Integrating the voices of ordinary peopel in the understanding of well-being

The aim of this communication in the II Scientific Meeting in Psychology is to present some of the research, that is being done at the University of Évora, around the construct of Well-being, and to discuss the importance of integrating the voices of ordinary people in the understanding of Well-being. We will invite and argue for qualitative research that includes and facilitates our research participants’ thoughtful contributions about Well-being, in a rigorous and system- atic way. We will also briefly discuss some findings of a previous study, about former psychotherapy patients perspectives about Well-being, to empirically illustrate our thoughts.FC

O (Meta)Modelos de Complementaridade Paradigmática (MCP)

O (Meta) Modelo de Complementaridade Paradigmática (MCP) constitui uma ferramenta destinada a auxiliar os terapeutas a entenderem as situações clínicas de uma forma integrativa, compreensiva e multifacetada, com o objetivo de otimizarem a compreensão dos casos clínicos, melhorando a capacidade de tomada de decisões clínicas e, consequentemente, a sua responsividade face aos pacientes

Experiential Group Processes in Graduate Training of Psychologists: the case of “Expressive Therapies” and “Group Psychotherapies” at the University of Évora

The training of Psychologists tries to promote the psychological understanding of the human functioning, the development of evaluation, analysis and intervention competences and, at the same time, to provide for the development of personal and interpersonal competences, crucial for the professional praxis. Our question is how to promote in the academic context this personal and interpersonal development of the students in order to achieve the necessary competences they need to the work in this area. In this paper we will reflect on the authors’ experience of teaching two curricular units of the 2nd Cycle level of Psychology Course and on a qualitative study designed to deepen the understanding of how the experiential component of these courses is experienced by students. Our paper will report on the specificities of students versus teachers’ perceptions of the experiential activities and the development of personal and interpersonal competences. Furthermore links between the type of perceptions and the nature of the methods used in each curricular unit will be discussed.

Experiential Group Processes in Graduate Training of Psychologists: the case of “Expressive Therapies” and “Group Psychotherapies” at the University of Évora

The training of Psychologists tries to promote the psychological understanding of the human functioning, the development of evaluation, analysis and intervention competences and, at the same time, to provide for the development of personal and interpersonal competences, crucial for the professional praxis. Our question is how to promote in the academic context this personal and interpersonal development of the students in order to achieve the necessary competences they need to the work in this area. In this paper we will reflect on the authors’ experience of teaching two curricular units of the 2nd Cycle level of Psychology Course and on a qualitative study designed to deepen the understanding of how the experiential component of these courses is experienced by students. Our paper will report on the specificities of students versus teachers’ perceptions of the experiential activities and the development of personal and interpersonal competences. Furthermore links between the type of perceptions and the nature of the methods used in each curricular unit will be discussed.

Bem-estar, regulação de necessidades psicológicas e processo psicoterapêutico : integrando a perspetiva dos pacientes

