UK (University of South Wales) Winners – Postgraduate Researchers Presentation Day 2020
Our Annual Postgraduate Researchers Presentation Day showcases inspiring and innovative research from across our postgraduate research community. The event provides postgraduate researchers with valuable experience in communicating and disseminating their research. It also allows for some thought-provoking questions and useful feedback from the academic community, and potential links and collaborations to be formed.
Here are this year’s winners
Imogen Harries, Best Three Minute Thesis (3MT®)
This Three-Minute-Thesis (seen here at 06.30 minutes in) shows the current, on-going research for my PhD: My Supervisor is my Lighthouse – Best Practice in Supervising Experienced Secondary School-Based Counsellors. There is evidence that mental health difficulties amongst young people are increasing (Pirchforth et al, 2019). The government is supporting growth in the area of school-based counselling (Children’s Commissioner, 2020) and it is becoming ever more wide spread in UK schools (Cooper 2013). The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy‘s Ethical Framework (2018) states that regular supervision is essential for counsellors to work effectively, safely and ethically as possible however there is currently no in depth published research in the area of the supervisory requirements and best practice of experienced secondary school- based counsellors.
This PhD study aims to investigate the supervisory best practice and needs of experienced counsellors working in secondary schools. Experienced school based counsellors with two years’ minimum experience in secondary schools and supervisors are participating in semi structured interviews. Grounded Theory (Strauss & Corbin, 1990) and Situational Analysis (Clarke, 2005) methods are being used to analyse interview transcripts.
Findings so far: Best Practice indicates that supervisors need to know their territory; the working context (the school system and how it impacts on therapeutic work), the client age group (how to work therapeutically with them, and in particular the issues of risk and safeguarding) and the counsellor (having a strong supervisory relationship). As well as shedding light on a much needed area of clinical supervision, the research will promote the needs of the school counsellor, in the U.K., and add to a much needed area of knowledge within the area of supervising counsellors in organisations particularly in the area of secondary schools.