An exploration of clients’ experiences of group therapy

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geraldine Akerman ◽  
Kate Anya Geraghty
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Group Therapy ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Group Work ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Unexplored Area ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Positive Feelings ◽  
Past Experiences ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – Much previous research has explored the impact of group work on the therapist. The purpose of this paper is to examine how group members tolerate the powerful material discussed in groups in a prison-based therapeutic community. The authors briefly describe the regime at HMP Grendon and previous research into the impact of group work on therapists. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative approach using a focus group was used to explore the impact of group work from the perspective of the group members. Themes emerging from the focus group were analysed using thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006). Participants included adult male violent and sexual offenders (n=10). The focus group was facilitated by two therapists, both based within HMP Grendon. Findings – Overarching themes emerged from the data which included – the type of material that has an impact on residents; the impact of this material on group members; and how residents manage it. A series of subthemes within these were identified, with salient themes including: the difficulty in listening to others offence histories and past experiences, managing the feelings of guilt and shame which can be overwhelming, feeling vulnerable/exposed, experiencing positive feelings for the first time as well as the benefits of therapy in eliciting change. Research limitations/implications – Uniquely the current study explores the impact of group therapy from the perspective of the group members. This is a previously unexplored area of research. As the study was conducted on a prison sample, it is unclear how well the findings would generalise to other populations. As such it is recommended that further research be conducted to validate the findings here. Practical implications – The present study indicates that group members process transference and counter-transference similar to therapists. It is suggested that therapists can use these findings to build resilience in group members. Originality/value – Previous research has described the impact of group work on therapists, uniquely this paper goes on to describe how group members process the material they are exposed to and how they manage their heightened emotions rather than acting on them. This should help therapists consider how best to develop resilience in group members.

What shapes students' perceptions of group work: personality or past experience?

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (9) ◽  
pp. 1457-1473
Author(s):  
Suzanna Elmassah ◽  
Shereen Mostafa Bacheer ◽  
Reynold James
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Group Work ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Group Experiences ◽  
Negative Perceptions ◽  
Past Experiences ◽  
The Impact

PurposeGroup work (GW) as a collaborative learning method for university students is a much-researched topic in the literature. However, a fairly neglected area is that of students' perceptions of the same. This study purports to bridge this gap in the extant literature via identifying the determinants of these perceptions.Design/methodology/approachUsing primary data gathered from a sample of 443 university students, the study applies the structural equation modeling (SEM) to estimate the impact of both personal traits and past experiences on the students' perceptions.FindingsThe SEM results reveal that students' perceptions of GW are determined by their relevant past experiences not by their personalities. This position is contradictory to other relevant studies undertaken thus far.Practical implicationsAccordingly, the study stresses the need for educators to create positive group experiences among students and to convert their past negative experiences into positive ones.Originality/valueWhilst group work holds significant learning benefits for students, negative perceptions about this rich method could eventuate in students refraining from participating in the same. By isolating the determinants associated with students' negative perceptions of GW, this study provides educationists with a strong case for developing suitable interventions aimed at enhancing students' positive perceptions of GW, and resultantly further maximizing its potential benefits.

Facing Loss of Vision: The Response of Adults to Visual Impairment

1981 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 41-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna L. Emerson
Keyword(s):  
Group Therapy ◽  
Group Work ◽  
Low Vision ◽  
Psychosocial Problems ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Reactive Depression ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Social Group Work ◽  
Group Experience

Short-term group therapy, using social group work, was utilized to treat the psychosocial problems of two groups of elderly low-vision clients and one group of young adult clients with low vision (N = 24). Group members showed psychosocial movement in three phases: shock, reactive depression, and readjustment. Evaluations measured the change in attitudes before and after group therapy. At the end of therapy, 17 persons, compared to none before the therapy, were at the point of self-acceptance and readjustment. Clinical examples illustrate the interplay of intrapsychic and group-experience factors leading to readjustment.

