Greg Nolan | University of Leeds (original) (raw)

Papers by Greg Nolan

At times there is reluctance, even a taboo, to talk about how race, culture, religion and spiritu... more At times there is reluctance, even a taboo, to talk about how race, culture, religion and spirituality affect us. Yet the whole point of 'talking therapies' is to invite people to express and reflect on experiences that are important to them. This edited collection brings together contributions from leading practitioners and researchers to address how therapy can engage with these issues. Although matters of race and culture are often kept separate from those concerning religion and spirituality, these chapters find the disassociation to be artificial. The book is a response to the need for practitioners to further their understanding and skills base in developing ways of appropriately responding to the interconnectivity of these evolving issues. As such this book will be an invaluable resource for practitioners and researchers of counselling and psychotherapy.

European Journal of Psychotherapy & Counselling, 2016

The paper draws on recent research and the first author's personal story to show what happens whe... more The paper draws on recent research and the first author's personal story to show what happens when the language difference between therapist and client is brought to mutual awareness in the therapy room. Individual lived experiences of migrant psychotherapists and counsellors and the issues that arise in therapy practice when the practitioners use their second language as the means of communication with clients are explored. The notion of a third language-a dynamic communication system that is a result of developing a professional identity through a second language-is introduced. Unlike the psychoanalytic third, it is often conscious and may be used either defensively or purposefully as a concrete third point of reference in the intersubjective encounter. The paper explores how the concept of a 'Third Language' can be used as a tool to negotiate perceived sameness or difference in therapeutic encounters and to build a common language with a client, both literally and metaphorically. The study featured in the paper has implications for practice, theory and research.

British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 2013

ABSTRACT An evolving relational dynamic approach to psychotherapy and counselling education is de... more ABSTRACT An evolving relational dynamic approach to psychotherapy and counselling education is described. Key themes integrated within the approach are the learning community and transformational relationships. Learning is a reciprocal change process involving students, teachers, supervisors and therapists in overlapping learning communities. Drawing on evidence that effective outcomes in therapy correlate with effective aspects of the therapeutic relationship, the relational dynamic approach emphasises the ...

This chapter is structured to explore aspects of what it can mean for a student to study and trai... more This chapter is structured to explore aspects of what it can mean for a student to study and train as an individual therapist. Core elements of academic study, personal development, professional practice, clinical supervision and personal therapy can be largely similar, but there will be differences of focus in theoretical approach, organisational provision and structure (part-time regular weekly meetings; blocks of days; full-time etc.) and continuing changes are likely in costs and funding. Additionally, in recent years, there has been a significant shift towards professional training at degree level, whether at first degree or postgraduate levels. This emphasis on academic training highlights the impact of research findings, some of which will have been initiated through current masters and doctoral training programmes, and their potential for influencing evolving practice.

Extending Horizons in Helping and Caring Therapies: Beyond the Liminal in the Healing Encounter, 2020

1St Ed Palgrave 2015, 2015

British Journal of Guidance & Counselling

Counselling and Psychotherapy Research

Background: in contrast to dominant approaches to therapy research that look at outcomes and focu... more Background: in contrast to dominant approaches to therapy research that look at outcomes and focus on large samples, another primary strand of research considers microphenomenal processes and focuses on small samples. This paper contributes to the latter genre in regard to the implicit impact of language. Aim: this paper aims to apply relational psychotherapeutic thinking about empathic dialogue, specifically the concepts of reflective-verbal language and reverie, to qualitative interviewing. Methodology: an example from a small-scale study about emotionally-evocative language is reviewed in detail, focusing on the interviewer"s phenomenological experience of her conversation with a participant in a qualitative interview. Findings: the authors argue that the interviewer"s reflexive awareness of her reveries and the reflective-verbal nature of the research dialogue, gave her an alternative perspective on the participant"s (and her own) experience. Implications: the paper highlights the value within research and practice of maintaining awareness of language at a microphenomenal level, using techniques based on the principles of psychological therapy.

