scholarly journals Impact of the therapist’s “use of self”

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 118-143
Author(s):  
Andrew M. Sleater ◽  
Julie Scheiner
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Belief Systems ◽  
Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Use Of Self ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Self Disclosure

The aim of this research was to explore the therapist’s “use of self” to gain an understanding of this phenomenon through the participants’ lived experience. A literature review yielded a number of common themes associated with “use of self”: self-disclosure, personality, intersubjectivity, relationality, attachment, belief systems, and embodiment. The study comprised of semi-structured interviews conducted with six experienced and accredited clinicians. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used, as it facilitated the objectives of the research, which were to capture the lived experience of the clinicians, identify common themes, and observe for any new insights. The authors found three superordinate themes in relation to the therapist’s “use of self”, all of which are intertwined: connection, awareness and wellness. The research supports the fact that the therapist’s “use of self” has an impact on therapy. While connection and awareness feature strongly in the literature, the importance of wellness is not highlighted. The authors propose that an obligate symbiosis exists between awareness and wellness.

Living with Heart Failure during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

2021 ◽  
pp. 105477382110166
Author(s):  
Alessia Martina Trenta ◽  
Davide Ausili ◽  
Rosario Caruso ◽  
Cristina Arrigoni ◽  
Massimo Moro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Hospital Organization ◽  
Challenging Situation ◽  
And Coping ◽  
Negative Feelings

This study aimed to explore lived experience of patients with heart failure (HF) during the COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative study was conducted using an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Data collection performed in March-May 2020, using in-depth, semi-structured interviews on a purposive sample. Data were analyzed according to the IPA methodology, and triangulation, bracketing, journaling, and member checking were used to assure rigor. 14 patients with HF were enrolled, and three main themes described their lived experience during the COVID-19 pandemic: Vulnerability, Hanging in the balance, and Coping strategies. These people felt particularly vulnerable to the novel virus and experienced uncertainty due to hospital organization changes. Because of this, they felt like they were hanging in the balance, experiencing various negative feelings. Nevertheless, they managed to deal with this challenging situation by implementing some peculiar coping strategies. The COVID-19 represents a significant challenge for patients with HF, impacting significantly on their lives.

scholarly journals An interpretative phenomenological analysis of exercisers’ use of music during workouts

2019 ◽  
pp. 030573561985452
Author(s):  
Rachel Hallett ◽  
Alexandra Lamont
Keyword(s):  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Individual Experience ◽  
Use Of Self ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Music Literacy ◽  
Negative Experiences ◽  
Self Identity ◽  
Social Positioning ◽  
Recorded Data

This study explores exercisers’ use of self-selected music. Ten participants (seven female, three male) aged 26–58 years who exercised regularly took part in semi-structured interviews about their exercise and music use. Interviews explored how they sourced, selected and experienced music during exercise. The recorded data were transcribed and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to identify common patterns while also recognising individual experience. Four themes were identified: Taking control, referring to overcoming internal and external challenges through music; It’s all about me, involving self-identity and social positioning; Exercise-music literacy, concerning musical judgement and technological skills; and Embodiment, concerning body-music-hardware interactions and synchronisation. The results show examples of circumstances under which music provides exercisers with both positive and negative experiences. The findings contribute to understanding of the effects of music in exercise and demonstrate the individuality of preferences and usage.

scholarly journals Exploring the Lived Experience of People with Dementia Through Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Small Body ◽  
Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Analytic Process ◽  
Moderate Dementia ◽  
Negative Perceptions

Dementia is arguably one of the biggest challenges facing society today, impacting millions of people worldwide. Nonetheless, there is only a relatively small body of research exploring what it is like to live with dementia from the perspectives of people who have this condition. This is partly because of the (implicit or explicit) belief that people with dementia lack insight into their condition and cannot talk about their experiences clearly. In this article, I argue that such beliefs are typically both erroneous and unhelpful, and that there is great value in seeking to illuminate the lived experiences of people with dementia. I present an interpretative phenomenological analysis of data from semi-structured interviews with six participants who had moderate dementia. I elicit five themes from this analytic process, and discuss the three most prominent here: awareness and understanding of dementia, clarity and confusion, and social support and relationships. I mobilise these themes to narrate the lived experiences of people with dementia, demonstrating their awareness both of the difficulties presented by dementia and of the negative perceptions of others.

Working After Loss: How Bereavement Counsellors Experience Returning to Therapeutic Work After the Death of Their Parent

2021 ◽  
pp. 105413732110676
Author(s):  
Dr. Colleen Swinden
Keyword(s):  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Grief And Loss ◽  
Use Of Self ◽  
Self Disclosure ◽  
Therapeutic Work ◽  
Returning To Work ◽  
The Impact

Despite increased interest in the impact of external events on counsellors, surprisingly little has been written on counsellor bereavement. To address the research question: How do bereavement counsellors experience therapeutic work after the death of their parent? Interviews were conducted with four bereaved counsellors who reflected on its impact on their work. Data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Three major themes emerged; how decisions about returning to work were informed by colleagues and supervision; the benefits of returning to work and the use of ‘bracketing’; long-term implications for practice including heightened empathy with clients’ and disclosure of loss. In addition, participants felt they had insufficient guidance regarding fitness to practice. The possible limitations of the study were that self-selection may have introduced an element of bias to the results. These findings support existing literature and also revealed potential gaps in grief and loss training for counsellors and supervisors. A particular training issue for supervisors might be identifying and discussing fitness to practice issues with supervisees. There are also implications for counsellors in terms of the use of self-disclosure in therapy. Suggested further research to explore the use of self-disclosure in greater depth.

“God is a painter”: How Jewish Ultra-Orthodox art therapists and clients perceive mental health treatment

2020 ◽  
pp. 136346152094474
Author(s):  
Chana Podolsky-Krupper ◽  
Limor Goldner
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Treatment ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Health Treatment ◽  
Self Disclosure ◽  
Art Therapists ◽  
Emotional Balance

The current study examined the ways in which 14 art therapists and adult clients from the Ultra-Orthodox sector in Israel perceive mental health and mental health treatment. Semi-structured interviews were subjected to an interpretative phenomenological analysis to capture the meaning ascribed to the treatment and its challenges. Four themes emerged: the perception of mental health as related to the centrality of functioning, purposefulness, and emotional balance; the specific challenges of therapy, in terms of suspicion regarding treatment and difficulties in establishing intimacy and self-disclosure; the interplay between the worlds of therapy and religion; and the intersection of art and religion. The discussion centers on an interpretation of the findings in light of the ontological typology of individualism versus collectivism.

scholarly journals Exploring CBT therapists’ experience of feeling of safety within self-practice/self-reflection: an interpretative phenomenological analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Murray Mackenzie ◽  
James O’Mahony
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Future Research ◽  
List Type ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Experiential Training ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Training Strategy ◽  
Group Members

Abstract Self-practice/self-reflection (SP/SR) is an experiential training strategy implemented to develop the skills of CBT therapists through the self-application of CBT techniques and subsequent reflection on the experience in relation to clinical practice. Outcome studies report significant personal and professional benefits from SP/SR but engagement studies suggest that CBT therapists’ experience is mixed. In order to inform the design and implementation of SP/SR within CBT, this study aims to explore CBT therapists’ experience of feeling of safety (FOS) within SP/SR. FOS has been identified as an important engagement factor. Three CBT therapists were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. The data, which took the form of verbatim transcripts, were subjected to interpretative phenomenological analysis. Four superordinate themes relating to participants’ experience of FOS within SP/SR emerged: FOS and its absence as embodied and non-verbal, role of the instructor, awareness of others and venturing beyond safety. Ensuing recommendations for instructors include proactive use of interventions within SP/SR which directly impact embodied FOS, monitoring the wellbeing and engagement of participants through awareness of physical cues and employment of measures designed to promote a sense of equality among group members. Areas of future research include exploration of factors which influence FOS, investigation of the effect on FOS of pre-existing relationships within the SP/SR group and review of interventions which are currently used by SP/SR instructors to promote FOS. Key learning aims (1) To explore the lived experience of FOS within SP/SR as experienced by CBT therapists. (2) To identify factors which influence CBT therapists’ experience of FOS within SP/SR. (3) To identify practical recommendations for use in SP/SR instruction which will promote participants’ FOS.

scholarly journals My sibling’s mental illness: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of experiences of having an adult sibling with a mental illness in semi-rural South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Saville Young ◽  
Raylene Flannigan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Psychiatric Treatment ◽  
Financial Burden ◽  
Belief Systems ◽  
Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Care Work ◽  
Structured Interviews

