EMPOWERING ADOLESCENTS THROUGH SOLUTION-FOCUSED COUNSELLING: Tina L. Duff

181 Pages·2014·1.2 MB·English

EMPOWERING ADOLESCENTS THROUGH
SOLUTION-FOCUSED COUNSELLING:
The Experiences of New Zealand Adolescents

Tina L. Duff

Research Project submitted in partial fulfilment of the
requirements for the Degree of Master of Counselling
at the University of Canterbury
December 2013
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Abstract
Solution-focused therapy is a postmodern strength-based counselling intervention
which focuses on the discovery of client strengths, resources and abilities to empower
clients to bring about positive change in their lives. My research employed a pragmatic
case study (PCS) method to systematically study the self-efficacy experiences of four
New Zealand adolescents throughout the solution-focused process. Each client
participated in up to five counselling sessions. Following the PCS method my study
began with a presentation of my guiding conception which detailed my theoretical
approach and the ways in which solution-focused skills and techniques would be applied
throughout the study. Case data included analysis of all client counselling sessions and
final interviews which were video-recorded, as well as the consideration of a quantitative
measurement in the form of the Outcome Rating Scale (ORS). Through analysis of
outcome results and using three inductively derived themes to guide cross-case
analysis, it was found that the solution-focused counselling process, assisted
adolescents in discovering and developing their knowledge and awareness of their
personal strengths and resources; encouraged adolescents to feel empowered to act
upon these resources, therefore enhancing self-efficacy; and used the quality of the
therapeutic relationship to give adolescents a sense of being a co-participator in the
counselling process and as a result gave adolescents a ‘boost’ towards taking action,
therefore increasing self-efficacy. Process and thematic results, supported by a brief
quantitative measure, showed that all four clients made significant progress towards
achieving their goals for counselling. Overall the results suggest that the solution-
focused process contributed to positive therapeutic outcome and gains in self-efficacy.
All four clients demonstrated the confidence to take action to bring about positive
change in relation to their counselling goals, supporting enhanced self-efficacy.
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Acknowledgements

I wish to say thank you to my four clients who volunteered to participate in my study. It
can be a daunting decision to allow a small part of your life’s journey to be analysed and
published. With their commitment, enthusiasm and willingness to share their
experiences this project was a hugely rewarding and enjoyable task.

Thank you to Steve Shaw for his assistance in conducting the final interviews. This was
a much appreciated and highly valuable part of the research process.

I am also grateful for the assistance of my supervisors, Associate Professor Dr Judi
Miller and lecturer Shanee Barraclough for their ideas and support as I pursued this
challenging task.
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Table of Contents
Abstract .............................................................................................................. ii
Acknowledgements ........................................................................................... iii
List of Figures .................................................................................................... ix
List of Tables ..................................................................................................... ix
PART I: INTRODUCTION, LITERATURE REVIEW & METHODOLOGY ................. 1
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................ 2
Project Overview................................................................................................. 4
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW .............................................................. 6
Challenges of Adolescence in Today’s Society .................................................. 7
What is Adolescence?........................................................................................ 7
Biological Challenges: Brain Development .......................................................... 9
Adolescent Empowerment .................................................................................. 9
Why Empower Girls and Boys? ........................................................................ 11
Self-Efficacy ...................................................................................................... 12
What is Self-Efficacy? ...................................................................................... 12
Adolescents, Empowerment & Self-Efficacy ...................................................... 13
Building Adolescents’ Self-Efficacy ................................................................... 14
Strength-Based Counselling ............................................................................. 16
Social Constructionism & Solution-Focused Counselling .................................... 17
Solution-Focused Principles ............................................................................. 17
Solution-Focused Counselling and Adolescents ................................................. 19
Solution-Focused Counselling and Empowerment ........................................... 22
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY ................................................................. 24
Introduction ...................................................................................................... 24
Practitioner Guiding Conception ...................................................................... 24
Professional Training ....................................................................................... 24
Theoretical Orientation ..................................................................................... 25
Solution-Focused Practice ................................................................................ 29
Allegiance, Client Strengths & Empowerment .................................................... 31
Establishment of Therapeutic Alliance ............................................................... 32
Social Constructionism .................................................................................... 33
Qualitative Inquiry............................................................................................. 35
Pragmatic Case Study ..................................................................................... 38
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Rigour & Trustworthiness ................................................................................. 39
Ethical Considerations ..................................................................................... 41
PART II: QUALITATIVE INQUIRY ....................................................................... 45
CHAPTER FOUR: METHOD ............................................................................... 46
Introduction ...................................................................................................... 46
Conceptual Design ........................................................................................... 46
Research Design............................................................................................... 49
Participants ..................................................................................................... 49
Recruitment ..................................................................................................... 49
Screening Measures ........................................................................................ 50
Consent and Confidentiality .............................................................................. 52
Procedures ....................................................................................................... 53
Overview of Counselling Process ...................................................................... 53
Data Collection and Measures .......................................................................... 53
Qualitative Measures ....................................................................................... 53
Pre-and Post-Counselling Quantitative Measures .............................................. 55
Formulation and Treatment Plan: Application of Solution-Focused Skills ............. 56
Qualitative Data Analysis ................................................................................. 61
Quantitative Data Analysis ............................................................................... 62
INTRODUCTION TO THE CASE STUDIES ......................................................... 63
INTRODUCTION TO THE CASE THEMES .......................................................... 64
Theme 1: Helping clients to discover knowledge of and develop their own
strengths and resources ................................................................................... 64
Theme 2: Helping clients to feel empowered by their strengths and resources in
order to bring about change .............................................................................. 64
Theme 3: The therapeutic relationship - being able to ‘just talk’ and be truly
heard .............................................................................................................. 65
CHAPTER FIVE: THE CASE OF ‘SALLY’ ........................................................... 66
The Client ......................................................................................................... 66
History & Presenting Problem ........................................................................... 66
Client Assessment & Goals .............................................................................. 67
Qualitative Description ..................................................................................... 67
Quantitative Measurement ............................................................................... 67
Action ............................................................................................................... 68
Formulation of Client Strengths and Resources ................................................. 68
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Exceptions ...................................................................................................... 69
Scaling ............................................................................................................ 72
Compliments ................................................................................................... 72
End of Session Feedback................................................................................. 75
Monitoring Evaluations of Counselling Sessions ............................................. 75
Concluding Evaluation ..................................................................................... 77
Goal Attainment Results & ORS Measure ......................................................... 77
Final Interview ................................................................................................. 78
Summary of Outcome Results .......................................................................... 79
CHAPTER SIX: THE CASE OF ‘AMANDA’ ......................................................... 80
The Client ......................................................................................................... 80
History & Presenting Problem ........................................................................... 80
Client Assessment & Goals .............................................................................. 81
Qualitative Description ..................................................................................... 81
Quantitative Measurement ............................................................................... 82
Action ............................................................................................................... 83
Formulation of Client Strengths and Resources ................................................. 83
Exceptions ...................................................................................................... 84
Scaling ............................................................................................................ 86
Compliments ................................................................................................... 87
End of Session Feedback................................................................................. 91
Concluding Evaluation ..................................................................................... 95
Goal Attainment Results & ORS Measure ......................................................... 95
Final Interview ................................................................................................. 96
Summary of Outcome Results .......................................................................... 98
CHAPTER SEVEN: THE CASE OF ‘REBECCA’ ................................................ 100
The Client ....................................................................................................... 100
History & Presenting Problem ......................................................................... 100
Client Assessment & Goals ............................................................................ 101
Qualitative Description ................................................................................... 101
Quantitative Measurement ............................................................................. 101
Action ............................................................................................................. 102
Formulation of Client Strengths and Resources ............................................... 102
Exceptions .................................................................................................... 105
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Scaling .......................................................................................................... 108
Compliments ................................................................................................. 110
End of Session Feedback............................................................................... 110
Monitoring Evaluations of Counselling Sessions ........................................... 111
Concluding Evaluation ................................................................................... 112
Goal Attainment Results & ORS Measure ....................................................... 112
Final Interview ............................................................................................... 113
Summary of Outcome Results ........................................................................ 114
CHAPTER EIGHT: THE CASE OF ‘BETH’ ........................................................ 116
The Client ....................................................................................................... 116
History & Presenting Problem ......................................................................... 116
Client Assessment & Goals ............................................................................ 117
Qualitative Description ................................................................................... 117
Quantitative Measurement ............................................................................. 118
Action ............................................................................................................. 118
Formulation of Client Strengths and Resources ............................................... 118
Exceptions .................................................................................................... 120
Scaling .......................................................................................................... 121
Compliments ................................................................................................. 123
End of Session Feedback............................................................................... 124
Monitoring Evaluations of Counselling Sessions ........................................... 125
Concluding Evaluation ................................................................................... 127
Final Interview ............................................................................................... 127
Summary of Outcome Results ........................................................................ 129
CHAPTER NINE: CASE THEME RESULTS & CROSS-CASE ANALYSIS .......... 131
Case Analysis Theme Results ........................................................................ 131
Theme 1: Helping clients to discover knowledge of and develop their own strengths
and resources ............................................................................................... 131
Theme 2: Helping clients to feel empowered by their strengths and resources in
order to bring about change ............................................................................ 133
Theme 3: The therapeutic relationship - being able to ‘just talk’ and be truly
heard ............................................................................................................ 135
Cross-Case Analysis ...................................................................................... 137
Overview ....................................................................................................... 137
Qualitative Results ......................................................................................... 137
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Quantitative Measures ................................................................................... 138
CHAPTER TEN: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION .......................................... 140
Findings ........................................................................................................ 140
Findings and the Literature ............................................................................. 141
Strengths and Limitations of the Study ............................................................ 144
Implications for Practice ................................................................................. 146
Future Research Directions ............................................................................ 146
Conclusion .................................................................................................... 147
REFERENCES ................................................................................................. 148
APPENDIX A: LIST OF THEMES ...................................................................... 158
APPENDIX B: ETHICS APPROVAL, INFORMATION SHEETS & CONSENT
FORMS............................................................................................................ 160
APPENDIX C: RATING SCALES ...................................................................... 169
APPENDIX D: FINAL SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW ................................... 172
APPENDIX E: PARTICIPANT ‘ME AND MY WORLD’ BOOK ............................. 172
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List of Figures

Figure 1. The Disciplined Inquiry Model of Professional Practice. ........................ 47

List of Tables

Table 1: Client Response to Adapted Outcome Rating Scale. ............................. 52
Table 2: Sally’s Initial Ratings and Target Ratings on the Outcome Rating
Scale .............................................................................................................. 68
Table 3: Sally’s Final Outcome Rating Scale Results ......................................... 77
Table 4: Amanda’s Initial Ratings and Target Ratings on the Outcome Rating
Scale .............................................................................................................. 82
Table 5: Amanda’s Final Outcome Rating Scale Results .................................... 96
Table 6: Rebecca’s Initial Ratings and Target Ratings on the Outcome Rating
Scale ............................................................................................................ 102
Table 7: Rebecca’s Final Outcome Rating Scale Results.................................. 113
Table 8: Beth’s Initial Scores and Target Scores on the Outcome Rating
Scale ............................................................................................................ 118
Table 9: Beth’s Final Outcome Rating Scale Results ........................................ 127
PART I: INTRODUCTION, LITERATURE REVIEW & METHODOLOGY

1