tydens die afneem van die meetinstrument. Na afloop van die intervensie, wat hoofsaaklik bestaan het uit dramatisering en rollespelle in kleingroep-verband, is die versamelde data statisties geanaliseer ten einde te bepaal of die intervensie moontlik tot die ontwikkeling van gunstige selfagting by die betrokke leerdergroep bygedra het. Die steekproef (n=17) is vanuit die SEI-vraelysdata van die Afrikaanssprekende Graad 4-leerders (tussen die ouderdomme van 10 tot 12 jaar) verbonde aan die betrokke remediërende skool, wie aan die LOD-program deelgeneem het, op sistematiese wyse getrek. Gepaarde t-toetse is gedoen ten einde te bepaal of daar enige statisties betekenisvolle verskille tussen die voortoets-/natoets-data bestaan. Die terapeutiese proses waartydens die data gegenereer is vir hierdie studie, was soortgelyk aan die pre-eksperimentele een groep voortoets-/natoets ontwerp. Die navorsingsresultate het aangedui dat die nulhipotese nie verwerp kan word nie. Die alternatiewe hipotese moet dus verder ondersoek word en vele moontlikhede vir toekomstige navorsing het vanuit die studie ontwikkel. ENGLISH : In this study psychotherapy outcome research was conducted (Lindegger, 1999). The researcher developed a group based gestalt drama therapy program during her internship as educational psychologist in a remedial school. The main therapeutic aim was to develop the self-esteem of the child with barriers to learning. Demoralization, low self-esteem, and deficits in social skills may be associated with barriers to learning (DSM-IV-TR, 2000). The intervention was facilitated over 12 sessions and all the Grade 4 pupils of the specific school participated in the intervention. The Self-Esteem Index (SEI) was administered during the beginning and at the end of the intervention. Certain strategies were used to accommodate barriers to learning during the administration of the SEI. After termination of the intervention the data were statistically analysed. The pretest/posttest results were compared in order to determine if the intervention contributed to self-esteem development of the participants. A data-sample (n=17) was systematically drawn from the Afrikaans speaking Grade 4 learner participants’ (between the ages of 10 to 12 years) SEI questionnaires. The therapeutic process during which the data was generated resembled a pre-experimental one group pretest/posttest design. Paired t-tests were used and the research results indicated no statistical significance which means that the null hypothesis could not be rejected. This resulted in the formulation of further hypothesis. The aim of this study therefore was to explore the possible effect of the intervention on the self-esteem development of the child with barriers to learning. Possibilities for further research emerged from this research study. Copyright / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted