Therapists as Research-informed Practitioners (TRP)

Therapists as Research-informed Practitioners (TRP).

Chair: Dr Sofie Bager-Charleson sofie.bager-charleson@metanoia.ac.uk

Research team: Dr Sofie Bager-Charleson, Dr Alistair McBeath, Dr Biljana van Rijn, Dr Evi Chryssafidou, Professor Simon du Plock, Dr Marie Adams, Alan McPherson (PhD), Lisa Champion (PhD), the Metanoia Institute.

https://www.metanoia.ac.uk/research/research-groups-events/

Collaborating partners: Birkbeck university; Brighton and Sussex Medical School; University of Bristol;British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP); City, University of London; Cork University Ireland; University of Dallas; Malta University; Manchester University; New School of Psychotherapy and Counselling; South Alabama University; Surrey University; University York St John; UK Council for Psychotherapy.

The TRP aims to enhance research training for counsellors, psychotherapists, and counselling psychologists by providing learning and professional development events, supporting research and best-practice developments, and making policy recommendations to promote effective and sustainable research training for therapists.

An underpinning aim is to contribute to a deeper understanding of how therapists experience the transition from therapists to researchers. What are the opportunities and obstacles, personally, professionally, and academically? The ‘Relational 3C’ model is a recent contribution, drawing on earlier studies for good practice in research supervision based on Clarity, Containment and Compassion (Bager-Charleson, McBeath & Challenor 2023).

Completed Projects:

Project 1. A narrative thematic inquiry into counsellors’ and psychotherapists’ embodied experience of doing data analysis in research (Bager-Charleson., du Plock, McBeath, 2018)

Project 2. A mixed methods exploration of practitioners’ views on the relationship between psychotherapy practice and research (Bager-Charleson & McBeath 2019; Bager-Charleson, McBeath, Vostanis, 2019;)

Project 3. A mixed-methods inquiry into how counsellor and psychotherapist experience academic writing (McBeath, Bager-Charleson & Abarbanel 2020)

Project 4. Becoming a Research Practitioner. A meta-synthesis into therapists’ transitions in postgraduate research (Bager-Charleson, du Plock, McBeath, Adams 2019)

Project 5. A Mixed-method study into Research Supervision (Bager-Charleson & McBeath 2021a, 2021b; Bager-Charleson, McBeath & van Rijn 2022; Bager-Charleson & McBeath 2022; Bager-Charleson, McBeath & Challenor 2023; McBeath & Bager-Charleson 2023; Bager-Charleson, McBeath & Challenor 2024 – special section CPR, in process)

Project 6. Diversity and Research Supervision. A Mixed-method study (Bager-Charleson, McBeath, Charura & Symons 2024 in process)

Project 7. Views about Mixed Methods research (MMR) from counselling and psychotherapy research students and research supervisors (McBeath, Bager-Charleson & Finlay 2023; McBeath 2022; Bager-Charleson & McBeath 2022)

Project 8. Textbooks (Adams 2023; Bager-Charleson 2020; Bager-Charleson & McBeath 2020, 2022)

Project 9. The challenges and experiences of psychotherapists working remotely during the Coronavirus pandemic. (McBeath, du Plock & Bager-Charleson 2018)

Project 10. The motivations of psychotherapists: An in-depth survey (McBeath 2020)

Project 11. A Multilingual Outlook: Can Awareness-Raising about Multilingualism Affect Therapists’ Practice? A Mixed Method Evaluation (Bager-Charleson, Dewaele, Costa & Kasap 2017; Bager-Charleson & Kasap 2017)

Ongoing projects:

Creative Use of Surveys in Counselling and Psychotherapy. Principle Investigator Dr Alistair McBeath, with Dr Sofie Bager-Charleson

Making the transition from therapist to research practitioner: The role of reflective writing in postgraduate research. Principal Investigator Dr Marie Adams

The Silent Practice: a mixed-methods exploration of the absence of practicing humanistic and integrative counsellors and psychotherapists’ contributions to research, Principal Investigator Alan McPherson, PhD project.

Building the bridge from beginning graduate student to phenomenological researcher: A doctoral student’s lived experience of the influence of supervisory relationships, by Lisa Champion (PhD project: Therapists’ Self in practice)

More detailed information about completed projects:

Project 1: “Therapists have a lot to add to the field of research, but many don’t make it there”. A narrative thematic inquiry into counsellors’ and psychotherapists’ engagement with research(Bager-Charleson, du Plock, McBeath 2018).

