Framing Therapy: Exploring Psychotherapists' Artwork Choices in Practice Rooms

Background Incorporating client expectations and preferences into the counselling process can lead to more positive outcomes and lower rates of dropout. Aim The aim of this study was to explore preferences for counselling held by clients prior to the commencement of therapy. Method Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with five clients seeking help from an alcohol counselling service and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Findings Each client described a distinctive individual preference profile. While holding clear preferences for what would be helpful in counselling, clients were also open to new possibilities. They possessed a personal understanding of why certain activities and types of relationship might be helpful for them, and an appreciation of the types of therapeutic process that might lead them to quit therapy. Conclusions These findings suggest that clients are able to articulate their preferences, when offered the opportunity, and that qualitative methods have the potential to open up new understanding of the structure and meaning of preferences from the point of view of the client.

This paper provides a personal reflection on methodological issues in terms of data collection and analysis using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to explore ethnic minority (Mongol-Chinese) students’ multilingual lived experience and their identity construction in language learning and practice. IPA, as a contemporary qualitative methodology, has developed quickly in psychology and other fields of social science, but it gets limited attention and practice in investigating how ethnic minority students negotiate their identities in multilingual education. Mongol-Chinese speakers as the target participants were interviewed online to share their subjective language learning experiences and perspectives on identity construction and negotiation. By reflecting on my doctoral journey in data collection and analysis, this paper aims to share my personal experience (concerns and solutions) in terms of the multilingual and ethical challenges that arise in this IPA project. It also intends to show the potential of IPA to explore students’ language learning experiences and beyond.

Interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) is a contemporary qualitative methodology, first developed by psychologist Jonathan Smith (1996). Whilst its roots are in psychology, it is increasingly being drawn upon by scholars in the human, social and health sciences (Charlick, Pincombe, McKellar, & Fielder, 2016). Despite this, IPA has received limited attention across educationalist literature. Drawing upon my experiences of using IPA to explore the barriers to the use of humour in the teaching of Childhood Studies (Noon, 2017), this paper will discuss its theoretical orientation, sampling and methods of data collection and analysis, before examining the strengths and weaknesses to IPA’s employment in educational research.

This study is aimed at exploring how female partners experience their male partners’ use of pornography. It is reported that therapists are increasingly being called upon to support female partners presenting with difficulties relating to their male partners’ porn use (Hall, 2015), but that clinicians feel under-prepared to work effectively with these clients due to a lack of training and the limited availability of empirically based literature (Ayres & Haddock, 2009). Consequently, there appears to be a growing need for research in this area that can provide insight and guidance for clinicians. The phenomenological epistemology and relativist ontology that underpin this study place an emphasis on understanding the subjective lived experiences of the participants; a focus which seems congruent with the philosophical underpinnings of counselling psychology. Using a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six female participants. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis through which four master themes were identified: ‘Pushing her limits of acceptance: The ongoing discoveries’; ‘The female partner’s meaning-making’; ‘A lonely experience’; and ‘The layers of loss’. New insights regarding the interplay between the female partners’ meaning-making and their responses highlight the multi-layered and complex experiences of these participants. A number of implications for practice are discussed including the importance of clinicians moving away from a model of pathology to one of promoting well-being and validating female partners’ emotions and experiences regardless of whether a diagnosis (of porn or sexual addiction, for example) is present. The findings may serve to inform individual and group work with both female partners and male users, as well as couple work. Finally, it is hoped that providing insight into the lived experiences of female partners may encourage a more empathetic and understanding response from male porn users and society when female partners seek their support. The limitations of the study are discussed as well as further areas for research.

Background: The study explores citizens’ subjective experiences with occupational-rehabilitation meetings and their health literacy levels. Methods: We used the method “Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis” (IPA) to investigate six citizens’ subjective experiences with an occupational-rehabilitation meeting. The nine domain Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ) was used to measure the participants’ individual levels of health literacy. With an inductive approach, the individual levels of health literacy were compared to the citizens’ subjective experiences with the occupational-rehabilitation meeting. Results: Six superordinate themes applied to all participants: the importance of the meeting; the experience of the structure of the meeting; the relationship to the social worker; the importance of an assessor; comprehension of information; and interaction with the occupational-rehabilitation team. Health literacy levels differed between the participants and a variation was seen within the nine do...

Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) is a qualitative thematic approach developed within psychology underpinned by an idiographic philosophy, thereby focusing on the subjective lived experiences of individuals. However, it has been used in focus groups of which some have been critical because of the difficulties of extrapolating the individual voice which is more embedded within the group dynamics and the added complexity of multiple hermeneutics occurring. Some have adapted IPA for use with focus groups, while others provide scant regard to these philosophical tensions. This raises the question whether IPA should be used with focus group data. To address these concerns, this article will set out a step-by-step guide of how IPA was adapted for use with focus groups involving drug using offenders (including illustrative examples with participants’ quotes). A rationale of why it was important to use both focus groups and an IPA approach will be covered including the value, merits, and challenges this presented. An overview of how participants’ idiographic accounts of their drug use, relapse, and recovery were developed will be provided. This article will conclude with a suggested way forward to satisfy the theoretical tensions and address the question raised in the title.