Health, happiness and your future: using a “men’s group” format to work with homeless men in London

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 403-418
Author(s):  
Kate Thompson ◽  
Pippa Brown ◽  
Stephanie Vieira
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychosocial Issues ◽  
Horn Of Africa ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Homeless Men ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Future Work ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe an intervention with a group of homeless men from the Horn of Africa, service users of the Horn of Africa Health and Wellbeing Project in London. The group was conceived by the second author who noted the presence of significant psychosocial issues for her clients, but equally their reluctance to access mainstream mental health or social care services. Design/methodology/approach Designing the group and introducing it to the men involved threw up some challenges which are explored, and the impact of the group on participants is evaluated. Findings Overall both the participants and the facilitators evaluated the group positively and it appeared to have led to lasting change for some of the group members, and this is described. The authors argue that this sort of group may be a more acceptable way to work on psychosocial issues than something more directly focused on mental health intervention. The group protocol is outlined along with suggestions for future work in this area. Originality/value This intervention represents a creative alternative to more mainstream psychological interventions for homeless or exiled men.

Being “adopted” into a teaching community

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 228-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erinn Bentley ◽  
Madison Workman ◽  
Alex Overby
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Teacher Candidates ◽  
Mentor Teachers ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
Field Placement ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
The Impact

Purpose In order to prepare new members of the education profession, it is imperative that teachers enter their classrooms with the confidence, knowledge, and skills to serve their students from day one. One method for preparing such teacher candidates or student teachers is through school-based field placements during their preparation program. The purpose of this paper is to describe one example of a yearlong field placement and the mentoring relationships that emerged among participants. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study used the following data sources: focus group interviews among the teacher candidates, focus group interviews among the mentor teachers, field placement reflections and teaching analyses composed by the teacher candidates, and interviews conducted among teacher candidates and mentor teachers. Findings Analysis of the data revealed that the yearlong field placement promoted positive mentoring relationships between teacher candidates and their classroom teachers. Specifically the following themes emerged: the “adoption” of teacher candidates into the high school classrooms, risk-taking within the classrooms, the mentor teachers’ use of constructive feedback, and collaborative “mentoring-down-the-hall.” Originality/value In recent years, various scholars have investigated the impact of field placement experiences on teacher candidates; however, these studies have lacked a detailed analysis of how such experiences impacted mentoring relationships among candidates and their mentor teachers in a collaborative setting. This paper provides an in-depth study of the perceived experiences of mentor teachers and their candidates.

scholarly journals The Stopit! programme to reduce bullying and undermining behaviour in hospitals

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 428-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham Benmore ◽  
Steven Henderson ◽  
Joanna Mountfield ◽  
Brian Wink
Keyword(s):  
Evaluation Method ◽  
Realist Evaluation ◽  
Evaluation Framework ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Training Interventions ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Past Experiences ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Q Sort ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The impact of bullying and undermining behaviours on the National Health Service on costs, patient safety and retention of staff was well understood even before the Illing report, published in 2013, that reviewed the efficacy of training interventions designed to reduce bullying and harassment in the outputs. The purpose of this paper is to provide an example of a good programme well evaluated. Design/methodology/approach The methodology follows a broad realist approach, by specifying the underlying programme assumptions and intention of the designers. Three months after the event, Q-sort methodology was employed to group participants into one of three contexts – mechanism – output groups. Interviews were then undertaken with members of two of these groups, to evaluate how the programme had influenced each. Findings Q-sort identified a typology of three beneficiaries from the Stopit! workshops, characterised as professionals, colleagues and victims. Each group had acted upon different parts of the programme, depending chiefly upon their current and past experiences of bullying in hospitals. Research limitations/implications The paper demonstrates the effectiveness of using Q-sort method to identify relevant CMOs in a realist evaluation framework. Practical implications The paper considers the effectiveness of the programme to reduce bullying, rather than teach victims to cope, and how it may be strengthened based upon the research findings and Illing recommendations. Social implications Workplace bullying is invariably implicated in scandals concerning poor hospital practice, poor patient outcomes and staff illness. All too frequently, the sector responds by offering training in resilience, which though helpful, places the onus on the victim to cope rather than the employer to reduce or eliminate the practice. This paper documents and evaluates an attempt to change workplace practices to directly address bullying and undermining. Originality/value The paper describes a new programme broadly consistent with Illing report endorsements. Second, it illustrates a novel evaluation method that highlights rigorously the contexts, mechanisms and outcomes at the pilot stage of an intervention identifies contexts and mechanisms via factor analysis using Q-sort methodology.

