There is now little doubt that psychological therapies are effective for people experiencing a wide range of difficulties (Lambert and Bergin, 1992). In recent years, interest has grown in how these may be applied to benefit individuals with learning disabilities. However, the quantity and quality of research in this area remains at a comparatively rudimentary level compared with mainstream mental health research (Hatton and Taylor, 2006). While a few studies have gone some way towards demonstrating the benefits of psychological therapies for this population and the application of specific models, there remains a distinct lack of empirical research relating to the views of individuals with learning disabilities themselves (Morgan, 2007). The present study is an attempt to rectify this by exploring individuals with learning disabilities understanding and perceptions of individual psychological therapies provided within a specialised NHS learning disability service. Seven participants were interviewed and their responses were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Two super-ordinate themes emerged from the data: 'seeking help and engaging in the therapeutic process', including sub-themes 'participants' understanding of reasons for therapy' and 'participants' understanding of therapeutic boundaries'; and 'relationship factors', including sub-themes 'the therapeutic value of talking', 'feeling at ease and understood', and 'reluctance to comment on negative aspects of therapy.' Implications for counselling psychology, limitations and avenues for further research are also discussed.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:557837 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Morgan, Tracey Amanda |
| Publisher | University of the West of England, Bristol |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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