The mental health struggles of university students have been the focus of a substantial amount of research worldwide. To tackle this, universities have developed initiatives to promote student wellbeing. Here, we highlight Time to Thrive (TTT), a co-designed online programme based on positive and coaching psychology and neuroscience literacy to support undergraduate students to thrive at university. This study examines the effectiveness of TTT on undergraduate student wellbeing and explores students’ subjective experiences as participants in TTT. A mixed-methods randomised controlled trial was conducted with an intervention group (n = 18) and a later access control group (n = 26) to verify the impact of TTT on psychological wellbeing, mental wellbeing, and resilience. Participants completed the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (SWEMWBS), the Flourishing Scale (FS), and the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) pre-post intervention. Following programme completion, intervention group participants were interviewed about their experience with TTT (n = 5), and their reflections were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Participation in TTT significantly improved psychological wellbeing in the intervention group, controlling for pre-TTT scores. Three themes were developed through IPA: the differing functions of TTT, the personal impact of TTT, and placing students who need it the most at the heart of TTT. These findings suggest that university-delivered initiatives can effectively foster undergraduates‘ wellbeing. Embedding TTT and relevant programmes within the curriculum may facilitate engagement and impact. Moreover, evidence sustaining their effectiveness may inform policy for broader application in higher education.

Transitioning from clinical care to community-based self-management represents a significant challenge, throughout which social support can facilitate health adjustment and quality of life. However, community-centred, peer-led support structures are often underused. This study aimed to investigate the decision-making processes involved in the choice to attend a chronic pain support group (CPSG) following discharge from a Pain Management Programme. An in-depth, qualitative analysis was undertaken using interpretative phenomenological analysis, exploring participants' subjective experiences, decision-making, and rationale for initial CPSG attendance. Twelve participants (four males, eight females) were recruited from a regional CPSG and completed semi-structured interviews lasting between 45 and 120min. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed idiographically before a cross-case analysis was completed. Analysis of transcripts resulted in three superordinate themes: (1) The thirst for comparative friendship; (2) conjecture and the imminent choice; (3) progressive pain management. These themes reflect a desire for empathic, socially comparative friendships and the search for a forum in which to enhance pain self-management strategies, yetalso internal conflict over initial CPSG attendance. Social support and associated friendships are attractive to prospective CPSG members and are conceptualized as opportunities to engage in social comparison and nurture self-care. The first visit to the support group presents a significant hurdle, but can be facilitated by managing the transition between therapeutic care and CPSG attendance. Clinicians can challenge preconceptions, foster positive viewpoints regarding the group and support collective decision-making to attend. Following initial attendance, psychosocial well-being was enhanced. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Social support functions as a protective buffer against declining health. Joining a peer-led support group can be initially intimidating and the first visit presents a significant hurdle. What does this study add? Participants are predominantly attracted to support groups due to the opportunity to develop new friendships. Health-related peer groups function as fora for social comparison, enhancing self-esteem and self-efficacy. Experience of pain management programmes primes willingness to attend support groups. The initial decision to attend is difficult but facilitated by collective, group decision-making processes. Health care professionals dynamically prime the transition towards peer support structures.

Background Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) are reported to have difficulties in trusting. Yet no previous study investigating CSA survivors’ subjective experiences of trust exists and there is a paucity of clinical research into constructs and definitions of “trust.” Aims To use a phenomenological lens to investigate CSA survivors’ descriptions of trust relationships and trustworthy others by privileging their subjective experience. To better understand how trust can be built within therapeutic relationships. Methods A qualitative methodology using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was conducted within the survivor-research paradigm. The researcher was a person with lived experience of CSA who co-produced the study with CSA survivor advisors and co-constructed interviews with 17 adult CSA survivors. Results Findings present a “Survivor Trust Enactment Model” that delineates the process of building/repairing relational trust and advancing “transactional trust.” Trust is portrayed as nuanced and formed across and according to context, including the demarcation of generalised and relational trust. The findings emphasise that trustees’ trustworthiness is key to building trust which challenges assumptions that survivors are deficient in trust. Conclusion The foregrounding of subjective trust experiences challenges diagnostic and clinical views on trust deficiency in adult CSA survivors. The study develops clinical constructs of trust, considers implications for clinical practice, and indicates areas for further research into trust dynamics in therapeutic relationships.

This chapter describes how an interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) study generated perceived risk for stakeholders and for participants. Here, perceived risk was interpreted through discourses and practices specific to intimate partner violence contexts that influenced intimate partner violence professionals' subjective experiences. These risk-responses were a fundamental threat to the purpose of the research: to contribute to meaningful change for the participants in their contexts. The clash between the research aim and the risk-responses opened a theoretical space for reflection about power and knowledge relationships in lived experience and meaning-making in IPA research. Specifically, this chapter addresses the question of whether the current epistemological stance grounding IPA research leads to meaning-making that reproduces knowledge in a form that overlooks the omnipresent influence of power and knowledge dynamics. Butler's philosophies of power, knowledge, subjectivity, and performativity are explored as means of expanding the epistemological foundation of IPA.

