M.A. / The researcher has undertaken a social constructionist research project that aims to explore the narratives of therapists who work with HIV-positive clients in the South African context. The researcher hoped to generate information regarding the: difficulties or challenges that are peculiar to this type of therapy and the impact of this therapy on the professional and personal lives of the therapist. The initial part of the dissertation covers an investigation of the literature regarding HIV/AIDS and HIV-related therapy. This literature reveals that mental health workers and psychologists experience considerable stress and 'burn-out' related to the many difficult issues provoked by HIV-positive clients. The theoretical foundations of postmodernism and social constructionist research are also described. In line with the researcher's epistemology, the methodology was qualitative in nature and made use of unstructured interviews. The narratives of the participants were then subjected to a qualitative or thematic analysis. The results of the study are presented in terms of the significant themes in the participants' accounts. It is evident in the narratives of the research participants that there are peculiar difficulties in therapy with HIV-positive clients. Also evident are the significant effects that this work has on the therapists' professional and personal beliefs, attitudes, philosophies and behaviour. Finally the results are discussed and a critical evaluation of the study is offered. The objective of the research is not to generalise the findings to all Clinical Psychologists who work with HIV-positive clients. A recommendation based on the findings is that therapists considering working with HIV-positive clients familiarise themselves with the issues that this therapy raises.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uj/uj:9360 |
| Date | 15 August 2012 |
| Creators | Josephson, Nicole Elaine. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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