The study was based on doctoral dissertations (n = 50), interviews (n = 7) and research journals (n = 20) across 19 cohorts and years from one professional doctoral programme. The study identified three stages of therapists’ embodied engagement with research including “feeling overwhelmed,” “developing coping strategies” and “feeling illuminated, personally and professionally” through research. The “data analysis” stages involved typically a high level of stress, often coupled with shame and confusion; “I underestimated the data- analysis,” said one therapist, ‘you’re desperately trying to find themes and codes and things but, actually, this is someone’s life.”Several therapists described becoming unwell during their data-analysis work with unexplained pain, hypertension, palpitations, chest pains, panic attacks and difficulty sleeping being some of the self-disclosed symptoms recorded. Most therapists aimed to keep a relational focus and to draw from their embodied and emotional responses as sources of knowledge, as in clinical practice. ‘the impact of the written word’ could be ‘very disorientating’. Feelings of being lost, isolated, and emotionally vulnerable were often referred to. A few discrete coping strategies were identified; these included,

Reconnecting with therapy practice
Research journal
Supervision
Personal therapy
Embracing discomfort
Developing ‘other mediums’ to help to go ‘where words wouldn’t go’

The accounts highlighted often tangible effects of transformative learning, including strong somatic and emotional responses as part of the process of abandoning previous understandings and existing temporarily in a no-man’s land as part of generating new knowledge. For several therapists, research supervision was described as a crucial coping/support strategy.

Bager-Charleson, S., Du Plock, S., & McBeath, A. (2018). Therapists Have a lot to Add to the Field of Research, but Many Don’t Make it There: A Narrative Thematic Inquiry into Counsellors’ and Psychotherapists’ Embodied Engagement with Research. Language and Psychoanalysis, 7(1), 4-22. https://doi.org/10.7565/landp.v7i1.1580

Bager-Charleson, S (ed) (2016) Creative and Effective Use of Self in Research. Issue 62:16. Guest editor for a spring issue of the Psychotherapist Journal: UKCP: The Psychotherapist https://issuu.com/ukcp-publications/docs/the_psychotherapist_spring_web

Bager-Charleso, S. & Kasap, Z. (2017) Embodied Situatedness and Emotional Entanglement in Research. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, Volume 17, Issue 3, pp 190–200, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/capr.12122/full

Project 2: ‘The Relationship Between Psychotherapy Practice and Research: A Mixed-Method Exploration of Practitioners Views’(Bager-Charleson, McBeath, du Plock 2019).

This mixed methods study expanded previous research to include novice and senior therapists’ across different training programmes within and outside the UK, via an online-survey(n=92) and interviews (n=9). Some key questions were How do therapists describe research; What amount of formal research training do therapists have; what extent do therapists feel that their own research is valued; How do therapists perceive research—what sort of activity is it; To what extent does research inform therapists’ clinical practice?

In summary, not feeling valued as a researcher was a recurring theme; among the research active only 2% answered that their research as valued “to a large extent” by colleagues. Our survey and interviews resulted in the following themes:

Theme 1: “Experimenting with ideas and then finding new knowledge is fascinating, it is what therapists do”.

Most respondents describe a passion for new learning, and several described doing research as fascinating. Many reported however feeling lonely about their interest.

Theme 2: “As a therapist I am feeling homeless with my research.”

However, like in our first study, many spoke about a sense of homeless and about feeling unsupported as a research practitioner.

Theme 3: “Research is a lonely and unsupported process.”

Resonating with theme 2, many felt lonely and unsupported. Peter, a doctoral researcher and psychoanalytic therapist who works at a hospital describes therapists as ‘second class citizens’ within the NHS. He says: ’ The largest upset is to not find research which reflects what I work with. Being a psychotherapist can feel like being a second- class citizen in the NHS.

Theme 4: We need a broader “structure” for research.

Again, resonating with previous theme, the emphasis on evidence-based research was by many experienced as ‘too narrow’. Many referred to the value of embodied, emotional, and unspoken forms of knowing in both survey responses and interviews. ‘Eva’, a doctoral researcher and Person-centred therapist in Sweden says, ‘we need a broader “structure” for research. I feel frustrated always needing to struggle to explain our theories. I want to do more research, but I want researchtraining which helps us to research the things that we actually work with… I mean what it’s about to be human’.

Theme 5: “Research is too little too late in clinical training.”

Only two participants spoke in positive terms about research as part of their clinical training, and interestingly both had undertaken research training elsewhere as part of their social work degree before therapy training. The others expressed a feeling of “too little too late”:

Bager-Charleson, Du Plock, McBeath (2019) “Therapists and Knowledge”. Two Special issues for the Counselling and Psychotherapy Research Journal (CPR) about Volume 3 and Volume 4.

Bager‐Charleson S, McBeath A, du Plock, S (2019) The relationship between psychotherapy practice and research: A mixed‐methods exploration of practitioners’ views. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research. 2019; 19:195–205. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12196

Project 3: “Therapists in the Public Domain. A mixed-methods inquiry into counsellors’ and psychotherapists’ engagement in academic writing”, by McBeath, A.G., Bager-Charleson, S. and Abarbanel, A.

