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Sheila Kirkham MA Psychological Therapies Leeds Metropolitan University June 2009

A relational approach to therapy: how can this be applied in time-limited counselling in a university counselling service?. Sheila Kirkham MA Psychological Therapies Leeds Metropolitan University June 2009. Introduction.

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Sheila Kirkham MA Psychological Therapies Leeds Metropolitan University June 2009

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  1. A relational approach to therapy:how can this be applied in time-limited counselling in a university counselling service? Sheila Kirkham MA Psychological Therapies Leeds Metropolitan University June 2009

  2. Introduction • A relational approach to therapy believes that relationships are fundamental in: The development of personality and a sense of self The difficulty clients bring to therapy (relations with self and other people) The therapeutic process (the therapy relationship is the heart of this process) Paul and Pelham (2000)

  3. The problem • Given this belief, it could be assumed that a long time frame is needed to understand the relational development and patterns of the client, and to build an in-depth client-therapist relationship as the medium through which therapeutic change can take place. • But in many settings nowadays, shorter counselling contracts are the norm. In a university counselling service for example, how feasible is it to build and use the counsellor-client relationship, when the average length of a counselling contract might be four or five sessions?

  4. Methodology • To address this problem, 3 research questions are posed: • How has a relational approach to therapy been defined and put into practice? • How has time-limited therapy been defined and put into practice? • What are the particular needs of clients using a university counselling service? • A literature review of theoretical literature and research evidence is used to explore these questions.

  5. Results • Key themes emerging from the literature search on a relational approach to therapy, and on time-limited counselling were tabulated, summarised and evaluated. • These were synthesised with data found on student counselling. • From this synthesis, a research-informed protocol for practitioners in student counselling was generated. • A key finding of the review was that ‘common factors’ in therapy are primary determinants for therapeutic change, and these ‘common factors’ are incorporated into the protocol. Protocol

  6. Recommendations • The review highlighted two specific questions for further research: • is counselling effective in enhancing student achievement and retention? • to what extent does a relational approach to therapy take into account not only a student’s interpersonal world, but also his wider social and cultural world? • The outcome of the review is a new protocol for practice for counsellors using a relational approach to therapy in time-limited student counselling • There is scope for exciting further research in conducting a study into the effectiveness of this protocol when appliedin practice in a university counselling service.

  7. Protocol – for a six session contractusing a relational approach to therapy in a university counselling service

  8. Protocol (continued)

  9. Protocol (continued)

  10. Protocol (continued)

  11. Key references • AUCC (2004) Annual survey of counselling in UK colleges and universities. Rugby, British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. • Connell, J., Cahill, J., Barkham, M., Gilbody, S., & Madill, A. (2006) A systematic scoping review of the research on counselling in further and higher education. Rugby, British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. • Cooper, M. (2008) Essential research findings in counselling and psychotherapy. London, Sage. • Coren, A. (2001) Short-term psychotherapy: a psychodynamic approach. Basingstoke, Palgrave. • Haugh, S. & Paul, S. eds. (2008) The therapeutic relationship: perspectives and themes. Ross-on-Wye, PCCS Books. • Lambert, M. J. (2004) Bergin and Garfield’s handbook of psychotherapy and behavior change. 5th edition.New York, John Wiley and Sons Inc. • Leeds Metropolitan University Counselling Service (2009) Annual Report 07/08 [Internet], Leeds, Leeds Metropolitan University. Available from: <http://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/counselling/rso/downloads/ANNUAL_REPORT_0708.pdf> [Accessed 9 May 2009]. • Mitchell, S.A. (1988) Relational concepts in psychoanalysis. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press. • Norcross, J.C. ed. (2002) Psychotherapy relationships that work: therapist contributions and responsiveness to patients. New York, Oxford University Press Inc. • Paul, S. & Pelham, G. (2000) A relational approach to therapy. In Palmer, S. & Woolfe, R. eds. (2000) Integrative and eclectic counselling and psychotherapy. London, Sage, pp.110-126. • Rana, R. (2000) Counselling students: a psychodynamic perspective. Basingstoke, Macmillan Press Ltd. • Roth, A. & Fonagy, P. (2005) What works for whom? 2nd ed.New York, The Guildford Press. • Royal College of Psychiatrists (2003) The mental health of students in higher education. Council Report CR112. London, Royal College of Psychiatrists. • Wampold, B. E. (2001) The great psychotherapy debate. Mahwah, NJ, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.

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