Therapy, Culture and Spirituality, 2015

British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 2016

Therapy, Culture and Spirituality, 2015

Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 2015

AbstractBackgroundThe researcher's reflexive use of self forms part of a well-established traditi... more AbstractBackgroundThe researcher's reflexive use of self forms part of a well-established tradition in counselling and psychotherapy research. This paper reviews that tradition briefly, with particular reference to an approach known as ‘practitioner-based research’ that has developed from it. In this approach, researcher-practitioners use their therapeutic skills and judgement and thereby enrich their understanding of research participants, themselves and their relationship.AimThe paper aims to contribute to the practitioner-based approach by showing how it can impact on data collection, using an example from a qualitative interview.MethodologyA moment of interaction between a participant and a therapy researcher in a qualitative interview is examined, framed within psychotherapeutic intersubjectivity theory. The researcher's reflexive awareness of micro-aspects of the relationship with the participant is reviewed, captured in their language and the split-second daydreams or reveries that arose as they interacted.FindingsThe authors argue that the approach enhanced this small-scale study by intensifying the researcher's engagement with the participant and enriching her understanding of their relationship and the subject under investigation.ImplicationsThe paper highlights the unique value and contribution that this approach offers to therapy research and practice.

Journal of Forensic Nursing, 2012

In this paper, we present a synthesis of two doctoral theses where links are made between the int... more In this paper, we present a synthesis of two doctoral theses where links are made between the intersubjective, relational dynamics seen in clinical supervision, and applied in practice to a framework for emotional labor in prison nurses. We explore the nature of intersubjectivity, from nursing and psychotherapeutic perspectives, and discuss the way in which it impacts on and influences relationships between nurses, prisoner patients, prison officers, and organizations within prison healthcare settings. The impact of this intersubjectivity is illustrated through the exploration of an intersubjective web that is created and informs interaction between the key actors within the prison nurse's practice, i.e., prison officers, prisoner patients, and the organization. We suggest that by being cognizant of the intersubjective web that influences these interactions, a more meaningful understanding of practice and relationships can be achieved. This deeper understanding can then be utilized to develop practitioners both professionally and personally. We conclude by promoting regular, formal clinical supervision as an ideal space within which to explore the way in which this intersubjective web influences relationships, impacts on emotional labor, and subsequently patient care and staff well being.

An evolving relational dynamic approach to psychotherapy and counselling education is described. ... more An evolving relational dynamic approach to psychotherapy and counselling education is described. Key themes integrated within the approach are the learning community and transformational relationships. Learning is a reciprocal change process involving students, teachers, supervisors and therapists in overlapping learning communities. Drawing on evidence that effective outcomes in therapy correlate to effective aspects of the therapeutic relationship, the relational dynamic approach emphasises the findings of attachment and intersubjectivity theorists. The intersubjective matrix of infant/caregiver and client/ therapist is mirrored and embodied in the relational ethos of training and actively engaged in group supervision. An emphasis on embodied relating is discussed, drawing on infancy studies and recent neuroscientific findings This paper describes an evolving approach to psychotherapy and counselling education that centrally involves recognition of the profoundly intersubjective nature of both therapy and training. This approach has developed over the last decade from a foundation in different notions of psychotherapy integration (see, for example, Clarkson, 2003; Evans & Gilbert, 2005). Our aim here is not to create a new model, but to present a 'state of the art' description of a dynamically evolving practice, the development and synthesis of which is an ongoing and mutually transformational experience for both tutors and students. This process is driven by a creative engagement with research, the reflexive exploration of personal experience as well as theory and practice, and an awareness of the cultural contexts which inform and circumscribe our reflection and professional practice. We begin by reviewing recent research findings relevant to counselling and psychotherapy training, and then describe a relational dynamic approach which addresses recommendations arising from this research. Much current research interest focuses on the outcomes of specific therapy models in relation to presenting problems. However, the available evidence consistently supports the 'dodo bird' verdict that 'everyone has won and all must have prizes' (Wampold, Mondin, Moody, Stich, Benson & Hyun-Nie, 1997). Simply stated, this finding implies that every model appears to have the potential for successful outcomes. What seems to make the difference between successful and less successful therapy outcomes is the quality of the

European Journal of Psychotherapy & Counselling, 2016

At times there is reluctance, even a taboo, to talk about how race, culture, religion and spiritu... more At times there is reluctance, even a taboo, to talk about how race, culture, religion and spirituality affect us. Yet the whole point of 'talking therapies' is to invite people to express and reflect on experiences that are important to them. This edited collection brings together contributions from leading practitioners and researchers to address how therapy can engage with these issues. Although matters of race and culture are often kept separate from those concerning religion and spirituality, these chapters find the disassociation to be artificial. The book is a response to the need for practitioners to further their understanding and skills base in developing ways of appropriately responding to the interconnectivity of these evolving issues. As such this book will be an invaluable resource for practitioners and researchers of counselling and psychotherapy.

European Journal of Psychotherapy & Counselling, 2016

The paper draws on recent research and the first author's personal story to show what happens whe... more The paper draws on recent research and the first author's personal story to show what happens when the language difference between therapist and client is brought to mutual awareness in the therapy room. Individual lived experiences of migrant psychotherapists and counsellors and the issues that arise in therapy practice when the practitioners use their second language as the means of communication with clients are explored. The notion of a third language-a dynamic communication system that is a result of developing a professional identity through a second language-is introduced. Unlike the psychoanalytic third, it is often conscious and may be used either defensively or purposefully as a concrete third point of reference in the intersubjective encounter. The paper explores how the concept of a 'Third Language' can be used as a tool to negotiate perceived sameness or difference in therapeutic encounters and to build a common language with a client, both literally and metaphorically. The study featured in the paper has implications for practice, theory and research.

British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 2013

ABSTRACT An evolving relational dynamic approach to psychotherapy and counselling education is de... more ABSTRACT An evolving relational dynamic approach to psychotherapy and counselling education is described. Key themes integrated within the approach are the learning community and transformational relationships. Learning is a reciprocal change process involving students, teachers, supervisors and therapists in overlapping learning communities. Drawing on evidence that effective outcomes in therapy correlate with effective aspects of the therapeutic relationship, the relational dynamic approach emphasises the ...

This chapter is structured to explore aspects of what it can mean for a student to study and trai... more This chapter is structured to explore aspects of what it can mean for a student to study and train as an individual therapist. Core elements of academic study, personal development, professional practice, clinical supervision and personal therapy can be largely similar, but there will be differences of focus in theoretical approach, organisational provision and structure (part-time regular weekly meetings; blocks of days; full-time etc.) and continuing changes are likely in costs and funding. Additionally, in recent years, there has been a significant shift towards professional training at degree level, whether at first degree or postgraduate levels. This emphasis on academic training highlights the impact of research findings, some of which will have been initiated through current masters and doctoral training programmes, and their potential for influencing evolving practice.

Extending Horizons in Helping and Caring Therapies: Beyond the Liminal in the Healing Encounter, 2020

1St Ed Palgrave 2015, 2015

British Journal of Guidance & Counselling

Counselling and Psychotherapy Research

Background: in contrast to dominant approaches to therapy research that look at outcomes and focu... more Background: in contrast to dominant approaches to therapy research that look at outcomes and focus on large samples, another primary strand of research considers microphenomenal processes and focuses on small samples. This paper contributes to the latter genre in regard to the implicit impact of language. Aim: this paper aims to apply relational psychotherapeutic thinking about empathic dialogue, specifically the concepts of reflective-verbal language and reverie, to qualitative interviewing. Methodology: an example from a small-scale study about emotionally-evocative language is reviewed in detail, focusing on the interviewer"s phenomenological experience of her conversation with a participant in a qualitative interview. Findings: the authors argue that the interviewer"s reflexive awareness of her reveries and the reflective-verbal nature of the research dialogue, gave her an alternative perspective on the participant"s (and her own) experience. Implications: the paper highlights the value within research and practice of maintaining awareness of language at a microphenomenal level, using techniques based on the principles of psychological therapy.