This was a mixed methods survey disseminated across Europe with the help of the European Association for Integrative Psychotherapists. The survey (n248) included both closed and open questions, providing free text comments. Both sources of qualitative and quantitative data suggested a low degree of own involvement in academic writing. The survey responses referred often to research journals being either ‘too academic’, ‘technical’ or ‘laden with statistics’. 22% of the therapists had, firstly, never engaged in academic writing at all. A further 20% reported fear of rejection, and another 20% claiming ‘can’t meet the standards’ combined with ‘lacking writing skills’ and ‘not knowing what’s involved’ .

Five main themes were created from the data. The therapists referred to:

• struggling with writing style

• having trouble in accessing academic writing

• experiencing a academic-practitioner gap

• feeling fear and lack of confidence

• lacking knowledge, support and training

McBeath, A., Bager-Charleson, S., and Avigail Abarbanel. Therapists and Academic Writing: “Once upon a time psychotherapy practitioners and researchers were the same people”. European Journal Qualitative Research in Psychotherapy, Volume 9, 103-116. Vol. 9, 103-116

Project 4: Becoming a Research Practitioner. A meta-synthesis into therapists’ transitions in postgraduate research, Bager-Charleson, du Plock, McBeath and Adams (2020)

This meta-synthesis (Paterson, 2007) was triggered by an upcoming conference about transition, opportunities and access in higher education. Interpreting earlier research (Bager-Charleson, du Plock, McBeath 2018; Bager-Charleson, McBeath, du Plock 2019; McBeath, Bager-Charleson, Abarbanel 2019) with a new transdisciplinary audience, contributed to new perspectives. Doing research involved significant changes on a personal, a professional, and an educational level – each triggering;

A loss of previous models of understanding of therapy.
A need for both personal and professional re-positionings, followed by
A re-integration of the new knowledge into the self, the research and the work/practice as a therapist.

When extending our literature review, we resonated with McPherson, Punch and Graham (2017) and Meyer (2019) about transition into post graduate research often triggered phases of disorientation, self-doubt and anxiety. To us, psychotherapy and counselling psychology researchers seemed particularly challenged and often disadvantaged. Stereotypes around ‘self-important’ and ‘detached’ researchers versus ‘self-less’ counsellors; epistemological discrepancies between embodied, relational practice and objective research; limited (if any) prior research training; fear of doing harm; fear for peer judgment; not being able to publish (often qualitative) research; no access to academic journals after training; lack of support at work to pursue research training; lack of research opportunities to research after training were often referred to obstacles – across all our earlier studies.

Bager-Charleson, S., du Plock, S., McBeath, A.G. (2020) Therapists as Research Practitioners. Transitions through the lenses of Access, Identity and Opportunity. European Journal Qualitative Research in Psychotherapy. EJQRP (2020) Vol. 10, 93-109 Spring issue. file:///D:/Bager-Charleson,%20McBeath,%20du%20Plock,%20Adams%202020.pdf

Bager-Charleson, S. & McBeath, A.G. (2021) What support do therapists need to do research? A review of studies into how therapists experience research, Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 21(3), 555-569.https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12432

Project 5: A Mixed-method study into Research Supervision, Bager-Charleson, McBeath, van Rijn, Challenor(City, University of London), Charura (York St John), Symons (BACP).

Aims, purpose and methodology

This UKCP (United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy) funded study approached research supervisors and doctoral students and graduates (present and past supervisees) within and outside of the UK, to gain a deeper understanding into the supervision experience on psychotherapy and counselling psychology doctoral studies.

The study focused on what research supervisors and research supervisees regard as ‘helpful’ supervision on doctoral programmes in the field of counselling, psychotherapy, and counselling psychology. It was based on a mixed methods study consisting of an online survey (N=226) with closed and open questions and optional interviews (10) analysed by ‘artfully interpretive reflexive thematic analysis’ (Braun, Clarke et al 2022). The study includes the development of a suggested ‘relational 3C model’ with clarity, containment, and compassion as key supervisory tenets across at least 8 stages ranging from supervisory contracts to research completion. In the quantitative data research knowledge and empathy were rated almost as equally important by both supervisees and supervisors. The free text comments and the interviews resonated with that, expanding on what research knowledge and empathy meant for different people. The interviews added metaphors to explain and represent something abstract or “difficult to

explain” and, in some cases, adding context to the experience. The metaphors ranged from describing the supervisor to a ‘telescope’ that helped to see far, to her/him ‘acting like a stethoscope’ to connect the supervisees with her/his inner resources. A wild swimming metaphor which emphasised a balance between clarity, containment and compassion helped to shape our suggested 3C model, subsequently explored in a focus group of 10 supervisor trainees.

