How do counselling psychologists working with children and adolescents describe and give meaning to their experiences? An interpretative phenomenological analysis

This study qualitatively explores the experiences of six counselling psychologists working with children and adolescents with regards to philosophy, policy, training, practice and professional identity. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was employed to analyse participant data. Participants...

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Main Author: Fontaine, Michelle A.
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: 2016
Subjects:
Online Access:https://repository.londonmet.ac.uk/1154/1/FontaineMichelle%20-%20DProf%20final%20thesis.pdf
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author Fontaine, Michelle A.
author_facet Fontaine, Michelle A.
author_sort Fontaine, Michelle A.
collection LMU
description This study qualitatively explores the experiences of six counselling psychologists working with children and adolescents with regards to philosophy, policy, training, practice and professional identity. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was employed to analyse participant data. Participants were HCPC accredited counselling psychologists in individual clinical practice with clients aged 0-19. Participants worked in primary care, private practice or 3rd sector practice. Recruitment was through the Counselling Psychologists UK Facebook page, The Division of Counselling Psychology (DCoP) annual conference and a special interest group of the DCoP. Four superordinate themes emerged from the data: 1) ‘Personal and professional growth and development in working with children’ - exploring the value attained from trainee placements and the significance of wider professional support; 2) ‘Working with children is “a different ball game”’ - describing how clinical work with children and adolescents differs from work with adults; 3) ‘Developing a professional framework for working with children’ - exploring the importance of taking a developmental approach and working with the clients’ lived experience; 4) ‘Opening the doors to counselling psychologists working with children’ - exploring the construction of identity through professional development. Participants seemed to take pride in working in a niche area of the profession and felt that counselling psychology could make a unique contribution. However, challenges and difficulties during training and post-qualification appeared to raise the question as to whether working with children was seen as being outside the boundaries of the role of a counselling psychologist.
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spelling oai:repository.londonmet.ac.uk:11542021-07-19T16:04:16Z http://repository.londonmet.ac.uk/1154/ How do counselling psychologists working with children and adolescents describe and give meaning to their experiences? An interpretative phenomenological analysis Fontaine, Michelle A. 610 Medicine & health This study qualitatively explores the experiences of six counselling psychologists working with children and adolescents with regards to philosophy, policy, training, practice and professional identity. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was employed to analyse participant data. Participants were HCPC accredited counselling psychologists in individual clinical practice with clients aged 0-19. Participants worked in primary care, private practice or 3rd sector practice. Recruitment was through the Counselling Psychologists UK Facebook page, The Division of Counselling Psychology (DCoP) annual conference and a special interest group of the DCoP. Four superordinate themes emerged from the data: 1) ‘Personal and professional growth and development in working with children’ - exploring the value attained from trainee placements and the significance of wider professional support; 2) ‘Working with children is “a different ball game”’ - describing how clinical work with children and adolescents differs from work with adults; 3) ‘Developing a professional framework for working with children’ - exploring the importance of taking a developmental approach and working with the clients’ lived experience; 4) ‘Opening the doors to counselling psychologists working with children’ - exploring the construction of identity through professional development. Participants seemed to take pride in working in a niche area of the profession and felt that counselling psychology could make a unique contribution. However, challenges and difficulties during training and post-qualification appeared to raise the question as to whether working with children was seen as being outside the boundaries of the role of a counselling psychologist. 2016-05 Thesis NonPeerReviewed text en https://repository.londonmet.ac.uk/1154/1/FontaineMichelle%20-%20DProf%20final%20thesis.pdf Fontaine, Michelle A. (2016) How do counselling psychologists working with children and adolescents describe and give meaning to their experiences? An interpretative phenomenological analysis. Doctoral thesis, London Metropolitan University.
spellingShingle 610 Medicine & health
Fontaine, Michelle A.
How do counselling psychologists working with children and adolescents describe and give meaning to their experiences? An interpretative phenomenological analysis
title How do counselling psychologists working with children and adolescents describe and give meaning to their experiences? An interpretative phenomenological analysis
title_full How do counselling psychologists working with children and adolescents describe and give meaning to their experiences? An interpretative phenomenological analysis
title_fullStr How do counselling psychologists working with children and adolescents describe and give meaning to their experiences? An interpretative phenomenological analysis
title_full_unstemmed How do counselling psychologists working with children and adolescents describe and give meaning to their experiences? An interpretative phenomenological analysis
title_short How do counselling psychologists working with children and adolescents describe and give meaning to their experiences? An interpretative phenomenological analysis
title_sort how do counselling psychologists working with children and adolescents describe and give meaning to their experiences an interpretative phenomenological analysis
topic 610 Medicine & health
url https://repository.londonmet.ac.uk/1154/1/FontaineMichelle%20-%20DProf%20final%20thesis.pdf
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