Background: When there is a lack of resources in the community to support deinstitutionalisation, the siblings of an individual with a mental illness are the ones who are the most affected and vulnerable. Nevertheless, sibling care work is still largely unacknowledged in the mental health sector in low- and middle-income countries.Aim: This article describes and interprets the lived experiences of ‘black’ isiXhosa-speaking individuals having a sibling with a mental illness, to shed light on how mental health professionals might support and sustain the involvement of individuals in the treatment and care of their sibling.Setting: The study was conducted in a semi-rural town in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.Methods: The study employed a qualitative research design using interpretative phenomenological analysis as the research method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed.Results: The findings present interview extracts which give voice to participants’ experiences of financial burden, social burden and stigma, and of engaging with psychiatric treatment while providing care for their mentally ill sibling. Findings also highlight the positive aspects of caring for a sibling with a mental illness.Conclusion: This study specifically highlights the gendered nature of care work and siblings’ increased understanding of mental illness by virtue of their relationship with their brother or sister, thereby possibly pointing to sibling relationships as valuable relational resources for challenging stigma. The study findings suggest that calls for greater cooperation between healing belief systems should include dialogue with western religious belief systems alongside traditional healing belief systems.

scholarly journals Remembering Postpartum Depression in Later Life: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walker Ladd
Keyword(s):  
Postpartum Depression ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Research Reporting ◽  
Self Confidence

Postpartum depression (PPD) occurs in as many as 1 in 7 women (Gavin et al., 2005). PPD remains underdiagnosed and largely untreated, contributing to high societal costs and increased maternal mortality. Despite the wealth of research reporting the adverse effects of PPD on childbearing women and their offspring, little is known about how women who have experienced PPD describe or interpret the meaning of the experience in later life. I conducted semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 10 women self-identifying as having had PPD a minimum of 13 years in the past. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) I identified three themes: (a) what PPD was like, (b) PPD changed me, and (c) I am grateful for PPD. Women reported that PPD was like falling down a black hole, perceiving themselves as bad mothers. Women identified PPD as having changed them in positive ways, including new self-confidence, increased compassion, and a passion to help others impacted by PPD. Women described PPD as facilitating meaningful personal growth for which they were grateful. Understanding how women reflect on PPD in later life provides new insight into the lived experience beyond the postpartum period and highlighting the need for future research women’s experience of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders over their life span.

scholarly journals In Search of the Recognition of Expatriate Complexity: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Psychotherapy Experience

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mojca Filipic Sterle ◽  
Lesley Verhofstadt ◽  
Pam Bell ◽  
Jan De Mol
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Mental Health Treatment ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Global Context ◽  
Cultural Aspects ◽  
Multicultural Counselling

Expatriates experiencing emotional distress and a call for globally oriented psychotherapy receive an increased focus in the research agendas. That one may better understand how expatriates may be helped in times of distress, the insight in their actual psychotherapy experience may serve as a valuable avenue. The aim of this qualitative study was to illuminate the lived experience of psychotherapy and the meaning that expatriates attributed to these experiences within their expatriate context. Semi-structured interviews were utilized for the data collection and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was employed for data analysis. The following themes emerged from the expatriates’ narratives about their psychotherapy experience: “The recognition of the expatriate complexity,” “Personal growth vs Dependency,” “Endurance vs Change,” “The globally minded therapist,” and “Language makes or breaks.” The overall common psychotherapy experience was expatriates’ considerable need to get the recognition of their expatriate complexity in a global context. Findings are discussed in relation to the existing expatriate and multicultural counselling literature taking into account the importance of cultural aspects in mental health treatment. The current study presents a unique and important contribution in the field of expatriate mental health as it highlights the psychotherapy experience that can be valuable for professionals in various settings offering psychological support.

scholarly journals Experiences of diagnosis, stigma, culpability and disclosure in male patients with hepatitis C virus: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Krzeczkowska ◽  
Paul Flowers ◽  
Zoe Chouliara ◽  
Peter Hayes ◽  
Adele Dickson
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis C Virus ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Virus Transmission ◽  
Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Direct Result ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Personal Consequences ◽  
Male Patients

The current study aimed to explore the lived experience of patients with hepatitis C virus infection. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven male participants living with hepatitis C virus and were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Two master themes were identified: (1) diagnosis and the search for meaning and (2) impact of stigma on disclosure. Participants reported fears of contaminating others, feelings of stigma and concerns of disclosing the condition to others. Response to diagnosis, stigma and disclosure among the participants appeared to be interrelated and directly related to locus of blame for virus contraction. More specifically, hepatitis C virus transmission via medical routes led to an externalisation of culpability and an openness to disclosure. Transmission of hepatitis C virus as a direct result of intravenous drug use led to internalised blame and a fear of disclosure. The inter- and intra-personal consequences of hepatitis C virus explored in the current study have potential implications for tailoring future psychological therapy and psychoeducation to the specific needs of the hepatitis C virus population.

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