We recommend readers to a full account of the study on this link:

https://www.metanoia.ac.uk/research/relational-research-supervision-for-doctoral-psychotherapy-research/

Bager-Charleson, S, McBeath, A. & Challenor, J. (2024 in process) Special Section. Good Practice in Research Supervision. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research Journal, CPR. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal/17461405/homepage/call-for-papers-research-supervision

Bager-Charleson, S. & McBeath, A.G. & Challenor, J. (2023) The Relational 3C model for Research Supervision for Counsellors, Psychotherapists and Counselling Psychologists. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research Journal, CPR. Early view: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/capr.12680

Bager-Charleson, S. & McBeath, A.G. (2022) Research supervision What makes a good research supervisor? New Psychotherapist Journal, UKCP, Autumn 2022, p. 46-15

Bager-Charleson & McBeath, A.G. (2021). Containment, Compassion and Clarity. Mixed Methods research into Supervision during Doctoral research for Psychotherapists and Counselling psychologist. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12498

Bager-Charleson, S., McBeath, A.G., van Rijn, B. (2021) Relational Research Supervision. London: Metanoia Institute https://www.metanoia.ac.uk/research/relational-research-supervision-for-doctoral-psychotherapy-research

Bager Charleson S. (2019) “She was on my side and grounded me when I needed it:” Research supervision in the field of therapy, based on counsellors’ and psychotherapists’ views on their engagement with research. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research. 2019;19:358–365. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12258

McBeath, A.G & Bager-Charleson, S. (2023) The development of a research led approach to train new research supervisors for psychotherapy and counselling psychology doctoral programmes. in Counselling and Psychotherapy Research. CPR Journal. Early View: http://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12683

Project 6. Building on Diversity to Generate New Knowledge in Therapy-related Doctoral Research. A Mixed Methods Enquiry into Research Supervision of Counsellors, Psychotherapists and Counselling Psychologists with Diversity related (Socio-Cultural, (Dis-) ability, Neurodiversity, Gender- and Sexual orientation Obstacles and Opportunities in mind.

Research team

Dr Sofie Bager-Charleson, Metanoia Institute

Dr Alistair McBeath, Metanoia Institute

Professor Divine Charura, York St John University

Dr Clare Symons, BACP

Aims and Questions: Research supervisors are uniquely positioned to recognise student abilities and needs. This study explores how research supervision can support counselling, psychotherapist and counselling psychology doctoral students in their development of new knowledge, with diversity related (including gender, socio-cultural and disability) obstacles and opportunities in mind. Diversity refers in this study to how visible and invisible differences relating to heritage, socio-cultural, gender and age as well as invisible aspects like class, religion, sexual orientation, (dis-)ability, language, neurodiversity and cognitive differences, or life experiences influence our way of thinking and our perspective. This mixed methods study focuses on opportunities and obstacles within research supervision to engage with diversity when supporting the growth of new knowledge. It approaches therapy-related supervisors and supervisors with some of the following questions.

Methods and Findings:

Guided by ‘dialectical pragmatism’, we used a semi-qualitative online survey, Reflective Online Practitioner Survey (ROPS; McBeath, 2020), with closed and open questions disseminated across learning institutes in the UK, Europe and North America.

The survey received 105 responses, with 45 coming from research supervisors and 60 from research students. Only a minority considered their own research supervision team to be diverse, and two-thirds of respondents did not see matters relating to diversity and inclusion receiving sufficient emphasis in published research.

Both our quantitative and qualitative data addressed unequal representations in terms of gender and sexuality, ethnicity and heritage, (dis-)ability and social class—several referring to a ‘history of domination by white, cis, non-disabled male perspectives’. Many described ‘diversity being left out of research’ with consequences on the capacity to meet clients' need in clinical practice. As one said: ‘we need to decolonise the training material by critically analysing and situating knowledge and calling out missing voices’. Another stated: ‘If the research we conduct and draw on as practitioners cannot actively reckon with oppression within…we risk furthering the violence that marginalised clients, practitioners, and researchers face’. Support and training of supervisors to address diversity and power in research from the start of supervision were argued as essential, with both the supervisory relationship and innovative epistemological angles to knowledge and ‘reality’ in the field of mental health in mind.

Charleson, S., McBeath, A., Charura, D, & Symons, C. (2024) Diversity and Inclusion within doctoral Research supervision. CPR, Counselling and Psychotherapy Counselling and Psychotherapy Research Journal, Early view, June 2024 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/capr.12776

7. Views about mixed methods research (MMR) from counselling and psychotherapy research students and research supervisors, by McBeath & Bager-Charleson

This study consisted of a survey with closed and open questions about therapists’ views on quantitative methods, qualitative methods and mixed methods research. The survey attracted 125 responses; from this number 70 respondents identified as research students, 35 identified as research supervisors and a further 20 identified as ‘other’ which included descriptions such as ‘therapist’, ‘practitioner’, ‘tutor’ and ‘psychotherapist’. The breakdown for a preferred research method was ‘qualitative’ (52%), ‘a mixture of qualitative and quantitative’ (47%) and ‘quantitative’ (1%). The survey indicated that some knowledge about MMR across both research students and research supervisors was held by 59% in total. A clear majority (87%) considered it important for researchers in counselling and psychotherapy to have a working knowledge of mixed methods. To our question about potential advantages of combining qualitative and quantitative data a quarter (27%) responded ‘achieving a deeper understanding of a phenomenon’, closely followed by ‘potential to crosscheck/corroborate findings’ (26%). A further 22% of all responses chose ‘potential to identify new research questions’ followed by the ‘ability to generalise from individual experience’ (18%).