Preference for group work in China and the US

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wayne H. Decker ◽  
Thomas J. Calo ◽  
Hong Yao ◽  
Christy H. Weer
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Group Work ◽  
Extrinsic Motivation ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Global Business ◽  
Content Type ◽  
General Acceptance ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine whether Chinese and US students differ in preference for group work (PGW) and whether the factors contributing to PGW differ in the two countries. Design/methodology/approach – The sample included 412 Chinese and 423 US college students who completed a survey measuring cultural values and motives. Hierarchical regression and simple-slope analyses were used to examine main effects and interactions. Findings – Overall, the US and Chinese students did not differ in PGW. Although US men exceeded US women in PGW, no gender difference occurred in China. PGW was positively associated with others focus (concern for what others think) and helping others in both countries, but the association was stronger in China. In China, but not in the USA, PGW was positively associated with extrinsic motivation and need for achievement. Therefore, despite the general acceptance of group work in the USA, participation in groups is not seen as critical in attaining rewards as it is in China. Research limitations/implications – Other populations, including practicing managers, should be studied to better represent the workforce of each country. Also, other variables, including personality traits, may impact PGW. Practical implications – Managers and educators should pay attention to how cultural values and motives of group members vary. Business education should offer more opportunities to increase exposure to cultural differences, including experience working in culturally diverse groups. Originality/value – The study supports some traditional assumptions concerning the impact of culture upon PGW, but also suggests that a global business orientation can mitigate the impact of traditional national cultures.

Determinants of Marathoners’ event expenditures: an in-depth exploration of past experience

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kwangsoo Park ◽  
Jeong-Yeol Park ◽  
Robin M. Back
Keyword(s):  
Negative Influence ◽  
Total Expenditure ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Planning Time ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Past Experiences ◽  
The Impact ◽  
First Time ◽  
Repeat Visits

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the determinants of Marathon event spending by estimated expenditure models. Design/methodology/approach This study analyzes the impact of socio-demographic and travel-context factors on aggregated and disaggregated expenditures by event visitors who participated in the Fargo Marathon in Fargo, North Dakota. Findings The results indicate that event satisfaction does not have an influence on any types of expenditure. As the planning time increases, however, there is a positive effect on total expenditure. First-time visitors are shown to spend more money, especially on food and beverage, lodging and total expenditure. Conversely, the number of past experiences of the event had a negative influence on these expenditure types. Originality/value In addition to travel-related factors and socio-demographic variables, researchers had not examined the influence of repeat visits on travelers’ spending. The originality of this study lies in revealing that repeat visits decrease spending in specific categories, especially in the case of a Marathon event.

Black South African women in construction: cues for success

2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 144-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane English ◽  
Paula Hay
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
South African ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Barriers To Entry ◽  
Family Responsibilities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – This paper aims to describe the findings of interviews based on a questionnaire and a focus group discussion (conducted in 2011) with three Black women employees who were part of a 2006 study, which canvassed 176 employees and employers, in which carpentry was found to be considered the most accessible and appropriate skills area for women, and chronicles their development and assessment of current employment for women in construction. Design/methodology/approach – The focus group was made up of the women from the 2006 study still in the same employment or better positions in the same company Neil Muller Construction (NMC) after five years. Women from NMC, in particular, were selected because the company has been considered a best practice example and therefore would provide an interesting context in terms of the issues around retention of women and potentially a model for the industry. Foci are female representation, barriers, conditions, skills acquisition and employers’ attitudes to family responsibilities. In particular, measures to support women and the impact of role models and mentoring programmes are discussed. Findings – The results of the 2011 focus group study show that positive measures for women to work in construction are developing, both through legislation (e.g. the Construction Charter) and company efforts such as those of NMC. Both the 2006 and 2011 studies highlighted that female attributes such as being peacekeepers on site were considered favourable, indicating a positive shift in attitude regarding women working in construction. Research limitations/implications – There has been and remains a paucity of research into and literature on the topic of women in the construction industry, particularly working at the skills level. Practical implications – The paper has practical implications for employers wanting to increase employment and retention of women on site by providing a best practice example. Social implications – Increased employment of women is a statuary requirement of South African employment law. Women are, on average, the lowest wage earners. Originality/value – The paper reviews challenges for women in construction and ways these can be circumvented through interaction between industry and companies. The challenges are entry and retention because of the practices and attitudes typical in a male-dominated work environment. As a follow-up to previous research of 2006 into barriers to entry for women, this paper adds value by considering retention and a best practice example. As women’s lack of knowledge of the sector is also a barrier, this paper contributes to building knowledge. Further research should determine developing trends in terms of women’s representation in the construction industry.

