Counselling & Psychotherapy Research最新文献

{"title":"Client subgroups in emotion-focussed therapy: Exploring profiles in observable emotion","authors":"Antonio Pascual-Leone,&nbsp;Florencia Cristoffanini,&nbsp;Tsubasa Sawashima","doi":"10.1002/capr.12781","DOIUrl":"10.1002/capr.12781","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The present study examined client profiles in observed emotion to explore possible subgroups among clients given that there is substantial heterogeneity in clients' expression of emotion in therapy. Subgroups were identified using the sequential model of emotional processing, which posits that global distress, shame/fear and rejecting anger represent ‘early expressions of distress’, whereas assertive anger, self-compassion and grief/hurt are conceptualised to be ‘adaptive states’ that predict good outcomes. The present study also offers a unique strategy for studying differences in clients' emotional presentation with implications for within-session assessment by therapists.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Method</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Sections of videotaped therapy sessions for 34 participants in emotion-focussed therapy were coded for each emotional state. Through cluster analysis, participants were grouped based on the relative magnitude of each emotion state in the model.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In the first set of analyses, two naturalistic groups were formed: Cluster 2 had higher levels of adaptive emotion and rejecting anger than Cluster 1. There was a significantly greater proportion of good within-session outcomes in Cluster 2 than in Cluster 1. In the second set of analyses, a separate cluster analysis categorised participants based on their early expressions of distress. Four groups were described as follows: Distressed, Protesters, Fearful &amp; Ashamed and Minimally Distressed. Only the Minimally Distressed group showed significantly higher rates of good within-session outcome.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Discussion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>These findings provide support for the emotional processing model by using novel methods and analyses. Although the findings are preliminary, they have implications for clinicians' assessments of clients' emotional needs and characteristic presentations.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/capr.12781","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141355435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The empathetic landscape: Examining the role of empathy in the well-being of counsellors and psychotherapists working with trauma","authors":"Aimie Palumbo,&nbsp;Agata Wezyk,&nbsp;Alison Woodward,&nbsp;Constantina Panourgia","doi":"10.1002/capr.12778","DOIUrl":"10.1002/capr.12778","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Introduction</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Counsellors and psychotherapists working with trauma experience constant exposure to clients' adverse events, placing their well-being in jeopardy. The pivotal role of empathy in maintaining their well-being is underscored, given the imperative for these professionals to sustain empathetic engagement with clients. However, prior research has solely focussed on other helping professions.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methodology</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study employed semi-structured interviews to explore the subjective experiences of 14 psychotherapists and counsellors in trauma-informed settings regarding the role of empathy and its implications for well-being. Reflexive thematic analysis was utilised to analyse these data.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Three main themes were identified from the analysis: Empathy is crucial, empathy as a risk factor and empathy can be regulated and developed.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The study's findings reinforce previous research and provide new insights into empathy's development and management in the context of professional trauma work.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/capr.12778","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141378370","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of BACP in maximising the potential of counselling and psychological therapies research in the UK: Benefitting clients, communities, and societies","authors":"Michael Barkham,&nbsp;Divine Charura,&nbsp;Mick Cooper,&nbsp;Lynne Gabriel,&nbsp;Terry Hanley,&nbsp;John McLeod,&nbsp;Naomi Moller,&nbsp;Andrew Reeves,&nbsp;Kate Smith","doi":"10.1002/capr.12777","DOIUrl":"10.1002/capr.12777","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) is the largest professional membership body within the field of counselling and psychological therapies in the UK, but there is a mismatch between its membership of &gt;65,000 and its research impact. This article sets out a potential strategic direction as considered by an informal grouping of researchers and teachers in the field. Actionable research plans are outlined at three levels: client–practitioner, local communities, and societies. At the client–practitioner level, data-informed practice can be readily implemented as a therapeutic aid akin to supervision, providing the potential for integrating research into everyday practice. At the community level, interdisciplinary collaborations together with a focus on equality, diversity, and inclusiveness are paths to building a community of researchers and citizens that includes marginalised populations. The importance of social justice extends to the societal level, connecting with politics at a micro and macro level, and engaging internationally to respond to actual threats (e.g., climate change). Across these three levels, high value is placed on data with its potential for informing and improving practice, but also enhancing the lives of people in communities and societies. Overall, research strategies need to be collaborative (i.e., collegial) and less singular (i.e., individually project-based), developing cumulative knowledge around specific topics via a ‘capture and build’ strategy for small projects with strategic oversight by BACP. Clarity of research strategy combined with collaborative and collective action from BACP and leaders in the field can help realise the full potential of BACP's research capacity.