Tese de doutoramento, Psicologia (Psicologia Clínica), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Psicologia, 2016O presente estudo insere-se no domínio da Psicologia Clínica, mais especificamente, no domínio da Psicoterapia, particularmente no que diz respeito à relação entre a Psicoterapia e o Bem‑Estar. Pretende-se explorar e compreender como é que, na perspetiva de ex-pacientes, o processo psicoterapêutico pode contribuir para o Bem- ‑Estar e para identificar dimensões do Bem‑Estar que são relevantes para descrever as suas experiências de psicoterapia. Parte-se do pressuposto da centralidade das pessoas que fizeram processos psicoterapêuticos como informantes privilegiados acerca das suas experiências de psicoterapia bem como do que sentem e identificam como Bem‑Estar. Partindo de uma perspectiva qualitativa e usando a Grounded Theory, analisaram-se os contributos de 16 ex-pacientes de psicoterapia (com perspetivas teóricas diversas), contributos estes recolhidos através de entrevistas semiestruturadas e de posteriores feedbacks. A amostra foi recolhida entre ex-pacientes de psicoterapia, realizada em contexto de prática privada. Os resultados revelam que os participantes no estudo refletem sobre o contributo positivo do processo psicoterapêutico na construção do seu Bem‑Estar de modo reflexivo e crítico mostrando como este processo é simultaneamente uma experiência exigente e difícil e um processo profundamente transformador que não termina com o fim da psicoterapia. Na experiência de Bem‑Estar, os participantes valorizam a importância da paz e serenidade, da felicidade, da liberdade e da abertura, o ter relações significativas com os outros e o sentir-se centrado no presente, retirando prazer no seu dia a dia. Ao refletirem sobre o modo como a psicoterapia aumentou o Bem‑Estar, os participantes referem que tal aconteceu porque a psicoterapia promoveu um conjunto de melhorias sintomáticas mas também e mais aprofundadamente um conjunto de melhorias na relação com outras pessoas e na relação consigo próprios. Em relação às melhorias na relação consigo próprios, as experiências de aceitação, compreensão e atribuição de sentido, de desenvolvimento de si próprios, da sua confiança em si, no seu valor e nas suas competências para lidarem consigo mesmos, são experienciadas como centrais. O modo como a relação psicoterapêutica, bem como as contribuições ativas dos terapeutas e as suas próprias contribuições no processo terapêutico interagem são aprofundadas na reflexão dos participantes. São sublinhadas por um lado, a importância de a atividade e diretividade do terapeuta não colocar em causa a liderança do paciente do processo e por outro a consciência reflexiva dos participantes da importância da qualidade da sua participação. Todos estes aspetos reafirmam a importância de se conhecer a perspectiva dos ex-pacientes e de considerar a sua reflexividade na compreensão do Bem-Estar e da prática clínica.This study in the field of clinical psychology, more specifically in psychotherapy, deals with the relationship between psychotherapy and well-being. The aim of the research is to explore and understand how, from the perspective of former patients, the psychotherapeutic process has contributed to their well-being, as well as to identify significant dimensions of well-being that characterize the experience of psychotherapy. The study also intends to link the aspects identified with the proposals of the Paradigmatic Complementarity Model. This study sees patients as privileged informers regarding their own psychotherapy experience as well as how they experience and identify well-being. Using the qualitative methodology of Grounded Theory, we analyzed the contributions of 16 former patients of different psychotherapists from different psychotherapeutic schools. These accounts were collected through semi-structured interviews and subsequent feedback. The sample was selected from former patients of a private psychotherapy practice. The results showed that these participants reflected on the positive contribution of the psychotherapeutic process in enhancing their well-being in a mindful and critical way. The findings show that the therapeutic process is both a difficult experience and a profoundly transformative process that does not finish with the end of the therapy. In their experience of well-being, participants described valuing the importance of: peace and serenity; happiness; freedom and openness; significant relations with others; and being centered on the present time and experiencing some pleasure in their daily life. Participants maintained that the psychotherapy had increased their well-being, not only due to improvement in symptoms but, more significantly and at a deeper level, they talked about how it led to improvements both in their relationship with themselves and with others. Central aspects of the improvements in participants’ relationships with themselves include: the sense of acceptance, understanding and meaning making, in their self-development, and self-competency in dealing with themselves. The interaction between the therapists’ active involvement and the patients’ own contributions to the process, were subject to deep reflection by the participants. What the participants highlighted were, on one hand, the importance of the therapists’ activity and directivity without compromising the patients’ leadership in the process and, on another hand, the patients’ reflexive consciousness about the importance of the quality of their participation. All these aspects reaffirm the significance of knowing and understanding the participants’ perspectives and of taking their reflexivity regarding well-being into consideration in the search for a better understanding of well-being and clinical practice

