Date of Award
2018
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Clinical Psychology, PhD
School
CAS
Faculty Advisor
Matthew Jerram
Abstract
Reflective practice (RP) is an essential element of all professional work, including psychotherapy. However, RP can also cause feelings of anxiety and discomfort that may be barriers to engaging in RP. This research aimed to 1) describe the relationship between between RP and experiential avoidance in a sample of independent licensed and experiential psychotherapists, 2) explore among psychotherapists the previous finding among physicians that greater years of practice (YOP) and age predict lower levels of RP (Mamede & Schmidt, 2005), and 3) describe reported barriers to and supports of engaging in RP. An online survey was used to collect data and 54 participants were included in analyses. The sample was divided into low and high RP groups using a median split and group differences were analyzed. Results indicated a significant difference in the Repression and Denial subscale of the Multidimensional Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire between groups. When only institution-based participants were examined, the Distress Aversion (MEAQDA) mean score was also significantly different. In this sample, RP was positively and significantly correlated with both age and years of practice. Participants identified a range of barriers to engaging in RP as well as variables that support RP. These results suggest directions for future research and practice recommendations that could increase engagement in RP.
Creative Commons License
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Recommended Citation
Thomas, Alison R., "Characterizing Reflective Practice in Psychotherapists' Practice and its Relationship with Experiential Avoidance" (2018). Psychology Department Dissertations. 15.
https://dc.suffolk.edu/gradwork_psychology/15