The Experience of being a Qualified Female BME Clinical Psychologist in a National Health Service: An Interpretative Phenomenological and Repertory Grid Analysis

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Constructivist Psychology on 7 April 2017, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10720537.2017.1304301. The Accepted Manuscript is under embargo. Embargo end date: 7 April 2018.This study explores the lived experience of black and minority ethnic (BME) clinical psychologists employed in the U.K. National Health Service (NHS). A mixed method qualitative approach was employed using repertory grids and interpretative phenomenological analysis. Six female BME clinical psychologists took part. Four master themes emerged from the analysis, including standing out as different, negotiating cultural and professional values, sitting with uncertainty, and feeling proud to be a clinical psychologist. The repertory grid analysis supported these findings and enriched the study. Implications of the study are discussed—namely, the importance of the profession increasing the cultural competency and sensitivity of its members as well as becoming more diverse.Peer reviewe

Developing best practice in Psychologically Informed Environments

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of the following article: C. Westaway, Lizette Nolte, and Rachel Brown, ‘Developing best practice in psychologically informed environments’ Housing, Care and Support, Vol. 20 (1): 19-28, March 2017. The Version of Record is available online at DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/HCS-11-2016-0016Purpose The purpose of this paper is to extend our understanding of the issues facing those who experience multiple moves around homelessness projects. It considers these issues and how they relate to best practice, informing the delivery of Psychologically Informed Environments. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative design was employed, with interviews undertaken with men currently residing in hostels for those with additional needs. These men had already experienced multiple moves within the hostel system. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyse the data. Findings Main themes consider issues and challenges associated with hope and moving forward; help and the conditional or temporal nature of this; identity and stigma; and intimacy and relationships. Clinical implications of these findings are discussed. Research limitations or implications Implications include best practice for future planning with service users, the relational nature of hope, how best to manage endings and practical guidance for service developments in these settings. Originality These findings further our understanding of the challenges faced by service users with complex needs and how best to address them. They build on PIE guidance, offering tangible advice for practice.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Weathering a violent storm together – Witnessing and co-constructing meaning in collaborative engagement with those experiencing psychosis-related challenges

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of the following article: Lizette Nolte, ‘Weathering a violent storm together – Witnessing and co-constructing meaning in collaborative engagement with those experiencing psychosis-related challenges’. The final, definitive version of this paper has been published in Arts & Humanities in Higher Education, Vol. 17 (1), February 2018, published by SAGE Publishing, All rights reserved.The experience of psychosis can sweep into a life like a violent storm. In this paper, I first attempt to fully imagine the experience of such a storm by drawing on first person accounts and then consider the clinical encounter between mental health practitioners and those who find themselves amidst this storm. I reflect on ways we can better support meaning-making of, and purposefully living with, these potentially intensely distressing and disturbing experiences. Drawing on narrative and collaborative practices, I consider grounding the embodied experiences related to psychosis, honouring the stories of severe and enduring mental health problems and the life experiences that lead to them, accompanying people in their meaning-making of these experiences and joining in the fight against stigma. In particular, the importance of walking alongside those in the throes of the storm and bearing witness to their suffering is highlighted. Finally, the implications for the training of mental health professionals are considered.Peer reviewe

(Dis)gracefully navigating the challenges of diversity learning and teaching – reflections on the Social Graces as a diversity training tool

Lizette Nolte, ‘(Dis)gracefully navigating the challenges of diversity learning and teaching – reflections on the Social Graces as a diversity training tool’, Context, Issue 151, June 2017.The Social Graces framework is 25 years old. In this paper we consider the Social Graces as a teaching tool. Roper-Hall, Burnham and their colleagues have created a recognisable and exible tool and have guided us toward using this tool with creativity and courage. However, in order for us to, in John’s words (1992, p. 27) “all become graceful” in thinking about and working with difference when we are with our clients, maybe we first need a context where we can engage with the social graces somewhat more un/dis-gracefully; where there is room for struggle and where things can get messy. Maybe the training space is the best place for this to happen, a space where we are freer to be “clumsy rather than clever” (Burnham & Harris, 2002, p. 25), get it wrong, and be curious primarily for our own benefit. I have argued that in our diversity teaching we need actively to attend to what ‘comes before’ in relation to creating a context where good diversity-learning can take place (Mills-Powell & Worthington, 2007); that is, to the values that underpin the graces. three ‘Ps’, namely politics, personal connection and participation, can help foster a culture where these values can be brought to the foreground. When acting from within these values, the social graces provide a valuable framework for our diversity adventure.Non peer reviewe

Continuing bonds with the living : bereaved parents’ narratives of their emotional relationship with their children

