Exploring the impact, value and limitations of reflective practice groups for clergy in a Church in Wales diocese

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Mental Health, Religion and Culture on 3rd September 2020, available online: https://doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2020.1789571This research explores the impact, value and limitations of reflective practice groups for Clergy in a Church in Wales diocese. The aims were to explore what participants of reflective practice groups experience as the impact, value and limitations of their groups, and to better understand any implications for delivery of reflective practice groups for Clergy. Two focus groups comprising of the participants from two reflective practice groups from a diocese in the Church in Wales were interviewed, and the data analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Two superordinate themes emerged along with ten subordinate themes. The key findings are that the participants of both groups clearly found them to be a valuable experience and self-defined the impact on their ministries as: creating more reflective clergy; developing greater wisdom; building and gaining affirmed strategies that they could take back into relationships within their parishes; enabling a different perspective to be gained on management expectations; development of self-preservation strategies for coping with those expectations; improvement in practice and relationships within their work; improving their priestly skills; managing boundaries more appropriately; approaching meetings more positively; managing situations in more helpful ways; and discerning what God may be saying in certain situations

Assessing the perceived value of Reflexive Groups for supporting Clergy in the Church of England

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Mental Health, Religion and Culture on 18-7-16, available online: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2016.1197194Little research has been conducted to assess the effectiveness of reflexive groups in supporting clergy. For this research, eight Church of England Bishops’ Advisors for Pastoral Care and Counselling were interviewed to ascertain the value of reflexive groups. These data were analysed using a thematic analysis. Two superordinate themes emerged: Contextual issues and Benefits, along with 20 subordinate themes. An online survey, consisting of questions that came from the Bishops’ Advisors data, was then sent to reflexive group participants (n=64), to see if their experiences matched those benefits identified by the Bishops’ Advisors. The data from 37 participants was statistically analysed. The data from both sets of participants reveal that reflexive groups are psychologically beneficial to clergy. The research concludes that the implementation of reflexive groups as a way of developing self-awareness and enculturating attitudes towards resilience and self-care is important to foster psychologically and spiritually healthy practice

Utilising Reflective Practice Groups as pedagogy in ordination training and theological development

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Practical Theology on 3-5-19, available online: https://doi.org/10.1080/1756073X.2019.1609254With the Church of England's ([2014. Formation Criteria with Mapped Selection Criteria for Ordained Ministry in the Church of England. https://www.churchofengland.org/media/2139103/formationcriteriaforordainedministryapprovedhofbpsdec2014.docx]) recent formation criteria now requiring ordinands to have a greater degree of reflexive capability, this article considers the pedagogy of Reflective Practice Groups in ordination training and focuses on how reflexivity can be developed in a group context, towards fostering greater spiritual formation, theological reflection, self-awareness, relational practices for pastoral encounter, resilience and self-care practices for ministry. Some ‘foci for reflexivity’ are advocated for use within Reflective Practice Groups in ordination training

A Qualitative Exploration of the Similarities and Differences between Counselling and Spiritual Accompaniment

This research explores the similarities and differences between Counselling and Spiritual Accompaniment. The literature indicates that there is a difference between Spiritual Accompaniment and Counselling. However, this is not the lived experience of the researcher. A comprehensive literature review was conducted. Five experienced Counsellors who offer Spiritual Accompaniment were interviewed to ascertain their views and experience of the similarities and differences. The data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The research concludes that Counselling and Spiritual Accompaniment are the same in the nature of encounter, in the insights and skills that are needed for the accompaniment of another at relational depth—whether psychologically or spiritually. A new model for understanding the relationship between Counselling and Spiritual Accompaniment is offered that describes both Counselling and Spiritual Accompaniment as being a process of oscillation between the encounter being soul-orientated or psychological-orientated. There are some distinctions (rather than differences) with regard to intentionality, the language of discourse and the nature of resources available in the encounter. Spiritual Accompaniment has professional deficits that need to be addressed concerning training, personal development, boundaries, ethical frameworks and mandatory supervision in order to strengthen it as a pastoral ministry

An Exploration of the Impact of Small Reflexive Groups on Personal and Spiritual Development

This research explores the impact of small Reflexive Groups on personal and spiritual development. A Reflexive Group was set up consisting of four people who are ordinands, and facilitated over a period of eight weeks. Their experience was then evaluated through a focus group which was recorded and transcribed, with the data being analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The research shows that Reflexive Groups can enable a transformative experience at both a personal and spiritual level. The value of Reflexive Groups in a congregational context is unclear, but the research concludes that being a part of a Reflexive Group should be an essential part of ministerial training

A qualitative exploration into how the use of prayer in counselling and psychotherapy might be ethically problematic

Aim: This research article contributes to the debate on the value and limitation of the use of spiritual strategies, like prayer, in counselling (Foskett & Lynch, 2001) by disseminating the insights that were gained from a qualitative study of mainstream counsellors whose work includes prayer. Method: Participants were 19 British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)-accredited and Churches Ministerial Counselling Service (CMCS)-approved counsellors who use prayer in their practice. They were interviewed, and the data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Results: The data reveal that counsellors who use prayer are aware that ethical problems may be encountered: if prayer changes the way that the counsellor is perceived; when using prayer with issues of psychopathology; if the counsellor uses prayer to impose faith on a client; when being professionally held to account; if prayer is used for avoidance or as a defence; if prayer is used to enhance the counsellor's power; if prayer is not part of the client's agenda; if prayer is used routinely; if prayer cannot be challenged; if there is a cultural pressure to pray; and if the prayer method is not matched to the client – but that their concern over potential ethical issues is not of sufficient strength to override their therapeutic use of prayer if facilitated with due care

Exploring the impact on counsellors of working with spiritually abused clients

This small-scale study explores the impact on counsellors of working with clients who have experienced spiritual abuse. Participants were five counsellors who have worked with spiritually abused clients. They were interviewed and the data analysed using a bricolage of heuristic and interpretative phenomenological analysis. The data indicate that counsellors experience symptoms of visceral traumatization and secondary traumatic stress disorder characterized by feelings of anger, outrage, sadness, grief, powerlessness, cynicism, helplessness, frustration, disassociation, needing to justify or vindicate God and protect the spiritual community—rather than the abuser—and wariness of leadership of spiritual communities. However, working with clients who were spiritually abused deepened and strengthened the counsellors’ relationship with God in a profound way. The research also highlights the need for greater awareness to be had of spirituality and spiritual abuse in supervision and training courses

An exploration of the differences and similarities between counselling and confession, as experienced by counsellors who are, or have been, Catholic Priests

From Crossref journal articles via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: epub 2021-11-22, issued 2021-11-22Article version: VoRPublication status: Publishe

A pilot evaluation study of pastoral supervision provision in the Moravian Church (British Province)

From Crossref journal articles via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: epub 2022-04-08, issued 2022-04-08Article version: VoRPublication status: Publishe