</p>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/capr.12777","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141387675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Online psychological support in the COVID-19 era: Social representations, trust and perceived effectiveness from the perspectives of clients and professionals","authors":"Elisa Colì,&nbsp;Loredana Gavrila,&nbsp;Dacia Cozzo,&nbsp;Rino Falcone","doi":"10.1002/capr.12779","DOIUrl":"10.1002/capr.12779","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study examined the topic of online psychological counselling, focusing on the perspectives of both clients and professionals. In light of the widespread adoption of computer-mediated psychological support during the COVID-19 pandemic, the research analysed how it has taken shape in the collective consciousness, the role of trust, and perceived effectiveness.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Method</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The sample consisted of 133 professionals (<i>M</i> = 46) and 716 patients (<i>M</i> = 33), recruited through non-probabilistic snowball sampling. Data, collected through two ad hoc questionnaires, were analysed using the EVOC 2005 software (for social representations) and SPSS (for quantitative data).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Overall, regarding the social representation of online psychological support, in the central core of the therapists' representation there seems to be a structured idea of the emotional distance that online therapy inevitably brings with it. In the core of the patients' representation, the idea of online support has been structured as a form of assistance that has shown its full usefulness during the pandemic.</p>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Quantitative data reveal a perceived efficacy of online psychological support comparable to in-person therapy. Efficacy is enhanced by an already-established trust relationship. The adoption of the online mode seems to have favoured the deployment of new resources by therapists and patients, attesting to an adaptation to this new way of conducting therapy. The online mode, in particular, will continue to be chosen by both, along with face-to-face meetings, as a mode of psychological support post-pandemic.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Based on these findings, this study holds strong potential for practical application in the field of remote therapy.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/capr.12779","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141273647","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Developing a single-session outcome measure using natural language processing on digital mental health transcripts","authors":"Gregor Milligan,&nbsp;Aynsley Bernard,&nbsp;Liz Dowthwaite,&nbsp;Elvira Perez Vallejos,&nbsp;Jamie Davis,&nbsp;Louisa Salhi,&nbsp;James Goulding","doi":"10.1002/capr.12766","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12766","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Current outcome measures in digital mental health lack granularity, especially for single-session interventions. This study aimed to address this by utilising natural language processing (NLP) methods to create a clear and relevant outcome measure. This paper describes the development of the Adult Session Wants and Needs Outcome Measure (Adult SWAN-OM), a novel outcome measure for the Qwell digital mental healthcare platform to understand service user (SU) needs engaging in single-session therapy (SST).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The research employs a multi-phased approach combining NLP methods with the typical stages of outcome measures development as follows: (1) assumption definition and validation with SUs and clinicians; (2) transcript theme extraction using the RoBERTa large language model (LLM) in conjunction with topic modelling to extract themes from 254 single-session transcripts from 192 SUs; (3) clinical item refinement focus group; (4) content validity with clinicians and SUs to improve the relevance and clarity of the items; and (5) outcome measure finalisation in a workshop held with clinicians to consolidate the final wording.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Ninety-six potential wants and needs were generated and distilled into 12 measure items. The outcome measure was shown to be relevant and clear to both SUs and clinicians when used in the context of SST.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study highlights the potential of combining NLP approaches with co-creation methods in single-session outcome measure development. We argue that the incorporation of clinical expertise and SU experience ensures the clarity and applicability of such measures and that this approach to capturing single-session wants and needs promises novel insights for supporting digital mental health interventions.