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Psychoanalytic Sensibility in a Behavioural World: Supervising Intern Counselling Psychologists in Aotearoa New Zealand

Psychoanalytic Sensibility in a Behavioural World: Supervising Intern Counselling Psychologists in Aotearoa New Zealand

Psychoanalysis passed its heyday in the seventies and has been usurped by short term cognitive-behavioural therapies. Despite this trend, recently there has been a small growth of psychoanalytic psychotherapy in Aotearoa New Zealand. This presentation describes my experience of employing a psychoanalytic sensibility in teaching and supervising intern counselling psychologists in a cognitive-behaviourally dominated university system. Vignettes are used to illustrate where differences between the psychoanalytic and cognitive-behavioural worldviews arose in supervision and how I attempted to deal with them.

Theoretical differences discussed include; the client’s free association and therapist’s evenly hovering attention vs. authoritative and technique driven direction provided by the therapist; a relational focus, including links to past relationships and the transference/countertransference vs. the therapeutic relationship as a means to reinforce the client’s engagement with goal and future oriented work; process and interpretation vs. explicit guidance and advice; focus on affect and defences against it vs. the centrality of cognition and cognitive errors; and the exploration of fantasy life vs. techniques directed at symptom reduction.

Speakers: Dr Mark Thorpe

WCP 2016

Evaluating Group Therapy Process through the Clients’ Feedback

The study purpose was to evaluate the effectiveness of solution-focused brief group therapy based on the clients’ feedback about the process. The evaluation was to ensure that from the client’s perspective they were experiencing quality and effective service (Sharry, 2007). The research samples were from 30 undergraduate students of Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia of the 5th semester chosen by simple random sampling technique. They received 5 sessions of group therapy including termination and follow-up session. The data collection used the instrument adapted from Duncan and Miller’s (2000) (Sharry, 2007) supported by observation and interview.

Encounters Between the Psychoanalytic Community and the U.S.-American Intelligence Community 1940-1945 – A Short History of an Unexpected Liaison

Beginning in 1940, members of the US-American psychoanalytic community began to collaborate with the US-Intelligence Community (IC). Early activities (1940-1945) focused on the immediate threat of Nazi Germany, fascist Italy, and their imperial Japanese ally and included studies on a variety of anti-axis propaganda issues, e.g., home front radio broadcasts, analysis of enemy broadcasts, studies on domestic morale, analysis of enemy national character etc. Moreover, psychoanalysts used clinical data retained from ongoing analyses to be used by the IC in search of certain patterns of totalitarian attitudes in patients which might be counteracted by psychoanalysis or by psychoanalytically informed propaganda programs.

Meditative flow-Psychotherapy: cognitive paradigm shift that offers positive outcomes in solving relationship issues

Relationship issues affect everyone. Much research has been carried out to resolve them through the engagements of various therapy and counselling techniques. Nonetheless, before the advent of counselling and psychotherapy protocols, those with relationship issues had sought the advice and guidance from some respected members of the families, village chiefs, temple and church elders or even those with shamanic practices. Today there are trends towards “spiritual” solutions to heal and repair those relationship issues. The presenter through his personal experience in this topic had found that one aspect of meditation - guided meditation could prove to be more useful than general or even mindfulness meditation modalities. The presenter, who is presently engaged in providing counselling for those incarcerated, had found that the practise of “guided meditation” not only relaxes the clients but could be used to transform their views (attitudes) and meaning of their own journey in life also. “Guided meditation” evokes the meditators’ visual, audio and kinetic faculties.

The Silent Language of Art Psychotherapy: making meaning of symbols

Informed by hermeneutic philosophical traditions, this will be a presentation of a brief art psychotherapy intervention from a phenomenological perspective. The idea of “meaning-making” is constructed from a phenomenological interpretation of art making, revealing psychological life as defined by Jung to be “the totality of all psychic processes, conscious as well as unconscious”.

Family Therapeutic Alliance and Collective Family Therapy

Exploring into local collectivist Malays culture led the researchers to construct the Family Therapeutic Alliance (FTA) which is an invaluable therapeutic source of authority applicable as the underlying element in multicultural psychotherapy. FTA was used in a longitudinal study of relapse prevention among the Malay collectivist recovering addicts and their family that has produced a positive outcome. Four recovering addicts and their families were invited to form four study groups with an initial goal of establishing FTA, and later on, to maintain their alliances. Eight sessions of Collective Family Therapy using a multicultural approach that adopt the basic element of psychotherapy and critical values of the clients was used as the treatment approach.

7 Types of ADD, Brain SPECT Scan, Psycho-Nutritional, Neurotransmitter and Hormonal Therapy

Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (ADD/ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental psychological disorder. People with ADHD commonly display significant problems in executive functions. It has been suggested that underlying abnormalities in the brain contribute to ADHD (Amen, 2001). Seven types of ADD/ADHD were classified based on the symptoms and brain spectroscopy (SPECT) scans; different types of ADD/ADHD were attributed to different areas of brain atrophy and over-activation/inactivation. Several mechanisms and theories will be discussed: Neurotransmitters, Hormones, and Stress.

Mystery, Uncertainty and Complexity in Embryo Donation Counselling in Aotearoa New Zealand

Embryo Donation (ED) is the donation by a couple who have surplus embryos following in vitro fertilisation to another infertile couple or person. This presentation, on counsellors’ experience in providing compulsory ED counselling, was part of a larger research investigation designed to explore how ED is understood and experienced by donors and recipients in Aotearoa New Zealand, a country with unique legislative and policy donation guidelines. The practice of ED counselling in Aotearoa New Zealand differs from other jurisdictions in that counsellors enact and facilitate the policy of ‘open’ donation in which donors and recipients meet and select each other for ED.

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