Core text:

McBeath, A.G. & Bager-Charleson, S. & Finlay. L. (2023). Views about mixed methods research (MMR) from counselling and psychotherapy research students and research supervisors. European Journal Qualitative Research in Psychotherapy

Related texts:

McBeath, A.G. (2022). The Reflective Online Practitioner Survey: The value in harvesting both qualitative and quantitative data. European Journal for Qualitative Research in Psychotherapy, 12. Retrieved from https://ejqrp.org/index.php/ejqrp/article/view/174

McBeath, A.G. (2020). Enjoying Quantitative research with Statistics. In S. Bager-Charleson & A.G. McBeath (Eds). Enjoying Research in Counselling and Psychotherapy. Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed methods Research. Palgrave: MacMillan

McBeath, A.G. (2020). Doing Quantitative research with a Survey. In S. Bager-Charleson & A.G. McBeath (Eds). Enjoying Research. Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed methods Research. Palgrave: MacMillan

Bager-Charleson, S. and McBeath, A.G., & Vostanis, P. (2020) Two Special Issue on Mixed Methods. Research, for Counselling and Psychotherapy Research (CPR) Volume21, Issue1. March 2021. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/capr.12377

McBeath A. (2019). The motivations of psychotherapists: An in-depth survey. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 19(4), 377-387. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12225

8. Textbooks

Collaborating partners from University of Auckland, Birkbeck, Brighton, Bristol, Cork, Dallas, Manchester, Middlesex, South Alabama, Surrey, West England and York St John.

Adams, M. (2023) The Myth of the Untroubled Therapist. Private Life. Professional Practice. (2nd ed.) London: Routledge

Bager-Charleson, S. and McBeath, A. G. (2022) (Eds) Supporting Research in Counselling & Psychotherapy: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed method Research London: Palgrave-MacMillan

Bager-Charleson, S. and McBeath, A. G. (2020) (Eds) Enjoying doing Research about Therapy Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed method Research. London: Palgrave-MacMillan

Bager-Charleson, S. (2020) Reflective Practice and Personal Development in Counselling and Psychotherapy. 2nd ed. London: Sage

9. Conferences

9:1 Research Academy 2022 “Enjoying Research”

Therapists are natural investigators, exploring, tracing and considering underlying meanings – it is what we do. This Enjoying Research conference approached research as a natural extension of therapists’ work – with research as both enjoyable and useful. For information about the conference:

Research Academy 2022 (metanoia.ac.uk)

There is also a link leading to seminars and speakers:

https://metanoia.ac.uk/researchacademy22/speaker-and-seminar-content/

9:2 Research Academy 2023 “Embracing the Art and Science of Psychotherapy”

Psychotherapy is often described as both an art and a science. This conference invited discussions about therapist-researchers’ ‘epistemological home(s)’.

Where do we -as counsellors, psychotherapists and counselling psychologists ‘belong’ in terms of academic disciplines? What do we hold as ‘true’ and how do we generate knowledge about that?

The seminars covered the space between a scientific and a phenomenological and/or socially constructionist-based stance —with a rich variation, both between and within, the different approaches. For seminar, speaker and booking information please follow this link:

https://www.metanoia.ac.uk/researchacademy23/

9:3 Research Academy 2024: Creating Research-Inspired and Research-Informed Practice!

For information, contact <Evi.Chryssafidou@metanoia.ac.uk

9.4 Conference at the Pace University, New Yorkhttps://www.pace.edu/international-human-science-research-conference

Building the bridge from beginning graduate student to phenomenological researcher: A doctoral student’s lived experience of the influence of supervisory relationships, by Lisa Champion

Abstract: This presentation explores the co-creation of supervisory relationships and their influence on becoming a phenomenological researcher. Using her growing understanding of phenomenology as not only a research methodology, but as a way of thinking about and being in the world, the presenter shares concrete lived experience descriptions of her supervisory and mentoring experiences; highlighting how they have helped or hindered the process of becoming a phenomenological researcher. Novice phenomenological researchers face many challenges on the journey of completing a PhD. Adopting a phenomenological attitude, composing the right phenomenological question, finding a methodological way when there is no prescription, and reading and understanding philosophical literature can all feel overwhelming at times. The role of supervisors and mentors can have a profound influence on this journey. Examples of both hindering and helping experiences will highlight the challenges doctoral students and their supervisors face to co-create a relationship that will foster meaningful phenomenological research. Themes of openness, support, collaboration, safe relationships and the vulnerability of the beginning researcher are explored. This presentation offers to ‘nurture a measure of thoughtfulness’ (van Manen, 2016, p. 31) for both budding phenomenological researchers and those who supervise and mentor them.