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/capr.12766","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141536991","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Client deception in therapy is associated with worse therapeutic relationships and perceived therapeutic outcomes","authors":"Christian L. Hart,&nbsp;Mykala Barnett,&nbsp;Drew A. Curtis","doi":"10.1002/capr.12767","DOIUrl":"10.1002/capr.12767","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objectives</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In psychotherapy, clients and therapists work together to forge a path towards better mental health. Key to this process is genuine and honest communication. However, much previous research suggests that clients are not always fully truthful with their therapists. In this study, we make a preliminary examination of the relationship between client deception in therapy, the quality of the therapeutic relationship and therapeutic outcomes.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Participants who had been involved in psychotherapy completed a variety of measures that assessed their use of dishonesty in therapy. They also completed measures of the quality of the client–therapist relationship and measures of their perceived therapeutic outcomes. We hypothesised that client dishonesty would negatively correlate with the perceived quality of the therapeutic relationship and the therapeutic outcomes. Furthermore, we predicted that the quality of the therapeutic relationship would mediate the relationship between client dishonesty and perceived therapeutic outcomes.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The results of correlation and mediation analyses supported these hypotheses. Client dishonesty was associated with poorer therapeutic relationships and worse perceived therapeutic outcomes. Additionally, therapeutic relationship quality partially mediated the relationship between client dishonesty and therapeutic outcomes.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This initial study provides important tentative insights into the possible negative correlates of client dishonesty in the therapeutic environment.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140994770","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"When the therapist's and the client's woundedness meet: Dialogical selves of Filipino self-identified wounded healers","authors":"Anne Marie D. Topacio,&nbsp;Mira Alexis P. Ofreneo","doi":"10.1002/capr.12768","DOIUrl":"10.1002/capr.12768","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Introduction</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The dominant literature on wounded healers assumes that the healer must be healed of one's wounds to be an effective therapist and that countertransference, moments in therapy when a healer's wounds are activated, must be successfully managed. Lacking in the literature is an understanding of the internal dynamics of wounded healers as they navigate moments of countertransference. Veering away from a unitary and static view of the self, we argue for a shift in how we understand wounded healers using the lens of a multiple and dynamic self. Through Herman's dialogical self-theory, we conceptualise the wounded healer as having multiple selves—the wounded self (WS) and the therapist self (TS). Each self is an I-position with its own unique voices and narratives.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Method</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Through in-depth interviews with Filipino self-identified wounded healers, we examine the internal voices of the WS and TS during moments of countertransference, as the WS meets the client's wounded self.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Findings</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Results show that the participants' characterisation of their WS, or where they are in their journey of healing or recovery, shapes their countertransference experience. Participants with recovered WS channelled the voices of calm recognition and differentiation. Voices of identification, re-experiencing and differentiation surfaced among participants with recovering WS. Participants with emerging WS transitioned from a voice of not knowing to a voice of identification.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Being aware of and listening to the voices of the WS alongside the TS is key in navigating countertransference. The implications of a dialogical understanding of wounded healers in clinical practice are discussed.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141001012","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"‘My recovery is in English’: Clients' language choices in multilingual psychotherapy","authors":"Leila Verkerk,&nbsp;Janet M. Fuller,&nbsp;Mike Huiskes,&nbsp;Anja Schüppert","doi":"10.1002/capr.12769","DOIUrl":"10.1002/capr.12769","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Psychotherapy is constituted through language. Due to voluntary migration or forced mobility, many people do not have access to therapy in their first language (L1). How multilingual clients manage their languages in therapy is an issue many therapists need to address in their practice. Psychotherapy is about trauma, emotions and identity, and when a multilingual client chooses a particular language, it may influence their emotional expression, cause a cultural misunderstanding, and a distorted presentation of who they are.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aims</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In this study, we investigated how clients perceive psychotherapy in a foreign language (LX). We also aimed to provide psychotherapists with more insights into the effect of language choices on the course and outcome of therapy.