A duoethnographic exploration of Relational Psychotraumatology: research, training, and practice considerations

Introduction Using a duoethnological approach, supported by relational trauma theories, this paper synthesises idiosyncratic formulations and perspectives of working with relational trauma. Aim Initially, focus is centred on reflecting on the authors' research with different and diverse groups. These include in-reach rehabilitation and recovery services for people with profound and enduring mental health needs, as well as experiences of trauma, loss, grief and post-traumatic growth of sanctuary seekers. Method Duoethnography, which is a collaborative research methodology that promotes introspection and critical reflexivity in researchers, was followed for over a year, and this provided rich data, which were analysed. Results Duoethnological dialogue offered rich data, which was conceptualised into four themes, which are presented and elaborated on: (i) the importance of the therapists acknowledging and witnessing meaning-making with those who present with relational trauma and engaging with the evolving process of remembering, repeating and working through their trauma; (ii) the importance of therapists clarifying the aim or function of therapy from their modality; (iii) the importance of the idiosyncratic experiencing and processing of relational trauma; and (iv) the importance of the dynamic process and diversity of possible stages in working through relational trauma. Discussion These themes support an argument for a praxis of relational trauma and exploration of different approaches that may be helpful in therapeutic practice, training and psychotraumatology research. Conclusions The paper concludes with reflections on how a human rights trauma-informed approach entails facilitating hope in trauma work and offers recommendations for psychotraumatology therapeutic practice and trauma-informed training

Body mapping Refugees and asylum seekers’ perspectives of embodied trauma: an innovative method for psychotraumatology research and practice

With the population of displaced individuals reaching over 25 million people worldwide, exacerbated by recent humanitarian emergencies there is an urgent need to rapidly assess manifestations of trauma, with a focus on providing culturally informed methods for those in distress. The novel concept of ‘embodied trauma’ is body mapped and explicated using a sample of 13 displaced individuals in the United Kingdom. This study operationalises a qualitative, semi-structured interview, incorporating the Trauma Screening Questionnaire, exploratory open questions, and body mapping exercises, utilising reflexive thematic analysis of the interview data. Results map how trauma and associated emotions are experienced in the body, generating key themes to elucidate the novel term ‘embodied trauma,’ encompassing its holistic bio-psycho-social-sexual-spiritual-existential presentations. The implications of this study make the case for the innovative use of body mapping in psychotraumatology research and practice, as part of a culturally informed approach

Counselling psychologists working in Human rights & social justice

We argue in this paper that counselling psychologists have been championing human rights and social justice in different ways and since the Division was first being considered. We draw on counselling psychology historical literature, and from responses from our colleagues within the profession. As part of our preparation for this paper we put out a call to counselling psychologists through the Division of Counselling Psychology to invite our colleagues to share with us the work they are engaged in relating to Human Rights and Social Justice. In this paper we share themes from the responses we received on the various areas covering human rights aspects of counselling psychology and social justice, for example championing climate justice, equality, diversity, and inclusion. Our call was operationalised through a **Questback link** survey which comprised of 10 questions. These included demographic questions, questions which enquired about areas of respondent’s work which covered human rights aspects of psychology and social justice. The responses for example included mental health work with refugees, asylum seekers, trafficked people, torture survivors; Black and Minoritised Ethnic adults aged 18+; people from what one responded noted as “the profoundly deaf community” who use BSL (British Sign Language) as their first language; and other aspects of equality, diversity, and inclusion. Furthermore, we enquired whether our counselling psychology respondents had faced experiences in which they have wanted to engage with human rights-based/ focused work but had been prevented from doing this. These questions could be responded to through qualitative responses, and we offer example of quotes from respondents throughout different sections of this paper. The respondents also replied at a specific time period and the issues raised might differ if the questionnaire was answered at an earlier or later time period

Comprehensive scoping review of research on intercultural love and romantic relationships

Despite the growing evidence that the modern world is more diverse and so is the nature of relationships that present in therapy, there remains paucity of empirical evidence on how cultural differences impact those in intercultural romantic ties. We conducted this comprehensive scoping review with the aim to outline the size and scope of existing research in the field of intercultural love and romantic relationships. We utilised a five-stage scoping review protocol provided by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) manual for synthesis of evidence for a scoping review to ensure the rigour, transparency, and replicability of our findings. We reviewed peer-reviewed articles across nine electronic databases as well as “snowballing” the literature from the reference lists. A total of 46 studies were included in this review. We found that the majority of studies approached intercultural relationships from the deficit perspective, focusing on the domains of cultural difference that bring challenges to the relationship. These included culture-rooted differences in parenting standards and gender role expectations, among others. Often, cultural differences were found to bring power impedance into the relationship. Open communication and flexibility were found as important coping strategies. Differences in native language posed challenges to emotional communication between partners. These findings demonstrate that intercultural relationships face an additional layer of challenges and complexities that have to be recognised in therapy. We propose four domains of transmodality relational competencies on the basis of our findings to inform culturally sensitive therapeutic practice