The purpose of this paper is to gain insights into the subjective experience and perception of job seekers about the extensive use of social media as a source of recruitment and selection by the employers and its influence on the overall employer attractiveness. Four focus group interviews were conducted, audio-taped, transcribed, and analyzed by following the procedure of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) laid down by Smith and Osborn (2007). By employing IPA, the themes which emerged under the study are: ease of information; navigational usability and user friendliness; person-job fit and person-organization fit; reliability and timeliness; positive and cost effective marketing; value creation for the employers; and privacy concern. The present study posits to assist the human resource managers in formulating strategies pertaining to social media recruitment and selection so as to create an image of attractive employer. Although IPA has been predominantly used within health psychology, it has been uncommon in the recruitment literature so far. Since IPA is a phenomenological account of an individual’s personal experience and perception about an object or event, it allowed determining the richness of job seekers’ perception and the extent to which it is similar or different across each participant groups. Also, the current study is one of the pioneers in uncovering the perception of job seekers about social media recruitment and selection process in the Indian context.

Clinical psychologists do not appear to be willing to talk about their own experiences of distress. This may be due to the scientist practitioner model that has dominated the profession for some time. Recently, there appears to be a shift towards a reflective practitioner model with a growing interest in personal and professional development which may provide a cultural shift. It is clear from the literature that psychologists’ own experiences of distress prior to training, influence their decision to pursue therapeutic careers. In addition to this, there is evidence that suggests that the life experiences of psychologists influences the theoretical orientations that they use in practice. The present study aims to address the gaps in the literature by exploring the influence of distressing experiences that occur before training and how these experiences influence the decision to train as a clinical psychologist. Furthermore, the present study aims to explore how experiences of distress influence the development of a clinical psychologist’s preferred theoretical orientation. Eight participants‘ accounts were analysed by using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The following four themes were identified; how experiences of distress influence the career pathway to clinical psychology, being a professional who has experiential knowledge of distress, how personal experiences of distress influence how clinical psychologists relate to clients and how distress influences the way change processes are understood. Participants acknowledged the influence of experiential distress on career choice and on theoretical orientation, however this was one of many influences that were considered to be important. The findings have both clinical and research implications which are discussed.

Personal experiences of blind road users in traffic settings: An investigation based on the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

There has been little consideration of how adolescents experience parental terminal illness (PTI) and death and any continuing impact it may have on their lives. In particular, limited attention has been given to this group’s perceptions and experiences of support during this period. This study explores the retrospective experiences of six individuals who had a parent diagnosed with a terminal illness (TI) during late adolescence. Their experiences are qualitatively explored in terms of their understanding, processing and adjustment to their parent’s TI and death; both as an individual, and in the context of their wider family and social setting. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was employed to analyse participant data. Participants were individuals who had a parent diagnosed with a terminal illness aged 16-18. Four superordinate themes emerged from the data. These were: changing family dynamics, grappling with adolescence and adjustment to loss, barriers to feeling/being supported and living with the consequences. Participants relate the profound impact that PTI during adolescence has had and continues to have on their lives. Study findings provide clinically useful information for healthcare professionals working with bereaved young people and those presently experiencing PTI. Implications are discussed in terms of service provision and design, including therapeutic recommendations for counselling psychologists and other professionals working with this group.

The primary aim of this qualitative study was to delineate psychological mechanisms of change in the first randomized controlled trial of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy to treat alcohol use disorder (AUD). Theories regarding psychological processes involved in psychedelic therapy remain underdeveloped. Participants (N = 13) mostly identified as non-Hispanic and White, with approximately equal proportions of cisgender men and women. Participants engaged in semistructured interviews about their subjective experiences in the study. Questions probed the nature of participants' drinking before and after the study as well as coping patterns in response to strong emotions, stress, and cravings for alcohol. Verbatim transcripts were coded using Dedoose software, and content was analyzed with interpretive phenomenological analysis. Participants reported that the psilocybin treatment helped them process emotions related to painful past events and helped promote states of self-compassion, self-awareness, and feelings of interconnectedness. The acute states during the psilocybin sessions were described as laying the foundation for developing more self-compassionate regulation of negative affect. Participants also described newfound feelings of belonging and an improved quality of relationships following the treatment. Our results support the assertion that psilocybin increases the malleability of self-related processing, and diminishes shame-based and self-critical thought patterns while improving affect regulation and reducing alcohol cravings. These findings suggest that psychosocial treatments that integrate self-compassion training with psychedelic therapy may serve as a useful tool for enhancing psychological outcomes in the treatment of AUD. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).