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We conducted 30 semi-structured interviews with multilingual clients who had experience with therapy in LX. The data were analysed using thematic analysis.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Findings</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The data revealed that there is not one correlation between language and emotion, and that different backgrounds may lead to different preferences for the language of therapy; for some, LX may be preferred because it provides emotional distance necessary for discussing past trauma; for others, LX feels inadequate for expressing themselves fully.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Our data suggest that there is a need for multilingual psychotherapists to learn more about their clients' linguistic and cultural profiles and how they play a role in emotion communication to facilitate a smoother therapeutic process and a more beneficial outcome.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/capr.12769","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141002805","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pluralistic psychotherapists' and counsellors' experiences of working with actively suicidal clients: A qualitative interpretative phenomenological analysis","authors":"Leo Muckley","doi":"10.1002/capr.12760","DOIUrl":"10.1002/capr.12760","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Clients presenting as suicidal have been widely recognised as one of the most challenging presenting issues for psychotherapists and counsellors. There is a wealth of literature exploring risk assessment, collaboration, goals, tasks, methods, shared decision making and client preferences employed in therapy with this presenting issue. Yet, no literature explicitly explores combining these approaches or provides a framework that integrates them. Working with actively suicidal clients as a pluralistic psychotherapist and counsellor (PCP) has not been thoroughly examined to date, even though this framework and philosophy for therapy combines many of the aforementioned approaches. Therefore, it is imperative that ways of working safely with this presenting issue, for both the client and the practitioner, are explored and researched through the lens of PCP.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>To interpret and explore pluralistic psychotherapists' and counsellors' experiences of working with actively suicidal clients to find what might be added to the body of knowledge.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A qualitative interpretative phenomenological analysis of PCP with actively suicidal clients was conducted via four semi-structured recorded interviews. Four participants were recruited purposively. Four themes and two subthemes were identified and explored.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Discussion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The findings showed PCP to be a robust holistic approach to actively suicidal clients that is safe for both client and practitioner. Furthermore, the results point towards the need for further research into the idea that PCP is useful when working with actively suicidal clients in line with recommended best practice from the client's perspective.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141011501","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of virtual reality exposure therapy on anxiety symptoms and physiological measures among individuals experiencing claustrophobia","authors":"Fuad El-Qirem,&nbsp;Malakeh Z. Malak,&nbsp;Hasan Abualruz,&nbsp;Suhaib Abuhazeem,&nbsp;Ahlam Amro","doi":"10.1002/capr.12765","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12765","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Introduction</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Innovative technologies, including virtual reality (VR), can be used for conducting VR exposure therapy (VRET) for individuals with psychiatric disorders, including claustrophobia. Unfortunately, there is a lack of studies on the effect of VR in treating claustrophobia in Arab countries, including Jordan. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of VRET on minimising anxiety symptoms at 1 week post-therapy and the physiological arousal measures (heart rate, O₂ saturation and mean arterial pressure) of participants before and following therapy.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A pre-/post-test one-group design was used, and participants (<i>N</i> = 44) who suffered from claustrophobia from Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan were recruited. VRET was conducted using the Cave experience, which consists of four stages and was carried out in 4 to 6 sessions during the period from April to September 2023.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The findings revealed a significant difference between pre- and post-VR simulation intervention for anxiety symptoms and physiological measures; in addition, the participants perceived the usability of VR therapy.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study suggested that VRET was effective in managing claustrophobia, particularly in minimising anxiety symptoms. Therefore, VRET can be integrated into the therapeutic methods for individuals with claustrophobia. Also, healthcare professionals, including mental health counsellors, can adopt such therapy in their management and treatment plan.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-04-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141536878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}