Implementing positive clinical change : cognitive behavioural group therapy for loners

• Main Author: Perry, Cassandra
• Published: Swansea University 2008
• Online Access: https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.752169

Introspection and self-reflection has been used throughout this study in order to examine my effectiveness as a psychotherapist. I have explored the dynamics of engaging more effectively with pre-adolescent loners in group therapy by assessing the personal determinants and therapeutic conditions necessary to create positive social behavioural change. Did I make a difference? If not, why not? My specific method, reality therapy, is a highly confrontational cognitive-behavioural therapeutic approach. Its difference to mainstream cognitive behaviour therapy is that, as well as treating the symptoms of a problem, reality therapy deals directly with the cause - unmet needs. As a reflexive practitioner, I have used action research to assist in the implementation of clinical change and allow me to amalgamate research with practice and vice versa. The action-evaluation-understanding design, combined with a reality therapy pedagogical tool, will take you through a personal journey of hope and despair: the advantages, conflicts and tensions of my role as a practitioner-researcher and the experiential learning along the way which improved my practice as a therapist. Significantly, the differences between the successful and unsuccessful outcomes of the three group programmes undertaken will be dissected and learned from. I am confident that these needs-based interventions for children can be equally as effective with an adolescent or adult loner population. They are multi-functional and can also be used for one-to-one interaction. All are adaptable for wider use such as youth/adult offender programmes, substance misuse rehabilitation and the specific treatment of anticipatory anxiety and post-event processing in social phobia therapy. Undoubtedly, there is new learning to take into the workplace from my successes. However, there is even more new learning to be assimilated from my many mistakes.