Elizabeth L. Holloway

Common Aspects of Object Relations and Self-Representations in Offspring From Disparate Dysfunctional Families

Survey data were collected from 97 adults, drawn from clinical and community settings, who identified themselves as growing up in dysfunctional families. Constructs from object relations, self psychology, and attachment theory were used to select criterion measures. Although the level of family dysfunction was generally high, no significant differences were observed between adult children of alcoholics and adults from families whose dysfunction was not due to substance abuse. Degree of family dysfunction was significantly associated with internalized shame, object relations deficits, and presence of addictions and emotional problems. Contrary to expectation, family dysfunction was negatively correlated with 2 self psychology constructs: goal instability and superiority. The study suggests that clinical interventions based on object relations and attachment theories may be particularly useful with adult children from dysfunction families. The term adult children of alcoholics (ACAs) has become popular with both mental health professionals and the public to denote a group of individuals with presumed shared developmental experiences and adult personality and interpersonal deficits (Fulton & Yates, 1990; Kashubeck & Christensen, 1992). These difficulties are assumed to result from growing up in a home where at least one parent was impaired by alcohol abuse. However, it has become clear that many other adults exhibit similar symptom patterns, although neither of their parents exhibited substance abuse problems. These individuals grew up in families with chronic violence, incest, psychiatric or physical illness, or some other form of dysfunction that rendered parents largely incapable of meeting the emotional needs of their children (Black, 1981). Adult children of dysfunctional families (ACDFs) is the term popularly used to identify this group. Common reports of adjustment difficulty from adults who grew up in families with disparate types of dysfunction suggest that these families may be similar in important ways. Problems that have been attributed to alcohol drinking are more likely due to factors coincident with alcohol abuse, such as maladaptive parenting; chaotic, distressed, or abusive environments; poor communication; and other problems that impair the familys ability to meet the childs physical and

A Proposal to Integrate Science and Practice in Counseling Psychology

Science and practice cannot continue together without a major attitudinal shiA a broadening perspective of science and practice and how these two activities can be integrated to strengthen each other. This article represents the culmination of a 2-year project that examined the roles of science and practice within counseling psychology. The central goal of the article is to present (a) specific recommendations for promoting the integration of science and practice within Division 17 and (b) suggest specific strategies for implementing the recommendations.

Internship: The Applied Training of a Counseling Psychologist

The objectives of this article were (I) to provide a comprehensive view of the predoctoral internship, (2) to delineate relevant issues in intern training, (3) to stimulate the field of counseling psychology to examine critically the effectiveness of internship training programs; section 3 compares the major types of internship provide direction for future practices and research in internship programs. The article is organized into five primary areas. Section 1 provides a brief history and definition of the internship; section 2 describes the organization and management of internship training programs; section 3 compares the major types of internship settings chosen by counseling psychology students and includes the results of a national survey conducted by the authors; section 4 addresses the influence and impact of pressures from within and outside the profession on internship training; finally, section 5 summarizes questions and concerns relevant to the internship of the future.

Partners in Learning: A Grounded Theory Study of Relational Practice between Master’s Students and Professors

Meaningful academic relationships between adult master’s students and their professors can both deepen students’ learning and serve as a regenerating force for professors. This study employed grounded theory methods to explore the question, “What goes on in relational practice between master’s students and professors?” I interviewed 10 matched pairs of recent alumni and professors who identified as having “a meaningful academic relationship”. Dimensional analysis surfaced two core dimensions: reconstructing and regenerating. In reconstructing, the students’ core dimension reveals the student experience of reconstructing, or understanding more deeply, theory or one’s self. In the case of regenerating, the professor’s core dimension identifies the professors’ experience of “giving back” through their teaching and extending their professional reach by training others. These experiences serve to reinvigorate professors over the course of their careers. In addition, findings in this study resonate with sensitizing concepts including relational cultural theory and relational practice. Finally, the analysis surfaced evidence supporting authentic teaching concepts and connected these concepts to faculty and student learning partnerships.

A bridge of knowing: The scholar-practitioner of supervision

Abstract This essay is the text of a speech given on the connection between empirical and practice knowledge is supervision. It includes a framework for the conceptualization of the various factors that are relevant to the supervisory process and a series of brief stories that depict the speakers involvement with supervision through her years of research and practice.

A note on interobserver reliability for sequential data

It is well accepted that reliability measures based on simple frequency counts of designated codes are inappropriate for sequential analysis. The stricter point-by-point method, however, is problematic, particularly because it is too strict. It is suggested that a less strict reliability measure based on the number of transitions be used. This method also avoids problems encountered with the point-by-point method and another less stringent method.

Systems approach to address incivility and disruptive behaviors in health-care organizations.

In response to the growing evidence that disruptive behaviors within health-care teams constitute a major threat to the quality of care, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization (JCAHO; Joint Commission Resources, 2008) has a new leadership standard that addresses disruptive and inappropriate behaviors effective January 1, 2009. For professionals who work in human resources and organization development, these standards represent a clarion call to design and implement evidence-based interventions to create health-care communities of respectful engagement that have zero tolerance for disruptive, uncivil, and intimidating behaviors by any professional. In this chapter, we will build an evidence-based argument that sustainable change must include organizational, team, and individual strategies across all professionals in the organization. We will then describe an intervention model--Toxic Organization Change System--that has emerged from our own research on toxic behaviors in the workplace (Kusy & Holloway, 2009) and provide examples of specific strategies that we have used to prevent and ameliorate toxic cultures.

“I Become a Part of the Learning Process”: Mentoring Episodes and Individualized Attention in Graduate Education

Meaningful interactions with faculty can help graduate students’ progress successfully through their academic work, develop scholar-practitioner identity, and begin to cultivate academic relationships and relational skills that will help them succeed. These outcomes emerged from a critical incident technique study in which we interviewed 21 master’s students. Based on the findings, we propose individualized attention as an organizing theme to help us consider how to intentionally engage with our students from a relational perspective. The concept of individualized attention, as developed in this inquiry, suggests: invitation, engaged presence, care, and enthusiasm as elements of the relational practice of teaching and learning.

Educating CPE Supervisors: a Grounded Theory Study

This qualitative study was designed to cull the wisdom of CPE supervisors doing especially competent supervisory education and to develop a theory of CPE supervisory education. Grounded theory methodology included interviewing 11 supervisors and coding the data to identify themes. Four primary dimensions emerged along with a reciprocal core dimension, Supervisory Wisdom, which refers to work the supervisors do in terms of their continuing growth and development.

Achieving influence: a grounded theory of how clinical supervisors evaluate trainees

Clinical evaluation is well recognized as a central aspect of the supervisory experience. To address the challenges of evaluating trainees, existing scholarship has generally taken a prescriptive focus. This study takes a contrasting position by developing process-oriented knowledge towards the practical task of clinical evaluation. Dimensional analysis, a grounded theory method, was employed to develop a theory of how supervisors evaluate trainees. Analysis suggests that achieving influence with a trainee is a supervisors primary evaluative goal. To reach this goal, supervisors participate in a complex formative process of observation and intervention to assist supervisees in meeting supervisor expectations. This study elaborates on these formative tasks of supervision and links them to summative performance evaluations of trainees.