9:5 UKCP Research Conference – June 2022

https://www.virtualapproval.com/event/ukcp-research-conference/

The experience of research supervision in counselling and psychotherapy: a mixed methods study, by McBeath and Bager-Charleson

9:5 UK Council for Graduate Education (UKCGE) https://ukcge.ac.uk/

“Therapists as Research Practitioners. Transitions through the lenses of Access, Identity and Opportunity” July 2020 by Dr Marie Adams, Bager-Charleson, McBeath and Simon du Plock.

Other Research

The TRP group also focuses on upcoming issues and contextual changes for therapeutic practitioners and their knowledge.

Project 10. The challenges and experiences of psychotherapists working remotely during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Principal investigator Dr McBeath. A.G.

Team. Prof du Plock, S., and Bager-Charleson, S., Metanoia Institute

The experiences and challenges of psychotherapists working remotely during the Coronavirus pandemic were explored using a mixed methods approach. An on-line survey completed by 325 psychotherapists produced both quantitative and qualitative data with the latter being subject to a Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Large numbers of therapists were using video-link platforms and the ‘phone to conduct client sessions. A majority of therapists felt challenged by remote working, with reduced interpersonal cues, feelings of isolation and fatigue, and technical issues frequently cited concerns. At the same time, most therapists considered that remote working had been effective and that clients were comfortable with the process. Two-thirds of therapists indicated that remote working would now become core business for them. The great majority of therapists thought that remote working skills should be part of formal therapy trainings. 35% of therapists found remote working with clients to be either extremely challenging (3%) or challenging (32%). A further 45% responded with the response category somewhat challenging. Only 20% reported that they found working remotely with clients was not challenging. The survey offered options for free comments, which 230 responded with rich data to. This was analysed with thematic analysis (Braun and Clark 2006). In summary, the main and the sub-themes reflected an overwhelming positive attitude. Emerging from the free comments were:

Adaption issues

Not same job satisfaction
Getting used to
Adapting gradually, developing coping strategies

New Opportunities

Practical with home office
Less inhibitors
Heightened sense of connection
Equal relationship
Clients more empowered
Greater ‘intimacy’ working from each other’s home environment
New interesting framings of practice

Challenges/Limitations

Technical
Finding private space to talk
More tiring; intense
Screen with disembodied clients
Difficult to make sense

McBeath, A., du Plock, S., and Bager-Charleson, S (2020) The challenges and experiences of psychotherapists working remotely during the Coronavirus pandemic, Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, Volume 20, Issue 2.

Project 11. The motivations of psychotherapists: An in-depth survey. Principal Investigator Dr Alistair McBeath, Metanoia Institute

Examining the motivations of psychotherapists has not been a popular topic of systematic research. Knowing why people want to become therapists is clearly important because this factor will inevitably impact on therapeutic outcomes. The absence of research-led knowledge on therapists′ motivations allows this key issue to remain a relatively unattended focus within reflective practice and personal development. This study aimed to collect data about therapists′ motivations from many practitioners so that core findings could be generalised to the wider profession. A total of 540 psychotherapists completed an online survey with significant numbers offering supporting qualitative data. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative data were subject to thematic and textual analysis. A large majority of therapists believe that their career choice was influenced by unconscious motivations, that their motivations are likely to change over time and that their own psychic wounds can contribute to effective therapy. Psychotherapists are clearly prepared to reflect, in depth, on why they have been drawn to the profession. The fact that an awareness of therapists′ motivations may be variable that they may change over time and can be linked to personal vulnerability suggests that the topic should be an integral part of practitioners′ ongoing personal development and a discrete focus in formal training programmes

McBeath A. (2019). The motivations of psychotherapists: An in-depth survey. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 19(4), 377-387. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12225

12.Making the Transition from Therapist to Research Practitioner: The role of Reflective writing in postgraduate research. Project leader: Dr Marie Adams

Research team: Dr Marie Adams and Dr Sofie Bager-Charleson

This is a phenomenological study into therapists’ experience from reflective writing as part of their research training and practice.

Aims and purpose:

The potential of reflection, and reflexivity, in supporting academic learning, skills development and lifelong learning are increasingly understood in the Higher Education sector. Many universities now include the ability to reflect as a necessary skill that graduates are expected to acquire in the course of achieving their degree (Harvey, 2016). Other benefits – less tangible, but perhaps more profound – are associated with learning to reflect. These “soft” or professional skills help students build cognitive bridges between classroom learning, and practical application of that learning in an unpredictable, all-too-human world (Harvey et al, 2014). This, in turn, increases their resourcefulness, mental and emotional flexibility, problem solving skills, and ability to critically interrogate complex issues and questions. Reflection may be argued to be of particular value for doctoral candidates in their journey from therapeutic practitioner to research practitioner identity because it helps to ground them and empower them to identify and trust their own insights. Reflective learning can help to foster an emotional, somatic and whole- of-body practice in ways which regrettably academia often neglects. This project explores the experience of reflective writing in postgraduate research. Reflective writing is a term used for writing for the purpose of ‘making sense of ourselves and the world’ (Bolton 2005:4). The project aims to explore reflective writing from the perspective of therapists during the doctoral research. How might reflective writing impact – if at all, their transition during their post-graduate research development; and how might – if at all, this impact their research?

