Julia Buckroyd

An exploration of obese adults’ experience of attempting to lose weight and to maintain a reduced weight

The aim of this study was to explore obese adults’ accounts of their experiences and feelings during their attempts to lose weight and to maintain a reduced weight. Qualitative research methods were used, based on interviews with individuals and groups. Eighteen obese men and women were recruited from the general public, with BMIs ranging from 30 to 50. All participants had attempted weight loss treatment, but without lasting success. Participants were unanimous in saying they needed help. Results suggest that counselling could play a greater role in the treatment of obesity.

Eating disorders from parent to child: Mothers’ perceptions of transgenerational effect

Abstract Primary prevention focuses on the reduction of risk factors. Children of mothers with an eating disorder are a proven “at risk” group, because children internalise their experiences. Prevention in the field of eating disorders has as yet only addressed children of seven or eight upwards and only in school-based programs which did not incorporate mothers. This project targeted mothers with an eating disorder who had children under the age of thirteen. The hypothesis is that if these mothers can be encouraged to change damaging behaviour that their children are likely to model, we can attempt to break the cycle of dysfunction. This is a qualitative and quantitive research project, carried out with standardised measures and semi-structured interviews before and after a nineteen week therapy group, with six and twelve month follow ups. The group consisted of eight mothers. This paper describes the group and provides a case study of one participant. The initial analysis suggests that the support of a ...

The Measurement of Self-Concept in Children with Complex Needs.

Abstract This article offers a brief definition of self-concept and explores the difficulties of finding an instrument to measure the selfconcept of young people who have complex needs. The article focuses on the use of the Piers-Harris 2 instrument, exploring its strengths and weaknesses for this client group.

Exploring the Effects of a 14 Week Person-Centred Counselling Intervention with Learning Disabled Children.

Abstract This study evaluates the effects of a person-centred counselling intervention on the learning disabled childs self-concept. The participants are children who attend a London borough school for moderate learning difficulties. The study is qualitative and incorporates two parts: (1) practitioner research via a 14 week person-centred counselling intervention; (2) exploration of teachers’ views of the childs self-concept via a pre- and post-intervention questionnaire. The study used person-centred art therapy as an adjunct to counselling. A projective technique was used to measure the childs self-concept.Three out of four child participants indicated an improved self-concept. However, only one out of four teachers’ questionnaires indicated a positive movement within the child. This article explores the difficulties encountered as well as highlighting positive paths, and supposes that the results support carrying out this research project over an extended period and with a larger research group.

Counselling children and young people who attend a school for children with complex needs : a case study

Abstract We report the findings of a case study exploring the views of the student, teacher, teaching assistant and counsellor who participated in a project to evaluate counselling with young people who attend a school for children with complex needs in the UK. The student was offered twenty six weeks of humanistic counselling. The student, teacher and teaching assistant were interviewed pre and post counselling using a semi structured format. They were asked about the students development in the seven areas of self concept which are named in the quantitative scale Piers Harris 2, which was used elsewhere in the project. Data was also gathered from the notes and transcripts of the counselling sessions. The case study describes an approach to the use of language and the counselling process with a student with complex needs. Staff were not able to report any significant changes in the student, yet the student reported a change in herself and an awareness of the process in the counselling relationship and t...

Eating disorders as psychosomatic illness the implications for treatment

Abstract This paper describes a body of theory which points to the possibility that eating disorders can be seen as psychosomatic illness, which is to say a symbolization of affect via the body rather than with words. The author concludes from this that eating disorders may respond better to non-verbal experiential therapies than they do to verbal therapy. She then describes four years of work with groups of eating-disordered women using non-verbal experiential therapies and suggests that the improvement in their symptoms may be the result of these methodologies and that her hypothesis merits further testing and exploration.

The application of psychodynamic ideas to professional dance training

Concern about the welfare of professional dance students is growing as it becomes clearer that the training is not producing emotionally healthy and mature young people. Psychodynamic ideas and concepts offer a means of analysing the problems of the training and indicating where change needs to be implemented. This paper looks first at the areas of adolescent development towards separation, autonomy, the creation of peer relationships and the development of sexual identity and awareness, and shows how traditional dance training fails to facilitate their growth. The paper then discusses envy and competition and argues that they need to be addressed within dance training if they are not to be so destructive. The paper then suggests that group theory could enable the better use of the dance class. Finally, the idea of the body storyline is used to show that dance training has the capacity to have a creative and remedial effect on students, if training institutions provide a sufficiently facilitating environment.

Using action research to develop an assessment system in a voluntary sector counselling service

Voluntary sector low and no cost counselling services very often find themselves overwhelmed by clients. This paper describes how one agency decided to deal with this problem by introducing a system of assessment for differential contracts. A piece of action research enabled the development and introduction of a model of assessment that reflected the values of the agency. The guiding principle of the assessment was that the clients way of managing in the world was the best guide to clinical need. The different lengths of contract are described, together with the criteria for deciding which might be appropriate for a client. The model was introduced on the understanding that it could and would be continuously monitored. The reactions of counsellors and clients that were gathered in a review of the working of the model a year later are described.

Weight Loss as a Primary Objective of Therapeutic Groups for Obese Women: Two Preliminary Studies.

ABSTRACT The studies reported here explored whether therapeutic groups for women who eat compulsively can demonstrate weight loss as a primary result as well as the improvements in emotional functioning reported by other investigators. In both studies questionnaire data showed little change in self-esteem or attitudes as measured by the Rosenberg Self-Esteem and the Eating Disorders Examination. However, interview data showed considerable changes in attitudes and emotional functioning. The initial study demonstrated no weight loss but marked changes in participants’ attitudes to themselves and food, likely to lead to weight loss. A second, longer, uncontrolled study again showed changes in emotional functioning plus weight loss of 5% or more of initial body weight at the end of the intervention in 75% of participants who completed the study (n=8) or 50% of those who were initially recruited (n=12). Weight loss has been maintained in 75% of participants at 18-month follow-up. The data are based on a small sample, which can only be suggestive but supports a further study.