Research Study Recruitment
Experiences of Psychotherapy while in Foster Care: Adolescent Perspectives
Location: Dublin, but willing to travel countrywide.
Date: February 2019
My name is Daire Gilmartin, I am a Counselling Psychologist with Five Rivers Fostering and a third-year student on the Doctorate in Psychotherapy programme in DCU where I am conducting this research study. My interest in this area stems from many years’ experience working therapeutically with children in care in community, hospital and residential settings. I would greatly appreciate your help with this recruitment.
What is the research about?
This study aims to gain an understanding of what young people in foster care think and feel about their experience of psychotherapy/counselling.
It is an important area to research as young people in foster care frequently find it difficult to attend and engage in psychotherapy. When they attend, they often do not receive suitable and relevant psychotherapy support, while professionals struggle to know how to best engage with them and appropriately attend to their therapeutic needs.
It is hoped that by studying their experiences, professional knowledge will be developed with a view to assisting in the furthering of more relevant psychotherapy services that will better meet the needs of young people in foster care.
Participants:
I am aiming to interview approximately 8 to 10 adolescents who:
- Are aged 12-18 years who are attending psychotherapy or have attended psychotherapy within the previous twelve months.
- Have attended a minimum of 6 sessions in that time
- Are in their current foster placement for a minimum of 12 months and there are no current plans for this to change.
If you know a young person who may wish to take part in this research and who meets the above criteria please contact me OR alternatively I can directly contact their foster carer or social worker to discuss further. For further details please contact me at: daire.gilmartin3@mail.dcu.ie OR PH: 086 8810621.
All help greatly appreciated.
Best wishes.
Daire