My name is Sharon Cunningham. I am a Chartered Psychologist and am also studying for a Doctorate in Psychotherapy at DCU.
I am conducting a research study exploring how counselling and psychotherapy clients experience the mandatory reporting of their childhood abuse once it has been disclosed in therapy.
I am asking you for your support and assistance with recruiting participants for this study – more details are below.
Existing research has explored mandatory reporting during counselling and psychotherapy from the therapist’s perspective, only a few global studies have examined this process from the client’s perspective, and no studies have been conducted in Ireland. This study aims to address this gap by exploring the experience of mandatory reporting from the counselling /psychotherapy client’s perspective, giving their experience a voice and an opportunity for their experiences to be shared and witnessed. The finding from this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal, informing counselling & psychotherapy practice and policy.
Participation in the study would involve attending a research interview with me, which would last about 60 mins, either in person or via zoom. The interview will be recorded, and the client will not be asked about their experience of childhood abuse, just the mandatory reporting process during counselling and psychotherapy.
I am asking for your support with this study, as mandatory reporting is a part of counselling and psychotherapy that impacts us all.Your help would involve advertising the study to the clients attending your practice for counselling and psychotherapy and, where possible past clients and clients who may have terminated their therapy.
I would appreciate it if you would consider;
- Placing the recruitment Flyer in your waiting room – physical or virtual (email or text me if you would like some hard copies)
- If you have clients you think might be interested in participating in the study and sharing their experience of mandatory reporting, bring their attention to the flyer or webpage.
- If you have a mailing list, maybe send out the flyer or webpage.
Informing clients that the study has commenced and providing them with the study information (see below) will be the extent of your involvement. Potential participants will be free to contact me directly if they wish to participate in the study.
This video tells you more about the study, giving a brief overview and what would be involved in participation.
You can find more information on the flyer and information sheet attached, or have a look at my webpage at www.sites.google.com/ mail.dcu.ie/psychotherapyandmrresearch
If you would have any questions about the study or would like to have a chat about the it, you can contact me on 086 455 1186 or email sharon.cunningham35@mail.dcu.ie
Further information you can download the Brief Information Sheet & Recruitment Poster.