Depression and looming cognitive style: Examining the mediating effect of perceived control

Background Individuals with a looming cognitive style (LCS) bias display a tendency to interpret threat representations as rapidly approaching and rising in risk. The present study is the first to investigate whether the relationship between LCS and depression is mediated by perceived control (over evading threats). Methods After completing mood questionnaires, participants recorded future-self threats (feared possible selves) and rated their threat representations on a measure of perceived control. LCS was measured using an adapted version of the looming maladaptive style questionnaire. In total 74 participants were recruited through university research participation. Results Perceived control was significantly related to depression (r = -.3, p = .011) and LCS (r =-.27, p = .019) but not to anxiety (r =-.14, p = .223). Mediation analyses revealed that control mediated the relationship between depression and LCS, when anxiety was entered as a covariate 95 % CI [.03, .79]. Limitations The present study used a measure of symptom severity rather than clinical diagnoses of anxiety and depression. Also, the sample consisted of 81 % female and 100 % university students which limits the generalisability of the findings. Finally, the cross-sectional study design does not imply causation. Conclusion The present study provided evidence for a potential mechanism through which LCS maintains depression. The analyses have important implications for interventions designed to prevent depression comorbidity. Future studies should apply longitudinal methods to investigate how changes in perceived control influences depression

Team Interventions for Burnout, Resiliency, and Psychological Safety in Healthcare Settings: Systematic Literature Review, Evaluation, and Meta-Analysis

Resiliency Hubs were established as a response to the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and efforts to enhance the support available to an NHS workforce that, based on available data, were already displaying signs of decreasing morale and increasing absenteeism and intention to leave their jobs. A network of Resiliency Hubs now exists with a broader and longer-term purpose – to support and develop all staffs’ resilience and well-being, and to allow staff to be effective and remain in their work. Evaluation of these services is a continuous process, necessary to ensure their ongoing quality and enhancing provision. The current project was commissioned by the Humber, Coast and Vale Resiliency Hub as part of this process. The project was undertaken by an external team of researchers with the aim of providing a systematic review, evaluation, and meta-analysis of team-based interventions that could be used by the Humber, Coast and Vale Resiliency Hub as an evidence-base to inform the team/organisation pathway of their service

Service User Experiences of the Humber and North Yorkshire Resilience Hub

With increasing workplace pressures within the NHS, the Humber and North Yorkshire Resilience Hub offers support to health, care, and emergency service staff in the Humber and North Yorkshire region. The Resilience Hub provides priority access to confidential and independent services for a range of mental health issues with the aim of supporting staff in staying at work, returning to work, and being more productive at work. This report assesses service user experiences among health and care workers, and other professionals accessing the service, with the aim of informing and improving future service delivery

Relational counselling as a psychosocial intervention for dementia : qualitative evidence from people living with dementia and family members

Counselling and other psychotherapeutic interventions can be offered to people with dementia and their caregivers, to treat specific conditions or symptoms (e.g. affective disorders such as depression). Psychotherapeutic interventions also offer the opportunity for individuals with dementia and their families/caregivers to engage in psychological support for a wide range of presentations. However, little is known about how those within this demographic who receive these interventions perceive the experience. This study aimed to understand the experiences of individuals with dementia or caring for someone with dementia, before and after a 12-week relational counselling intervention delivered through a third sector organisation within England. Semi-structured interviews were completed with participants (29 pre-intervention and 25 post-intervention). Framework analysis was conducted, with four main themes identified; expectations and outcomes of counselling, emotional impact of life with dementia, appraisals of identity and importance of therapeutic relationship. Participants reported that counselling interventions addressed a range of needs and concerns that they had, enabling them to reassess and reconsider these. Specific training is needed before therapists deliver therapeutic interventions with people with dementia, to ensure that appropriate support is provided for those with more severe cognitive impairment or who may have fluctuating capacity. Future research should explore the experiences of people with dementia and their caregivers, across different counselling modalities, to establish the appropriateness and effectiveness of relational counselling