How to integrate research skills and awareness into basic psychotherapy

training

John McLeod j.mcleod@abertay.ac.uk

Structure of the workshop

Background Imagining and discussing some research learning acAviAes Final discussion

McLeod, J. (2013) An Introduc+on to Research in Counselling and Psychotherapy. London: Sage

McLeod, J. (2014) Doing Research in Counselling and Psychotherapy. 3rd edn. London: Sage

McLeod, J., EllioN, R. and Wheeler, S. (2010) A Training Manual in Research Skills and Awareness for Counsellors and Psychotherapists. LuNerworth, UK: BriAsh AssociaAon for Counselling and Psychotherapy

hNp://www.bacp.co.uk/research/SystemaAc_Reviews_and_PublicaAons/research_training_manual.php

Background

PracAcing therapists (and students) generally do not see research as being relevant, useful or interesAng

How do we teach research skills and awareness, in ways that will be meaningful for students?

This workshop is based on: my own experience as a trainer/lecturer research of Charles Gelso and his colleagues (University of Maryland)

How research inputs can be included in a counselling/psychotherapy

training programme

1. As a separate module/course 2. Integrated into modules/courses on therapy theory, skills and pracAce Both strategies can be effecAve

EssenAal principles

Research is taught by therapists The tutor/trainer acts as a model of how to use research to inform pracAce

Teaching is based on an apprenAceship model ExperienAal learning methods are used Research inputs start early, and influence all aspects of the training programme

Emphasis on research products

What do students need to know? How the literature is organised How to read and understand research papers How research evidence can inform their pracAce The contribuAon of five different types of research product: a publishable literature review qualitaAve, interview-based study of the client/therapist experience of an aspect of therapy

quanAtaAve, pracAce-based outcome evaluaAon autoethnographic inquiry into personal experience systemaAc, mulA-method, single case study

How to complete/finish a research product

3 stages in research teaching

1. The start of the therapy training programme: Learning to read research papers and become familiar with the literature

2. Through the main part of the programme: PracAcal experience of key methodologies

3. Towards he end: Doing a research study

Some examples of research workshops

Workshop 1. What is therapy research?

DefiniAon of research Lecture overview of the field of therapy research

Personal reflecAon: what is most interesAng for you? what is missing?

Share reflecAons in small groups Discussion in whole group Also useful: library exercise searching for studies

Workshop 2: Different types of knowledge

Different sources of knowledge: Personal Cultural TheoreAcal PracAcal Research

Think about one therapy issue (e.g., depression, anxiety) that is of interest to you

Reflect on how you might draw on different sources of knowledge, in responding to that issue

Share your reflecAons in a small group Discussion in whole group

Workshop 3. Knowing about research makes you a more competent

therapist

Give examples from own experience Complete research engagement worksheet Share reflecAons in small groups Discussion in whole group Also possible: returning to the worksheet one year later wriAng in personal journal

Workshop 4. Reading research papers Whole class reads a research paper provided by tutor Tutor explains how research papers are structured For next session, students read two papers (one qualitaAve, one quanAtaAve) and make notes on: what they did not understand what the researcher did that was convincing and valid the limitaAons and weaknesses of the paper

Discuss each paper in groups of 3 Report back their conclusions to whole group General discussion Assignment: choose a paper and write a criAcal analysis of it

All assignments: refer to at least one research paper

Workshop 5. QuanAfying human experience

How do you invesAgate a human experience such as anxiety? can ask people can measure it discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of each strategy

Mindfully complete the CORE scale (as if you are a client)

Make brief notes on your experience Share reflecAons in small groups Discussion in whole group Can also lead to: input on validity and reliability of measures Input on staAsAcal methods for analysing this kind of data

Workshop 6. QualitaAve research mini-project

Group research project on the experience of coping with depression/low mood

Designing an interview schedule Doing interviews Analysing data ReflecAng on the experience Reading published papers

Workshop 7. Analysing case study data

Students already know something about about qualitaAve and quanAtaAve methods

Explain HSCED Read case data In small groups, develop affirmaAve and scepAc interpretaAons

Present these analyses Respond to each other Judgement by independent expert

Doing a research study/dissertaAon

Choose a standard product: a publishable literature review qualitaAve, interview-based study of the client/therapist experience of an aspect of therapy

quanAtaAve, pracAce-based outcome evaluaAon autoethnographic inquiry into personal experience systemaAc, mulA-method, single case study

ApprenAceship relaAonship with research supervisor IdenAfying an exemplar study Research support group with other students doing different types of study

Aim: to write a publishable paper (or more than one paper)

Discussion