National culture and the learning organization

2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 142-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Muhammad Siddique
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
National Culture ◽  
Learning Organization ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cultural Orientations ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to examine the concept of learning organization (LO) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Its objective is to provide initial insight into the potential impact of cultural context on how business managers perceive and interpret the LO theory and practice. Design/methodology/approach The study was conducted in two phases; the first phase involved a focus group review and discussion of the LO concept and major LO models. With insights gained from the focus group discussions, the second phase of the study developed a number of hypotheses on the potential impact of national cultural orientations on the LO concept, which were tested with managerial responses to a survey. Findings While UAE managers viewed and interpreted the LO concept in several different ways, most qualitative comments emphasized the following four aspects of an LO: workplace learning, organizational learning, learning climate and learning structure. Both sets of data revealed strong linkages between dimensions of national culture and the LO concept. Organizational culture partially mediated the relationship between national cultural orientations and aspects of an LO. Potential barriers to the implementation of the LO concept as perceived by respondents were largely related to national cultural value orientations and organizational cultures. The findings suggested that Western LO models and measurement instruments do not fully capture the socio-cultural reality of UAE-based organizations and the manner in which they view and interpret the LO concept and practices in their specific context. Research limitations Being a preliminary and largely reflective in nature, the present study has relied more heavily upon the qualitative data than the survey data. Practical implications The findings of this study document the value of culture-specific criteria to monitor the performance of companies in their LO journey rather than using a standardized LO assessment model. Originality/value The study represents an initial attempt at enhancing the understanding of the impact of national culture on the development and application of the LO concept and the challenges it faces in the UAE context.

The impact of cognitive apprenticeship on the perceived growth of junior doctors

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 489-499
Author(s):  
Takuro Tsukube ◽  
Makoto Matsuo
Keyword(s):  
Professional Growth ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Cognitive Apprenticeship ◽  
Junior Doctors ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Clinical Supervisors ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Past Experiences ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Although cognitive apprenticeship has been widely used in various educational fields, few empirical studies have examined its effectiveness in a workplace context. This study aims to investigate the effects of cognitive apprenticeship on junior doctors’ perceived professional growth in hospitals. Design/methodology/approach A retrospective questionnaire survey was performed that asked surgeons (n = 87) and physicians (n = 92) to recall how they were instructed by their supervisors during the first five years after graduation from medical school. Findings The results of multiple regression analyzes showed that all dimensions of cognitive apprenticeship (modeling, coaching, scaffolding, articulation, reflection and exploration) had positive effects on each doctor’s perceived growth, regardless of the type of clinical practice (surgeon vs physician) or the period of supervision. It was also found that physicians experienced significantly more coaching and scaffolding, and opportunities for, articulation and reflection, than surgeons. Research limitations/implications Some of the data were collected through snowball sampling, and this study used a retrospective survey in which respondents were asked to recall past experiences. Practical implications Clinical supervisors in hospitals should adopt a cognitive apprenticeship model when supervising junior doctors. Surgical supervisors need to be more conscious of the benefits of cognitive apprenticeship. Originality/value This study confirmed that the six dimensions of cognitive apprenticeship had positive influences on the perceived growth of junior doctors, regardless of their clinical domains or period of supervision and that clinical domains influence the implementation of cognitive apprenticeship.

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