Social Work Commons^™

Understanding And Treating Shame: The Role Of The Clinician, Jennifer Perez

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Shame is a powerful emotion and experience that impacts how individuals interpret a situation, and often their behavior. It correlates with a number of mental health conditions that are commonly treated by psychotherapists, and yet the explicit or implicit treatment of shame directly or simultaneous to the disorder is less common. A qualitative exploratory study was conducted in an attempt to gather insight regarding the conceptualization, observation, and treatment of shame in the context of psychotherapy by both generalists and specialists (those with and without explicit training in relation to shame and its treatment). Themes that emerged from the data …

Clinical Social Work Interventions For Nursing Home Residents With Depression, Ellen Grosh

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The populations of older adults is growing. Nursing home residents, in particular, are some of the most vulnerable members of society. Depression is more common in nursing home residents than it is in older adults who live in the community. Clinical social workers are trained to be psychotherapists, and it is important for these professionals to know which types of therapy are most effective for nursing home residents with depression. This systematic literature review was designed to sample the most recent research on psychotherapeutic interventions that are effective in addressing depression in nursing home residents. Specific search criteria were chosen …

Sexual Assault Center Advocates And Psychotherapists: An Exploratory Study Of Interventions, Renae Lockerby

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

In the following qualitative study, the researcher attempted to identify and compare the self- identified approaches taken by Sexual Assault Center (SAC) advocates (n = 4) and outpatient psychotherapists (n = 4) in working with adult survivors of sexual violence. Using grounded theory methodology, data from semi-structured interviews were coded using an open coding process. From this, six themes emerged from the interviews with SAC advocates and ten themes emerged from the interviews with psychotherapists, suggesting approaches used when providing crisis intervention and counseling to adult survivors of sexual violence. These themes and their corresponding subthemes are discussed in this …

Women, Shame, And Mental Health: A Systematic Review Of Approaches In Psychotherapy, Vienna Miller-Prieve

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Shame is a self-conscious emotion that affects self-esteem, self-concept and evaluation of the self. Shame is seen more often in women than men; in part due to societal and cultural standards placed upon women that create negative self-evaluations in women when those standards are not met. Shame is seen in mental health diagnoses such as depression, anxiety, substance use disorders and eating disorders. When a woman presents for therapy or counseling, shame may be apparent and necessary to work on during therapy. This systematic review was designed to answer the research question: what therapeutic approaches are used in psychotherapy targeting …

Life Coaching And Therapy: Possibilities In Dual Practice, Jessica Martinez

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

As life coaching grows in popularity, questions arise about its role in relation to therapy. Existing literature has explored theoretical similarities and differences between coaching and therapy and the potential benefits and drawbacks of separating and integrating the two. The current study sought to expand the limited base of literature on professionals’ real-­‐life experience in dual practice. Qualitative and exploratory in nature, the study involved semi-­‐structured interviews with seven dual practicing professionals. Findings include perceived financial and emotional benefits of practicing coaching and therapy, practitioners’ tendency to integrate rather than separate the two modalities, and participant concerns about the threat …

Practitioner Profile: An Interview With Anne Brennan Malec, Ph.D., Anne Brennan Malec

Journal of Financial Therapy

Dr. Anne Brennan Malec is the founder and managing partner of Symmetry Counseling, a counseling, coaching, and psychotherapy group practice located in downtown Chicago. She has been the driving force behind Symmetry Counseling’s success – what started in 2011 with six offices and five counselors now houses over 25 clinicians.

How Different Technological Mediums May Reduce Attitudinal Barrier To The Utilization Of Psychotherapeutic Relationships, Collin T. Browne

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study explored the use of communication technologies in the context of psychotherapeutic relationships, examining how technology might affect attitudinal barriers preventing young people from utilizing psychotherapy. Research findings emerged from semistructured Skype interviews with 10 participants (age 18-30 years) focused on their beliefs on psychotherapy, communications technology, and the idea of integrating technology into the psychotherapeutic relationship.

A theme analysis of the interviews produced four major findings: (1) psychotherapy is an especially difficult endeavor to begin and maintain; (2) certain qualities of the therapist (trust, expertise, and ‘fit’) are of particular importance; (3) voice and body language are …

Clinician Perceptions Of Harm Reduction, Psychotherapy And The Role Of Traditional Abstinence Models, Abigail R. Vayda

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study sought to better understand clinicians’ perceptions of harm reduction, psychotherapy, and the role of traditional abstinence models when working with actively using clients. This study analyzed the results from a survey completed by 52 practicing clinicians in the United States. The survey contained demographic questions and Likert scale questions measuring attitudes toward harm reduction, abstinence, and psychotherapy with actively using clients. In addition to rating questions, there was also one open-ended question allowing participants to express their understandings of the development of a substance use disorder. The overall response to this survey was a positive attitude toward harm …

Social Class In The Therapeutic Dyad : How Do Clinicians Engage In Dialogue About Class With Their Clients?, Andrew L. Cohen

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This exploratory qualitative study surveyed practicing clinicians about their experiences engaging in discussions about social class with their clients. There is little research on the topic of social class in the therapeutic setting broadly and on the topic of broaching social class specifically. As such, this research was an initial attempt to begin to fill this gap in the literature. Twelve mental health clinicians voluntarily participated in an anonymous online survey about their experiences and thoughts about engaging in dialogue about social class with their clients. Results included a pattern in the difference between which clients clinicians discussed social class …