Exploring psychotherapists’ views on the inclusion of, and clinical engagement with, political material within the therapy session

Clients come to therapy to discuss various aspects of their lives, which can include political material and the wider sociopolitical context. This is even more likely to happen in the politically polarised world in which we now live. This study aimed to explore psychotherapists’ views on the inclusion of, and clinical engagement with, political material within the therapy session. Participants in this study were therapists who had at least five years’ post-qualification experience. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) approach to reflexive thematic analysis, situated within a critical paradigm. From this, three themes were constructed: (1) “holding the tension: the politically engaged therapist within a disengaged profession”; (2) “clients are impacted by the wider political context”; and (3) “the complexity of working with the political in a relational way”. Running through all the themes was an emphasis on the importance of the sociopolitical context to therapeutic work, engagement with political material developing within a strong therapeutic relationship, and the lack of adequate training on clinical engagement with political material. Using a qualitative approach, this study presented a broad perspective on psychotherapists’ views on the inclusion of, and clinical engagement with, political material within the therapy session and shed light on this under-researched aspect of clinical practice. This research argued that there is a need for the sociopolitical context to be included within core professional training and a need for therapists to: (a) increase their sociopolitical self-awareness; (b) develop their understanding of different contexts and the impact of these on their clients; (c) be mindful that sociopolitical power dynamics can be enacted within the therapeutic relationship. Building on the current study further research could explore: (a) views and practice of trainee therapists; (b) clients’ experience of engaging with the political; (c) potential differences between therapists’ and clients’ understandings of the political and its impact on the therapeutic process. The contextual situatedness of the research was discussed

Why Consultations? The public participation in water management and local spatial planning in two Polish cases

Despite many novelties in participation: participatory budgeting, citizens jury, deliberatice poll etc. the engagement of different stakeholders’ groups in the decision making processes concerning detailed planning issues (local spatial management plans, water management plans, the preservation management plans of the Natura 2000 sites) is usually based on the organization of open discussion meetings. The study looks at the social consultations regarding acceptance of local spatial management plans managed by Poznań City Hall and consultations concerning the preparation of water management plans managed by Regional Water Management Board in Poznań. The comparative analysis served to exhibit similarities and differences between the processes in terms of legal conditions, the organization of meetings, the length and the scale of the process and the actors engaged

Business strategies for SMEs and larger companies

The aim of the article is to present changes with regard to strategy formulationas noted in recent years. As late as in the 1970s, it seemed that a good plan and strategy were a question of knowledge, manager motivation, and the professional support of consultants. Nowadays, when the environment has become turbulent and unpredictable, the traditional understanding of a strategy is no longer valid. Recently, changes have becomeinstantaneous, competitionfiercer, fuelled by large international corporations conquering new markets, diminishing barriers in international trade, and technological developments. On the basis of literature research relating to the current trends in developing strategies a business model is proposed as an alternative to currently employed strategies. In the last part of the article subject of creativity and innovation in strategy construction is raised. The main conclusion of research comes down to the statement that dynamics and the turbulence of the organization’s environment trigger the outdating of certain strategies. The companies which fail to note the significant changes in their environment and the resultant threats and opportunities, may be targeted by their more agile competitor

Reimbursement of metformin for polycystic ovary syndrome

Ostatnia lista leków refundowanych uwzględnia po raz pierwszy metforminę w terapii choroby wielotorbielowatych jajników ( PCOS),co jest niezwykle istotne dla lekarzy praktyków. W artykule skrótowo podsumowano stan wiedzy na temat PCOS. Jednak głównym jegoprzesłaniem było przypomnienie efektywności terapii metforminą u kobiet z PCOS w kontroli glikemii, zwiększeniu wrażliwości tkanek nainsulinę, wpływie na czynność śródbłonka, proces zapalny w naczyniach, profil lipidowy oraz inne czynniki ryzyka miażdżycy, co świadczyo jej działaniu kardioprotekcyjnym. Ponadto omówiono efekt kliniczny odnośnie hiperandrogenizmu, zaburzeń cyklu miesiączkowegooraz indukcji owulacji. Podsumowaniem artykułu jest zaprezentowanie schematu postępowania diagnostyczno-terapeutycznego PCOS.(Endokrynol Pol 2013; 64 (5): 409–414)The latest list of reimbursed medicines includes, as a new addition, metformin for the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS),which is extremely important for practicing physicians. While this paper briefly summarises the current state of knowledge on PCOS,its main aim is to remind the reader about the effectiveness of metformin in women with PCOS in controlling glycaemia, increasingtissue sensitivity to insulin and affecting endothelial function, vascular inflammation, lipid profile and other risk factors of atherosclerosis,which suggests its cardioprotective effects. The paper also discusses the clinical effect of metformin relative to hyperandrogenism,menstrual cycle disorders and ovulation induction. The paper concludes with an algorithm for the diagnosis and management of PCOS.(Endokrynol Pol 2013; 64 (5): 409–414

Interview with Dianna Milewicz

An oral interview with Dianna Milewicz, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Vice Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston and Director of the M.D./Ph.D. Program and co-Director of the Biomedical Engineering Center. Her research interests include the genetic basis of cardiovascular diseases, and understanding the effect of identified mutations on protein function. She has recently established a genetic core laboratory to provide molecular biology and genetic expertise to clinicians who want to initiate genetic studies on their patient populations

Are endocannabinoid type 1 receptor gene (CNR1) polymorphisms associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal Polish women?

