A portfolio of academic, therapeutic practice and research work including a qualitative investigation of the experiences of therapists who practice mindfulness and integrate it into their individual therapeutic work

• Main Author: Cigolla, Flavia
• Published: University of Surrey 2011
• Subjects: 155
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.540976

This portfolio contains a selection of papers that illustrate the academic, research, and therapeutic practice components of the Doctorate in Psychotherapeutic and Counselling Psychology, each of them represented by one of the three dossiers that make up the portfolio. The academic dossier is composed by two essays and one review. The first piece reviews a book chapter dealing with the core condition of 'congruence' and how it can be used in therapeutic practice when working from a person-centred framework. The first of the two essays discusses the use of interpretations in psychoanalysis arguing that a narrative of the client's experience is coconstructed within the therapeutic room. The second essay looks at the therapeutic relationship in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), reflecting on the extent to which the principles of DBT are compatible with the values of counselling psychology. Aspects of my clinical work are outlined in the therapeutic practice dossier, where the placements I completed as part of my training are briefly described. A reflective account of my personal and professional development as a Counselling Psychologist whilst on the doctoral course is also included and contains some case examples taken from my practice. The research dossier comprises of three papers, a literature review and two empirical pieces, one qualitative and one quantitative. The literature review focuses on mindfulness and its conceptualisation as well as its role in a therapeutic context. My first research project is of a qualitative nature and explores the experiences of therapists who practice mindfulness and integrate it in their therapeutic work. A revised version of this paper has been accepted for publication and is available at the end of the portfolio. Finally, the second empirical piece uses quantitative methods to examine the role of mindfulness and experiential avoidance in the regulation of intense emotions in people diagnosed with borderline personality disorder