Bem-estar e psicoterapia: Terapeutas, clientes e processo terapêutico

Estando fundamentada a importância determinante das variáveis psicológicas nas capacidades das pessoas para gerir e construir o seu próprio Bem-Estar Subjectivo (e.g. Diener, Oishi & Lucas, 2003; Galinha, 2008) e considerando que o objectivo da psicoterapia não é apenas intervir no mal-estar e na perturbação mas também promover a capacidade de estabelecer, manter, monitorizar e reconstruir o sentimento de Bem-Estar Subjectivo (Vasco, 2009), o objectivo central deste Simpósio é o de apresentar reflexões e investigação que cruzam a ideia de Bem-Estar com a Psicoterapia, articulando Bem-Estar do cliente, Bem-Estar do terapeuta e processo terapêutico. O simpósio é composto por três apresentações, duas teóricas e uma empírica. Na primeira apresentação teórica reflecte-se sobre o lugar da psicoterapia na construção do Bem-Estar psicológico, na medida em que permite sair da repetição para a inovação, retomando o desenvolvimento onde ele ficou suspenso. Mas se o desejo é a mudança para alcançar um maior bem-estar, também é verdade que os pacientes pareçam ser especialistas em não mudar (Badaracco, 1992). Daí a importância de se reflectir sobre a resistência à mudança e da necessidade de tolerância a dor mental que a mudança psíquica implica. Na apresentação empírica, partindo da perspectiva que as dimensões pessoais do terapeuta (nomeadamente o bem-estar) e as características específicas da prática terapêutica exercem os seus efeitos de forma mútua e interactiva, exploramos os resultados de um estudo conduzido com terapeutas no qual se associou uma medida subjectiva de bem-estar dos psicoterapeutas aos significados construídos por estes para o seu papel e experiências profissionais. Na segunda apresentação teórica, perspectiva-se o Bem-Estar como resultante da capacidade de regulação das necessidades psicológicas básicas. Apresenta-se uma breve revisão do modo como as necessidades psicológicas básicas têm sido definidas e especificadas em diversos modelos psicológicos e psicoterapêuticos e reflecte-se sobre os processos psicológicos que podem estar envolvidos na capacidade do cliente regular, ou não, as suas necessidades psicológicas básicas e assim, o seu próprio Bem-Estar

Psychology in Education and Health- Proceedings of the II Leipzig-Évora Scientific Meeting in Psychology

This ebook contains several papers on the application applied psychology in education, health and well-being, personality,family interactions and emotional and epistemological development.The aim of this volume is to inform the scientific community on the research on Psychology mainly made at Évora and Leipzig Universities, but also in other contexts like Mexico or Brazil.FC

Ouvindo as crianças sobre o bem-estar

This paper discusses epistemological, ethical and methodological issues about the study of children’s well-being listening to the children themselves in a specific collaborative project between some researchers at the University of Évora, Hospital of Santarém and Évora’s Child Activity Centre (CAI), an early childhood education centre. The research aim was to explore and develop the concept of children’s well-being. The centrality of children as research participants was fundamental to our methodological approach. Using a qualitative perspective and qualitative methods we explored children understandings about well-being, of how and when it is experienced by them. We discuss some of the challenges and implications driven from the reflection on the research process in terms of the epistemological, ethical and methodological questions that were raised and how they were addressed in a study that took place in the Child Activity Centre

Termination in Psychotherapy: Contributions of an Integrative Metamodel

In this article, we discuss the process of terminating psychotherapy based on an integrative perspective—the paradigmatic complementarity metamodel (PCM). One of the research fronts in PCM is the temporal sequence of phases structuring strategic objectives. The temporal sequencing of the therapeutic work in terms of phases, stages, or steps is believed to be a general principle of change among different theoretical orientations, both of an integrative and nonintegrative nature (Vasco, 2006; Vasco et al., 2018). According to the PCM, the therapeutic process unfolds as the client and therapist progress along 7 phases regarding the implementation of strategic objectives. In this article, we address termination and its implications at different phases of therapy considering the PCM. Some vignettes are used as illustrations

Psychology in Education and Health - Proceedings of the III Leipzig-Evora Scientific Meeting in Psychology

The ebook contains several papers on the application of Psychology in the fields of education, Public health, Psychological disorders, Neuropsychological Rehabilitation child development, and social issues. The main areas of research and application in modern Psychology are here represented, like . Psychological disorders – New developments in intervention and assessment . Neuropsychological rehabilitation . Lifelong challenges in family and community . Early intervention in Portuguese speaking countries . Academic achievement and wellbeing . Challenging heterosexism and gender role culture in educational environments. The aim of this volume is to inform other scientists on the current developments of research on Psychology in the universities of Evora and Leipzig and the developments of research on such topics in different countries (Portugal, Germany, Brazil, Mozambique & S. Tomé Príncipe).FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologi