Building practice based solution focused research down under

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Building

practice-based solution-focused

research down under

Judi H. Miller

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• _{Provide an overview of}

– _{the context (down under)}

– _{student evaluation of our SF program} – _{the Master of Counselling}

• _{Share SF practice-based research (from down}

under)

• _{Consider and discuss research challenges,}

responses and where to from here.

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• _{Psychotherapy training provided mainly by}

private providers

• _{Counselling and psychology taught in}

university-based programmes

• _{Graduate programmes in counselling taught in}

only 4 universities –

• _{SF taught only at University of Canterbury.}

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1974 A two year graduate programme started - microskills, problemsolving 12 students per year

1988 I started teaching in the degree 1992 SF introduced as foundational model

2010 A series of earthquakes

2012 New Masters degree introduced

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• _{2007 – survey of graduates (Miller, 2009)}

• _{All valued practice experience and clinical}

supervision for developing their sense of

competence and identification as

professional counsellors.

• _{79% constructed themselves as life-long}

learners who use a SF framework to shape

their work.

Checking if SF

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• _{New Master of Counselling}

– _{Two year full-time programme based on social}

constructionist principles and solution-focused practice.

– _{Guided by Skovholt and Starkey (2010)}

metaphor:Three-legged epistemological stool

– _{Research component added.}

Developing a programme to increase student

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Year one – solution-focused coursework

Year two – 400 hour practicum + professional practice research portfolio.

Key aspects: ✓qualitative methods

✓group supervision

✓collaborative discoveries

✓research relevant/meaningful

to each student

✓publishable

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• _{Complements data from controlled settings}

• _{Evidence resonates with practitioners}

• _{Practice is able to be responsive to the data}

• _{Values client descriptions of change}

(Shennan and Iveson, 2013)

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•_{Pragmatic case}_{– Empowering adolescents through}

solution-focused counselling : the experiences of New Zealand adolescent girls

and self esteem, can sf help? (Tina Duff)

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SFBT and self esteem

• _{Foeschle et al (2007) found that SFBT did not}

improve self-esteem but this may not be very relevant to student success.

• _{Peterson (2009) notes that the taking of}

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SFBT and self esteem

• _{Our student encouraged four females (in a high}

school) to be co-participators in SF counselling. She then analysed five SF counselling sessions with each client and found that SF counselling helped clients:

– _{discover their personal strengths and resources} – _{feel empowered to act using these resources} – _{experience enhanced self efficacy}

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•_{Narrative case}_{–Shift happens? : exploring the exception question}

in solution-focused therapy ways the exception question brings

about a shift in perceptions for client and counsellor’s learning. (Kay

Henson)

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Exceptions

• _{Shennan and Iveson (2012) have shifted their}

focus from exceptions to instances of part of the miracle.

• _{Our student found that her research on}

exception questions brought together

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Research process

• _{Client rating scale}

• _{Narrative analysis exposed shifts and change}

for clients and the counsellor.

• _{Supervision (using exception questions) and}

reflective journal helped the counsellor develop a sense of self.

• _{Client engagement, use of drawings, full}

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Research questions addressed

• _{How can the exception question in}

solution-focused therapy bring about change for students?

• _{How do students in a high school experience}

creative uses of solution focused exception questions?

• _{How does its use influence my counselling and}

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Microanalysis of dialogue: Clients’ and practitioner’s

experiences of the “What’s better?” question in Solution Focused Brief Therapy

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Feedback

What’s better

Not useful discussing Useful discussing

Overall

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Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis: Clients’ experiences of the summation message.

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• _{Practice-based evidence – requires research}

experience

• _{Subjectivity and bias}

• _{Effect of researcher allegiance to SF}

• _{Researcher or therapist - can the two mix?} • _{Phenomenology and social constructionism}

• _{Does being reflexive and being a participant really}

improve practice?

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• _{I would welcome any comments and suggestions on what}

we are doing and how we might improve what we are doing.

• _{Our next challenge is to find appropriate examiners –}

both practitioners and academics - any volunteers? • _{Please contact me [email protected]}

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• Crocket, K., Agee M. & Cornforth, S (Ed.), Ethics in Practice: A Guide for Counsellors: 53-57. Wellington: Dunmore Publishing.

• Gingerich, W.J. & Peterson, L.T. (2013). Effectiveness of Solution-focused brief therapy: A systematic qualitative review of controlled outcome studies.

Research on Social Work Practice. http://rsw.sagepub.com/

• Froeshle, J.G., Smith, R.L., & Ricard, R. (2007). The efficacy of a systematic substance abuse program for adolescent females. Professional School

Counseling, 10, 498 - 505

• McLeod, J. (2010). Case Study Research in Counselling and Psychotherapy.

London: Sage.

• Miller, J.H. (2009) Does teaching a solution-focused model of counselling work? A follow-up of graduates. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research 10(3): 173-182.

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• _{Peterson, Z.D (2009). What is sexual empowerment? A multidimensional and}

process-oriented approach to adolescent girls’ sexual empowerment. Sex Roles, 62, 307-313.doi: 10.1080/09614520802030383

• _{Sangganianavanich, V.F and Black, L.L. (2011) The Multicultural Supervision}

Scale. Journal of Professional Counseling, Practice, Theory, & Research,. 38 (2) :18

• _{Shennan G. and Iveson, C. From solution to discription: Practice and research in}

tandem. In C Franklin, T Trepper, W. Gingerich & E. McCollum (Eds), (2012).

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy: A Handbook of Evidence-Based Practice. NY: Oxford University Press

• Skovholt, T.M. & Starkey, M.T. (2010). The three legs of the practitioner’s learning stool: Practice, research/theory and personal life. Journal of

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Empowering adolescents through solution-focused counselling : the experiences of New Zealand adolescents : research project submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Counselling at the University of Canterbury

•_{by Duff, Tina L.,}

Shift happens? : exploring the exception question in solution-focused therapy : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Counselling, School of Health Sciences

•_{by Henson, Kay J.,}