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The use of a Phototherapy Intervention to Foster Empathy, Self-Awareness, and Self-Disclosure in Counselors-in-training using the Personal Growth Group

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Date Issued:
2012
Abstract/Description:
The researcher set out to investigate the effectiveness of a specific phototherapy intervention on counselor-in-training's empathy, self-awareness, and self-disclosure development through participation in a personal growth group using Davis' (1980) Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) Govern and Marsch's (2001) Situational Self-Awareness Scale, and behavioral observations. The study also explored the relationship between the three factors. The study looked to see if there was a difference in the change over time between the group receiving the phototherapy intervention and those participants who did not receive the intervention. The data was collected and measured through a (a) repeated measures MANOVA, (b) independent samples t-test, and (c) Pearson product correlation. The study used 41 participants who were currently enrolled in a group counseling course at a CACREP-accredited master's program in the Southeast. The students were either on a marriage and family, mental health, or school track. Both the treatment and the comparison group consisted of four groups and met weekly for a total of 10 meetings. Each group used a manualized treatment developed by the researcher with the treatment group incorporating the use of images. The findings showed that the phototherapy intervention did not have a significant impact on affective empathy or self-awareness when compared to the comparison group. Cognitive empathy showed a significant difference between the two groups over the course of the study. There was no difference between the observations of self-disclosure for the treatment and comparison groups, and the factors of empathy, self-awareness, and self-disclosure were not correlated. The results did show a significant change for both groups when looking at self-awareness. As a whole the study attempted to fill a gap in the literature surrounding how the factors of empathy, self-awareness, and self-disclosure are taught in counselor training programs and proposed next steps for future studies.
Title: The use of a Phototherapy Intervention to Foster Empathy, Self-Awareness, and Self-Disclosure in Counselors-in-training using the Personal Growth Group.
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Name(s): Wilkes, Christopher, Author
Hagedorn, William, Committee Chair
Young, Mark, Committee Member
Hundley, Gulnora, Committee Member
Xu, Lihua, Committee Member
University of Central Florida, Degree Grantor
Type of Resource: text
Date Issued: 2012
Publisher: University of Central Florida
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: The researcher set out to investigate the effectiveness of a specific phototherapy intervention on counselor-in-training's empathy, self-awareness, and self-disclosure development through participation in a personal growth group using Davis' (1980) Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) Govern and Marsch's (2001) Situational Self-Awareness Scale, and behavioral observations. The study also explored the relationship between the three factors. The study looked to see if there was a difference in the change over time between the group receiving the phototherapy intervention and those participants who did not receive the intervention. The data was collected and measured through a (a) repeated measures MANOVA, (b) independent samples t-test, and (c) Pearson product correlation. The study used 41 participants who were currently enrolled in a group counseling course at a CACREP-accredited master's program in the Southeast. The students were either on a marriage and family, mental health, or school track. Both the treatment and the comparison group consisted of four groups and met weekly for a total of 10 meetings. Each group used a manualized treatment developed by the researcher with the treatment group incorporating the use of images. The findings showed that the phototherapy intervention did not have a significant impact on affective empathy or self-awareness when compared to the comparison group. Cognitive empathy showed a significant difference between the two groups over the course of the study. There was no difference between the observations of self-disclosure for the treatment and comparison groups, and the factors of empathy, self-awareness, and self-disclosure were not correlated. The results did show a significant change for both groups when looking at self-awareness. As a whole the study attempted to fill a gap in the literature surrounding how the factors of empathy, self-awareness, and self-disclosure are taught in counselor training programs and proposed next steps for future studies.
Identifier: CFE0004461 (IID), ucf:49323 (fedora)
Note(s): 2012-08-01
Ph.D.
Education, Dean's Office EDUC
Doctoral
This record was generated from author submitted information.
Subject(s): counselor education -- photothereapy -- groups -- empathy -- self-awareness -- self-disclosure -- expressive arts
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004461
Restrictions on Access: public 2012-08-15
Host Institution: UCF

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