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Title: | The island of shame : a micro-social perspective on the impact of shame on Maltese psychotherapists |
Other Titles: | Psychology applications & developments VIII |
Authors: | Darmanin Kissaun, Greta Clark, Marilyn |
Keywords: | Psychotherapists -- Malta -- Psychology Psychotherapists -- Malta -- Attitudes Psychotherapists -- Professional ethics Shame -- Psychological aspects Psychology and religion -- Malta |
Issue Date: | 2022 |
Publisher: | SciencePress |
Citation: | Darmanin Kissaun, G., & Clark, M. (2022). The island of shame: a micro-social perspective on the impact of shame on Maltese psychotherapists. In C. Pracana, & M. Wang (Eds.), Psychology Applications & Developments VIII (pp. 143-155). Lisbon: SciencePress. |
Abstract: | Anthropological literature indicates that Malta, by virtue of its central position in the Mediterranean, is somewhat structured by codes of honour and shame (Bradford & Clark, 2012; O’Reilly Mizzi, 1994: Schneider, 1971). Despite the awareness of the potential negative effects of shame on the psychotherapeutic relationship (Gilbert & Procter, 2006; Rustomjee, 2009), shame in psychotherapy has been largely under-researched. The current study aimed to explore how Maltese psychotherapists understand and manage feelings of shame in a particular social context. A qualitative approach was taken to explore the individual perspectives of ten Maltese psychotherapists and data gathered from semi-structured interviews was analysed by means of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis - IPA (Smith, Flowers, & Larkin, 2009, 2021). The findings indicated that feelings of shame and inadequacy were frequently experienced by Maltese psychotherapists in various professional contexts, including clinical supervision. The perceived impact of these dominant societal codes on therapists’ sense of self and professional practice were considered. Supervisory needs of trainee psychotherapists, such as clinical supervisors’ sensitivity to affect states and empathy for their shamed identity, were discussed. Suggestions as to how personal therapy and supervision can help psychotherapists deconstruct and normalise feelings of shame and inadequacy by linking them to social and cultural dynamics were put forth. |
URI: | https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/127555 |
ISBN: | 9789895361489 |
Appears in Collections: | Scholarly Works - FacSoWPsy |
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File | Description | Size | Format | |
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The island of shame a microsocial perspective on the impact of shame on Maltese psychotherapists 2022.pdf | 201.63 kB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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