12. The Silent Practice: a mixed-methods exploration of the absence of practicing humanistic and integrative counsellors and psychotherapists’ contributions to research, Principal Investigator Alan McPherson, PhD project. Therapist-researcher gap

The therapist-researcher ‘gap’ has been long identified within counselling, psychotherapy and counselling psychology clinical practice (Frank, 1984; McLeod, 2001).The relationship between researcher and therapist has been acknowledged as being strained(Goldfried & Wolfe, 1996), whilst also noting that therapists and researchers are united in their goals in offering the best knowledge and methods in improving the quality of care for all people (Kazdin, 2008). The aim of this proposed doctoral research is two-fold. Firstly, to explore how practicing counsellors, psychotherapists and counselling psychologists experience being a researcher and engaging in research alongside their clinical practice. Secondly, to explore the value educators on counselling, psychotherapy and counselling psychology training programmes place on the contribution of research and the training in research methods in the formation of therapists. The anticipated outcome is to draw together the learning from these experiences to contribute to ongoing attempts to bridge the therapist-researcher gap. This mixed methods study raises the questions; How do practising therapists experience being a researcher and engaging in research? What value do educators on therapist training programmes place on the contribution of research and the training in research methods in the formation of therapists?

McPherson, A. S (2020). Dissertation to published article: A journey from shame to sharing. European Journal for Qualitative Research in Psychotherapy, 10, 41–52. Retrieved from https://ejqrp.org/index.php/ejqrp/article/view/96

McPherson, A. S. (2022). “Are you analysing me?” A story completion exploration of having a friend who is becoming a psychotherapist. European Journal for Qualitative Research in Psychotherapy, 12. Retrieved from https://ejqrp.org/index.php/ejqrp/article/view/173

Project 13/completed: A Multilingual Outlook: Can Awareness-Raising about Multilingualism Affect Therapists’ Practice? A Mixed Method Evaluation

Dr Sofie Bager-Charleson, Zeynep Kasap, Metanoia Institute London,

Professor Jean-Marc Dewaele, Dr Beverley Costa Birkbeck University of London

Therapists are often unprepared to deal with their clients’ use of other languages. This

study focuses on therapists’ experiences of having undertaken awareness-raising

training about multilingualism. Did the training impact their practice? If so, in what

areas? Adopting a mixed-method approach, quantitative data were initially collected

via an online questionnaire with 88 therapy trainees and qualified therapists who

underwent training in multilingualism, combined with interview data from 7

volunteers. Having identified the issues on which the training had had most and least

impact in survey responses, the interviews were guided by our emergent interest into

the impact of the training with potential relational complexities and unique, personal

experiences in mind. A narrative-thematic analysis uncovered interrelated themes,

relation to changes, or impact of the training, with regard to Identity and Therapeutic

Theory Therapists referred to considerable transformative learning on both a personal

and professional level, for instance in terms of how multilingual clients might bring

different and sometimes conflicting ways of organizing events and experiences into

meaningful wholes through their narratives during the session. Language switching

seemed less significant in the survey, but emerged as a central theme in the interviews,

especially with regard to the possibility of addressing, challenging and sometimes

combining different emotional memories, cultural and existential concerns. Working

across these areas triggered some therapists to consider the need for expanding their

theory

Bager-Charleson, S., Dewaele, J., Costa, B. & Kasap, Z. A (2017) Multilingual Outlook: Can Awareness-Raising about Multilingualism Affect Therapists’ Practice? A Mixed-Method Evaluation. Language and Psychoanalysis, 2017, 6 (2), 56-75

http://www.language-and-psychoanalysis.com/article/view/1900

Bager-Charleson & Kasap, Z. (2017) Embodied Situatedness and Emotional Entanglement in Research. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, Volume 17, Issue 3, pp 190–200, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/capr.12122/full

Project references:

Adams, M. (2023) (2^nd ed). The Myth of the Untroubled Therapist, London, Routledge.