© 2017 Cruse Bereavement Care.The death of a child can be seen as one of the most devastating experiences for parents which can result in a unique and enduring grief. Parents with surviving children face the task of navigating their own grief while continuing to parent. This narrative inquiry explores bereaved parents’ stories of their emotional relationship with their surviving children. Parents told stories of emotional connection and disconnection with surviving children, influenced by the competing and potentially incompatible tasks of ‘parenting’ and ‘grieving’. The need for a relational focus to bereavement research and practice is highlighted. The findings demonstrate the need for clinicians to provide i) parents an opportunity to explore their sometimes contradicting and troubling experiences of grief and parenting and ii) children with support to make sense of their experiences in relation to the parent-child relationship.Peer reviewe

The battle of living with obsessive compulsive disorder : a qualitative study of young people's experiences

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Carly Keyes, Lizette Nolte, and Timothy I. Williams, 'The battle of living with obsessive compulsive disorder: a qualitative study of young people's experiences', Child and Adolescent Mental Health, April 2017, which has been published in final form at DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.12216. The Accepted Manuscript is under embargo until 4 April 2018. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving. © 2017 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.Background: There has been an abundance of studies that have employed quantitative methods to research obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and its neurobiology and neurochemistry. However, there appears to be a paucity of research investigating how OCD is experienced by those living with the diagnosis, particularly young people. Method: A qualitative cross-sectional semistructured interview design was used to address this lack of research. Ten young people, aged 14–17 years old, with a diagnosis of OCD were recruited from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in the United Kingdom. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Results: Four themes were identified: ‘Traumatic and stressful life events’, ‘Responses to signs of OCD’, ‘The battle of living with OCD’ and ‘Ambivalent relationship to help’. Young people reported experiencing stressful or traumatic life events prior to obsessive and compulsive behaviour. OCD behaviours were misunderstood by the young people and others, leading to delays in finding help. A sense of shame among the young people led them to keep their OCD secret due to feeling ‘crazy’. The all-encompassing nature of OCD led the young people to withdraw socially. Most of the young people experienced an inner conflict between fighting and giving in to the compulsions. Conclusions: Traumatic experiences may be an important factor in the development of OCD for young people, which might indicate a direction for prevention. The sense of shame and stigma needs addressing if young people are to access help earlier. Education of the public, medical professionals and educators should be a priority.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Diversity learning through story and connection: ZHE:[noun] undefined

This is a pre-print of an article published in Clinical Psychology Forum. The definitive publisher-authenticated version for Nolte, L. & Kramo, K. (2016) Diversity learning through story and connection: ZHE:[noun] undefined, Clinical Psychology Forum, 283: 20-24 can be found here: http://shop.bps.org.uk/publications/publication-by-series/clinical-psychology-forum/clinical-psychology-forum-no-283-july-2016.htmlThis paper reports on a diversity theatre workshop at University of Hertfordshire Doctorate in Clinical Psychology Programme as an example of enabling, rigorous and adventurous diversity learning.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Talking to parents about talking to their children about parental mental distress

Non peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

“My children are my world” : Raising the voices of birth mothers with substantial experience of counselling following the loss of their children to adoption or foster care

There is very little published literature on ‘what works’ in terms of support for birth mothers following the loss of their children to compulsory adoption or foster care. The aim of this article is to raise the voices of a group of birth mothers, a historically stigmatised, powerless and neglected group, with substantial experience of counselling following the loss of a child. A user of services and expert by experience was recruited to join the research team and was consulted at all stages of the research process. Five birth mothers were interviewed regarding their experiences of involvement with a counselling service for birth relatives post-child removal. These interviews were systematically analysed using an IPA methodology through the lens of the research question: What are the experiences of birth mothers who engage in person-centred counselling following the loss of a child or children to compulsory adoption or foster care? Three master themes were constructed from the data: ‘From feeling alone, judged and let down … to feeling part of a special relationship’, ‘The healing process’ and ‘My children are my world’. The clinical invitations extended by these findings are discussed.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Building relational trust and hope: The experiences of counsellors in a service for birth relatives whose children have been adopted or taken into care

© The Author(s) 2023. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, to view a copy of the license, see: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/The profound and lasting impact of losing a child to adoption or foster care has been powerfully described, and the importance of offering therapeutic support to birth relatives is a requirement in most parts of the UK. However, little is known about effective counselling for this group. In this article, we report on the experiences of four counsellors and a project worker who offer counselling to birth relatives whose children have been removed following care proceedings. We present their reflections under four themes, namely: ‘It’s all about the person, it’s all about the relationship’; ‘Meeting clients where they are’; ‘Having a sense of achievement’; and ‘This work can really get into you’. These accounts offer valuable reflections for others offering counselling to birth relatives and their supervisors, as well as those who commission and design these services.Peer reviewe