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether genetic variation at the cannabinoid receptor-1 (CNR1) locus could have an effect on adiposity, fat distribution and obesity-related metabolic disorders in Polish postmenopausal women.Design and Subjects: The A3813G, G1422A and A4895G single nucleotide polymorphisms of CNR1 were genotyped in 348 randomly selected postmenopausal women aged 50-60 years recruited from the Wroclaw city population. Measurements: CNR1 genotypes, anthropometric measures (BMI, WC, body fat distribution by DEXA) and metabolic parameters (glucose, lipid profile, insulin FIRI) were determined.Results: The 3813G allele was not significantly associated with higher body mass, BMI, WC, total fat, or fat percentage, but was associated with higher android fat deposit (2971.78 ± 1655.08 ± 2472.64 ± 1300.53, p = 0.007) and percentage of android fat (37.59 ± 8.45 vs. 35.66 ± 7.63, p = 0.062). The 1422A allele was associated with higher total fat (31587.72 ± 9161.28 g vs. 26078.26 ± 7552.14 g, p = 0.019), fat percentage (40.51 ± 5.66% vs. 37.51 ± 4.99%, p = 0.052), and percentage of android fat (40.86 ± 9.73% vs. 36.09 ± 7.70%, p = 0.047). No associations were observed for the A4895G variant.Conclusions: There is an association of variants of CNR1 with obesity-related phenotypes in Polish postmenopausal women. As CB1 is a drug target for obesity, pharmacogenetic receptor gene analysis of obesity treatment by endocannabinoid blockade may be of interest to identify the best responders

e-Participation: application of a web survey as a participatory tool

Rozwój technologii informatycznych w ciągu ostatnich 25 lat zmienił kontekst i praktykę partycypacji. Pojawiło się pojęcie „e-partycypacja”, które oznacza interakcję między sferą społeczeństwa obywatelskiego a formalną sferą polityki i administracji za pośrednictwem technologii informatycznych. W artykule przedstawiono funkcje e-partycypacji, stosowane narzędzia, a także krytykę tego sposobu angażowania obywateli. Następnie naszkicowano sytuację e-partycypacji w Polsce oraz szczegółowy przypadek sondażu internetowego w Poznaniu, który wykorzystywany jest jako narzędzie konsultacyjne. Na koniec przedstawiono wnioski oparte na analizie stosowania sondażu internetowego jako narzędzia e-partycypacji. Sondaże przeprowadzone w Poznaniu mogą zostać zaliczone do sondaży nieprobabilistycznych, a konkretnie – do sondaży opierających się na dobrowolnym uczestnictwie każdego, kto się zgłosi. Sondaże internetowe spełniały głównie funkcję aktywizacyjną. Pomagają one zatem w emancypacji wykluczonych grup społecznych („dają głos” mieszkańcom) oraz zapewniają lepszą legitymizację decyzji. W mniejszym stopniu przyczyniają się do poprawy jakości podejmowanych decyzji i poprawy działania administracji. Realizowanie tych dwóch ostatnich funkcji wymagałoby większej dbałości o probabilistyczny charakter prób.The development of information and communication technologies over the last 25 years has changed the context and practice of participation. There emerged the concept of e-participation, meaning the interaction between the sphere of civil society and the formal sphere of politics and administration, through information technology. The paper presents the functions of e-participation, the tools used and the criticism raised at this method of engaging citizens. Further, e-participation practice in Poland is introduced with a detailed case of web surveys in Poznań which are used as a consultation tool. Finally, the conclusions are offered, based on an analysis of the useof web surveys as a tool of e-participation. The surveys carried out in Poznań can be classified as based on non-probabilistic sampling. They rely on the voluntary participation of respondents who come forward. Internet surveys meet the mostly activation. Thus, they empowered marginalized social groups (‘give voice’ to inhabitants) gave greater legitimacy to decisions. To a lesser extent, this tool contributed to improving the quality of decision making and to an improvement in the workings of the administration. The implementation of the latter two functions would require greater attention to the probabilistic characteristic of the sampling

How remote work can foster a more inclusive environment for transgender developers

In this position paper, we claim that remote work offers a mechanism of control for identity disclosure and empowerment of software developers from marginalized communities. By talking to several transgender software developers we identified three themes that resonate across the trans experience and intersect with the advantages to working in software development remotely: identity disclosure, high-impact technical work and the autonomy to disengage and re-engage. Based on these themes we identify several open questions that the research community should address.</p