Bager-Charleson, S, McBeath, A. & Challenor, J. (2024 in process) Good Practice in Research Supervision. Guest editors for special journal issue. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research Journal, CPR. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal/17461405/homepage/call-for-papers-research-supervision

Bager-Charleson, S. & McBeath, A.G. (2023) The Relational 3C model for Research Supervision for Counsellors, Psychotherapists and Counselling Psychologists. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research Journal, CPR. Early view: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/capr.12680

Bager-Charleson, S. & McBeath, A.G. (2022) Research supervision What makes a good research supervisor? New Psychotherapist Journal, UKCP, Autumn 2022, p. 46-15

Bager-Charleson, S., & Hanley, T. (2022) Embracing the Art and Science of Counselling and Psychotherapy in Research. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research Journal, virtual issue July 2022. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/toc/10.1002/(ISSN)1746-1405.Art-Science-Counselling-Research

Bager-Charleson, S. & McBeath, A.G. (2021a) What support do therapists need to do research? A review of studies into how therapists experience research, Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 21(3), 555-569.https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12432

Bager-Charleson & McBeath, A.G. (2021b). Containment, Compassion and Clarity. Mixed Methods research into Supervision during Doctoral research for Psychotherapists and Counselling psychologist. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12498

Bager-Charleson, S., McBeath, A.& van Rijn, B. (2021) Relational Research Supervision for Doctoral Psychotherapy. London: Metanoia institute. https://www.metanoia.ac.uk/research/relational-research-supervision-for-doctoral-psychotherapy-research/

Bager-Charleson, S. & A.G. McBeath (Eds) (2020) Enjoying Research. Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed methods Research. Palgrave: MacMillan

Bager-Charleson, S., du Plock, S., McBeath, A and Adams, M. (2020). Therapists as research practitioners. A qualitative meta-synthesis through the lens of transition. European Journal Qualitative Research in Psychotherapy. EJQRP (2020) Vol. 10, 93-109 Spring issue. file:///D:/Bager-Charleson,%20McBeath,%20du%20Plock,%20Adams%202020.pdf

Bager-Charleson, S. and McBeath, A.G. & Vostanis, P. (2020) Guest editors: Special Issue on Mixed Methods. Research, for Counselling and Psychotherapy Research (CPR) Volume21, Issue1. March 2021. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/capr.12377

Bager‐Charleson S, McBeath A, du Plock S (2019). The relationship between psychotherapy practice and research: A mixed‐methods exploration of practitioners’ views. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research. 2019;19:195–205. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12196

Bager-Charleson, S., du Plock, S., McBeath, A (2018) “Therapists have a lot to add to the field of research, but many don’t make it there”. A narrative thematic inquiry into counsellors’ and psychotherapists’ embodied engagement with research. Journal for Language and Psychoanalysis, (7) 2018, http://www.language-and-psychoanalysis.com/article/view/2603

Bager-Charleson, Du Plock, McBeath (2019) Guest editing two Special issues for the Counselling and Psychotherapy Research Journal (CPR) about “Therapists and Knowledge” Volume 3 and Volume 4.

Bager-Charleson, S., Dewaele, J., Costa, B. & Kasap, Z. (2017) A Multilingual Outlook: Can Awareness-Raising about Multilingualism Affect Therapists’ Practice? A Mixed-Method Evaluation. Language and Psychoanalysis, 2017, 6 (2), 56-75 http://www.language-and-psychoanalysis.com/article/view/1900

Bager-Charleson & Kasap, Z. (2017a) Embodied Situatedness and Emotional Entanglement in Research. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, Volume 17, Issue 3, pp 190–200, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/capr.12122/full

Du Plock, S. (2020) The vulnerable researcher: harnessing reflexivity for practice-based qualitative inquiry. In. Bager-Charleson, S. Reflective Practice and Personal Development in the field of Therapy. London; Sage

Full, W., Mahmood. F., & Bager-Charleson, S. (2021) Critically appraising research. Video resource. This resource looks at the importance of evaluating research critically, covering what to look for and how to know if findings can be generalised and to whom. It includes a panel discussion with Dr Jo Pybis, Dr Wayne Full, Dr Faisal Mahmood and Dr Sofie Bager-Charleson. https://www.bacp.co.uk/events-and-resources/research/good-research-practice/

McBeath, A.G & Bager-Charleson, S. (2023) The development of a research led approach to train new research supervisors for psychotherapy and counselling psychology doctoral programmes. in Counselling and Psychotherapy Research. CPR Journal. Early View: http://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12683

McBeath, A.G. & Bager-Charleson, S. (2023). Views about mixed methods research (MMR) from counselling and psychotherapy research students and research supervisors. European Journal Qualitative Research in Psychotherapy

McBeath, A. (2022). The Reflective Online Practitioner Survey: The value in harvesting both qualitative and quantitative data. European Journal for Qualitative Research in Psychotherapy, 12. Retrieved from https://ejqrp.org/index.php/ejqrp/article/view/174

McBeath A. (2019). The motivations of psychotherapists: An in-depth survey. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 19(4), 377-387. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12225

McBeath, A., Bager-Charleson, S., & Abarbanel, A. (2020) Therapists and Academic Writing: “Once upon a time psychotherapy practitioners and researchers were the same people”. European Journal Qualitative Research in Psychotherapy, Volume 9, 103-116. Vol. 9, 103-116

For questions, ideas and collaborative proposals please contact:

<Sofie.bager-charleson@metanoia.ac.uk>

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Therapists as Research-informed Practitioners (TRP)