Therapy, Culture and Spirituality, 2015

British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 2016

Therapy, Culture and Spirituality, 2015

Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 2015

AbstractBackgroundThe researcher's reflexive use of self forms part of a well-established traditi... more AbstractBackgroundThe researcher's reflexive use of self forms part of a well-established tradition in counselling and psychotherapy research. This paper reviews that tradition briefly, with particular reference to an approach known as ‘practitioner-based research’ that has developed from it. In this approach, researcher-practitioners use their therapeutic skills and judgement and thereby enrich their understanding of research participants, themselves and their relationship.AimThe paper aims to contribute to the practitioner-based approach by showing how it can impact on data collection, using an example from a qualitative interview.MethodologyA moment of interaction between a participant and a therapy researcher in a qualitative interview is examined, framed within psychotherapeutic intersubjectivity theory. The researcher's reflexive awareness of micro-aspects of the relationship with the participant is reviewed, captured in their language and the split-second daydreams or reveries that arose as they interacted.FindingsThe authors argue that the approach enhanced this small-scale study by intensifying the researcher's engagement with the participant and enriching her understanding of their relationship and the subject under investigation.ImplicationsThe paper highlights the unique value and contribution that this approach offers to therapy research and practice.

Journal of Forensic Nursing, 2012

In this paper, we present a synthesis of two doctoral theses where links are made between the int... more In this paper, we present a synthesis of two doctoral theses where links are made between the intersubjective, relational dynamics seen in clinical supervision, and applied in practice to a framework for emotional labor in prison nurses. We explore the nature of intersubjectivity, from nursing and psychotherapeutic perspectives, and discuss the way in which it impacts on and influences relationships between nurses, prisoner patients, prison officers, and organizations within prison healthcare settings. The impact of this intersubjectivity is illustrated through the exploration of an intersubjective web that is created and informs interaction between the key actors within the prison nurse's practice, i.e., prison officers, prisoner patients, and the organization. We suggest that by being cognizant of the intersubjective web that influences these interactions, a more meaningful understanding of practice and relationships can be achieved. This deeper understanding can then be utilized to develop practitioners both professionally and personally. We conclude by promoting regular, formal clinical supervision as an ideal space within which to explore the way in which this intersubjective web influences relationships, impacts on emotional labor, and subsequently patient care and staff well being.

An evolving relational dynamic approach to psychotherapy and counselling education is described. ... more An evolving relational dynamic approach to psychotherapy and counselling education is described. Key themes integrated within the approach are the learning community and transformational relationships. Learning is a reciprocal change process involving students, teachers, supervisors and therapists in overlapping learning communities. Drawing on evidence that effective outcomes in therapy correlate to effective aspects of the therapeutic relationship, the relational dynamic approach emphasises the findings of attachment and intersubjectivity theorists. The intersubjective matrix of infant/caregiver and client/ therapist is mirrored and embodied in the relational ethos of training and actively engaged in group supervision. An emphasis on embodied relating is discussed, drawing on infancy studies and recent neuroscientific findings This paper describes an evolving approach to psychotherapy and counselling education that centrally involves recognition of the profoundly intersubjective nature of both therapy and training. This approach has developed over the last decade from a foundation in different notions of psychotherapy integration (see, for example, Clarkson, 2003; Evans & Gilbert, 2005). Our aim here is not to create a new model, but to present a 'state of the art' description of a dynamically evolving practice, the development and synthesis of which is an ongoing and mutually transformational experience for both tutors and students. This process is driven by a creative engagement with research, the reflexive exploration of personal experience as well as theory and practice, and an awareness of the cultural contexts which inform and circumscribe our reflection and professional practice. We begin by reviewing recent research findings relevant to counselling and psychotherapy training, and then describe a relational dynamic approach which addresses recommendations arising from this research. Much current research interest focuses on the outcomes of specific therapy models in relation to presenting problems. However, the available evidence consistently supports the 'dodo bird' verdict that 'everyone has won and all must have prizes' (Wampold, Mondin, Moody, Stich, Benson & Hyun-Nie, 1997). Simply stated, this finding implies that every model appears to have the potential for successful outcomes. What seems to make the difference between successful and less successful therapy outcomes is the quality of the

European Journal of Psychotherapy & Counselling, 2016