UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE

COUNSELLING UNIT

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE EXTENT TO

WHICH PSYCHOLOGICAL WOUNDS

INSPIRE COUNSELLORS AND

PSYCHOTHERAPISTS TO BECOME

WOUNDED HEALERS, THE SIGNIFICANCE

OF THESE WOUNDS ON THEIR CAREER

CHOICE, THE CAUSES OF THESE WOUNDS

AND THE OVERALL SIGNIFICANCE OF

DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS

ALISON BARR

IN FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE

DEGREE OF MSc COUNSELLING STUDIES

2006

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The copyright of this thesis belongs to the author under the terms of the UK

Copyright Acts as qualified by University of Strathclyde Regulations 3.49. Due

acknowledgement must always be made of the use of any material contained in, or

derived from, this thesis.

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the extent to which psychological wounds inspire therapists

to become wounded healers, the significance of these wounds on career choice, the

causes of these wounds and the overall significance of demographic factors.

An on-line questionnaire was conducted (253 respondents). Pilot and verification

studies were performed. A pluralist approach was used with the quantitative data

analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics and the qualitative data analysed

using thematic analysis, with a grounded theory approach.

73.9% of therapists have experienced one or more wounding experiences leading to

career choice and 26.1% have not.

In relation to the significance of the event(s) on career choice, when merging

‘probably chosen career regardless’ with ‘possibly chosen career regardless’, and

‘unlikely chosen career regardless’ with ‘not considered career otherwise’, there is a

slight majority in relation to the former. There are no significant differences in

relation to demographic factors.

In relation to whether one or more psychologically wounding experiences led to the

choice of a career as a therapist, there is a significant difference within designation,

gender, grouping gender and ethnicity, and, grouping gender and age. There are no

significant differences within approach, ethnicity or age.

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The majority of the wounds were caused by events experienced directly by the

respondents (65%) as opposed to indirectly or both. Within demographic factors, the

causes of the wounding experiences leading to career choice are not statistically

significant.

The exact causes of the wounds vary enormously. The main categories are abuse,

family life as a child, mental ill-health (own), social, family life as an adult,

bereavement, mental ill-health (others), life threatening, physical ill-health (others),

physical ill-health (own), and, other.

Many implications for the future of the therapeutic world have been highlighted.

These focus mainly on supervision and training. Opportunities for further research

have been highlighted.

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CONTENTS

1. Introduction 1

2. Literature Review 10

3. Method 16

4. Results 37

5. Discussion 58

6. Conclusion 68

7. References 70

8. Appendices

A – PGDip Class Questionnaire 22, 33, 76

B – Internet Questionnaire 24, 79

C – Chi-Squared Analysis 33, 34, 83

D – Univariant Analysis 34, 84

E – Ethical Approval Application 35, 86

F – Odds Ratio Calculation 40, 90

G – Full Coding Analysis of 52, 91

Psychological Wounds that led to Career

9. Graphs

4.1 - Responses to the question, ‘did a(ny) psychologically 37

wounding event(s) lead you to career choice?’

4.4 - The extent to which designation affects the likelihood 39

of psychologically wounding experiences leading to career choice.

4.5 - The extent to which therapeutic approach affects the likelihood 40

of psychologically wounding experiences leading to career choice.

4.6 - The extent to which gender affects the likelihood of 42

psychologically wounding experiences leading to career choice.

4.7 - The extent to which ethnicity affects the likelihood of 43

psychologically wounding experiences leading to career choice.

4.8a - The extent to which age when entered counselling or 45

psychotherapy training affects the likelihood of psychologically

wounding experiences leading to career choice.

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4.9 - The extent to which interaction of gender and ethnicity 47

affects the likelihood of psychologically wounding experiences

leading to career choice.

4.10 - The extent to which interaction of gender and age when 48

entered counselling / psychotherapy training affects the likelihood

of psychologically wounding experiences leading to career choice.

4.11a - The significance of the influence of the wounding events 49

on the respondent’s choice of career.

4.11b - The significance of the influence of the wounding events 49

on the respondent’s choice of career when merging ‘probably

chosen career regardless’ with ‘possibly chosen career regardless’,

and ‘unlikely chosen career regardless’ and ‘not considered career

otherwise’.

D - The cause of the psychological wounds. 51

10. Tables

4.4 - Chi squared test showing the statistical difference between 39

designation in relation to the likelihood of psychologically

wounding experiences leading to career choice.

4.5 - Chi squared test showing the statistical difference between 41

approaches in relation to the likelihood of psychologically wounding

experiences leading to career choice.

4.6 - Chi squared test showing the statistical difference between 42

gender in relation to the likelihood of psychologically wounding

experiences leading to career choice.

4.7 - Chi squared test showing the statistical difference between 44

ethnicity in relation to the likelihood of psychologically wounding

experiences leading to career choice.

4.8a - Chi squared test showing the statistical difference between 45

age when entered counselling or psychotherapy training in relation

to the likelihood of psychologically wounding experiences leading

to career choice.

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4.8b - Chi squared test showing the statistical difference between 46

age when entered counselling / psychotherapy training in relation

to the likelihood of psychologically wounding experiences leading

to career choice, with ’51-60’ and ‘over 60’ removed.

4.13 - The statistical significance of the cause of (a) psychologically 52

wounding experience(s) leading to career choice, in relation to

demographic factors.

4.14 - The main wounding experiences, and the percentage of 52, 53

respondents who described their experience(s), who suffered

these.

Table 4.15: The likelihood a therapist will have experienced 55, 56

particular events.