Psychology and Cultures APS IG (PCIG) Newslettergroups.psychology.org.au/Assets/Files/MAR15correct template.pdf · Psychology and Cultures APS IG (PCIG) Newsletter ... through the

Psychology and Cultures APS IG (PCIG) Newsletter

Psychology and Cultures APS IG (PCIG) Newsletter MARCH 2015 Page 1

MARCH 2015

Welcome to our Psychology and Cultures

APS Interest Group (PCIG)

Our committee members are:

Jasmine Sliger: Convener and Secretary

Trisha Carter: Co-convener and Treasurer

Yan Kho: Newsletter Editor

Isabel Stepanik: Professional Development Officer

Nigar Khawaja

Bernadette Wright

Leonie Elphinstone

Wendy Li

L

Letter from the National Convener

Dear Members,

Time rushes by and suddenly we are at the end of our first quarter of the year which

brings us to our first newsletter of the year. It was inspiring to see so many of you willing

to participate in our AVI project. The whole committee strongly felt that it was such a

worthwhile project to take on. We look forward to receiving feedback or comments on

how the mentees were helped and how the project was assessed.

We are pleased in this newsletter to introduce four new articles from research students

asking us to participate in (and be alert to) their research. It was not so long ago that we

all were hoping to get participation from our surveys when we were trying to finish our

degrees.

We will all be having a short break soon and I wish you all some fun and rest.

Warm regards to all,

Jasmine



MARCH 2015

Supervision Article

By Jasmine Sliger

I thought that I would write about mentors. From an organisational perspective, originally

called role models, mentors were seen as people who are more senior to you and who have

an understanding of the landscape that you are working in. Although many mentors are

thought of as older, it is a bond that you have with another person where you can grow from

sharing with each other and they can also directly assist you in growing professionally.

Although mentoring took off in the late 70’s, whole businesses still exist these days that

match up a professional with a more senior person.

A mentor generally has an expertise in their field that people want. The best mentors are

people who hold a keen interest in their field. A mentor with his or her experience and

knowledge can help a mentee with the planned and unplanned work ahead. They tend to be

influential, people who have a long track record of being leaders and who are not afraid of

having fierce conversations around issues that may give the mentee clarity. They have

genuine interest in the growth and development of the mentee and as such are willing to

commit time and emotion to a professional relationship. In this relationship there is mutual

trust and caring, confidentiality and a willingness to foster the relationship. There is a

sharing of resources; intellectual and otherwise. They can in many instances provide guided

learning. They take time to discuss the mentee’s fears and problems as well as celebrate

victories and success.

A mentor is not a friend, nor a person who is on-call, nor are they exclusively in the

relationship with the mentee. Both have a clear understanding of what their mentoring

relationship will provide. The relationship tends to be formal and provides valuable insight

into the work needing to be done.

The mentoring relationship can really assist the mentee in expanding their vision, improving

their communication skills, increasing the mentee’s knowledge base, and assisting in setting

realistic targets and reducing the sense of isolation that can occur when you are in an

organisation.



MARCH 2015



MARCH 2015

Al Andalus: Morocco & Southern Spain August/September 2015

18 days

Led by Isabel Stepanik Tour Manager: Chris Carter

Morocco and Spain share their heritage, at least in part. One aim of the tour will be to

illustrate how the Moors influenced modern Spanish culture and to compare and

contrast Morocco and Andalusia as it is today and how it may have been in the past.

We will contrast and compare the art and architecture of these two countries along

with the origins of their cuisine, music and dance.

The theme of the tour will follow the culmination of the Islamic expansion westward

across north Africa early in the 8th

century when they decided to cross the Straits onto

the European mainland instead of heading south, deeper into Africa. The Moorish

invasion of Spain was swift, expansive and left a telling mark on modern Spanish

culture. This tour will commence in central Morocco, move inland to visit several of

the classic cities before passing through the Rif mountains to Tangier where we cross

the Straits of Gibraltar into Southern Spain – ‘al Andalus’ to the Moors. Moving

through the mountains we will visit Ronda before moving on to Sevilla and original

Muslim capital of Cordoba. We will then follow the fall of Islam in southern Spain

and follow the frontier as it collapsed toward Granada.

In Morocco we will visit sites in their current Islamic setting including the cities and

towns of Marrakesh, Fes and Chefchauen along with their medieval medinas, souks

and mosques.

In Spain, the tour will visit many of the more famous Moorish sites in Ronda, Sevilla,

Cordoba and Granada as well as tracing the evidence of their settlements off the

‘tourist trail’, through the villages of Andalusia.

The PD program for psychologists will be led by Isabel Stepanik. It includes visits,

meetings with local professionals and discussion seminars on various psychological

topics. There will be many opportunities for peer consultations during the tour.

Signed attendance records will be kept and APS members receive one general PD

point for each hour of activities.



MARCH 2015

Tour Highlights:

The madness of Djmaâ el Fnaâ Square in Marrakesh;

Exploring the maze that is the medina of Old Fes, seeking out workshops and

finding artisans at work;

The kasbahs of the Dades Valley;

Sunset over the dunes of Erg Chebbi;

The blue-washed walls of Chefchauen in the foothills of the Rif Mountains;

Comparing the landscapes and villages of northern Morocco and Andalusia;

The spectacular views from old Ronda, overlooking the Tajo Gorge toward the

oldest bull-ring in Spain;

The Giralda – the Cathedral of Sevilla, the third largest in the world;

The Royal Palaces of Sevilla – once the home of Pedro the Cruel;

The Mezquita (Mosque) of Cordoba;

The Alhambra of Granada – the Palaces and gardens of the Nasrid Kings;

The spectacle and passion that is found in flamenco;

Seeking out restaurants and bars to experience traditional Moroccan and

Spanish cuisine.

. Itinerary

20 August

Arrive at Madrid and transfer to city hotel.

Overnight: Madrid (meals in flight)

21 August

Late morning transfer to airport for flight to Marrakesh, arriving early afternoon.

Free time to recuperate. Late afternoon orientation drive around the city.

PD: Welcome and briefing on Moroccan culture.

We will have our welcome dinner in a restaurant in the vicinity of Djmaâ el Fnaâ

Square. Overnight: Marrakesh (meals in flight, welcome dinner)



MARCH 2015

22 August Morning visit to the Majorelle Gardens and Museum. Followed by a visit to the 12

th century

Koutoubia Mosque - the tallest in Marrakech. From the mosque we continue into the famous

Djmaâ el Fnaâ Square where we will see stalls of goods, snake charmers and water sellers;

fortune tellers and public scribes; tumblers and nakkachat - women applying henna -

soothsayers and gnaoua musicians. After lunch we will continue into the southern part of the

Kasbah to visit the lavishly-decorated Saâdien Tombs dating 1550s and then return to the

Djmaâ el Fnaâ to see the snake charmers or just visit the shops. Overnight: Marrakesh (B, L)

23 August

PD: Morning visit to Cadi Ayyad University (Psychology Dept) (TBC). Afternoon

departure for a drive to the south into the High Atlas Mountains. We will stop en route

for lunch and to visit the markets of local villages. Our destination is Ouarzazate.

Overnight: Ouarzazate (B, L)

24 August

In the morning we will visit the exotic Kasbah and Ksour of Aït Ben Haddou, a World

Heritage Site. We will have lunch at Ait Ben Haddou on the opposite side the wadi and

from there we drive through the equally spectacular Kasbah at Tiffoultoute located on a

piton between a wadi and a date palm oasis - where the film Lawrence of Arabia was

shot. PD: During the afternoon we will visit a local clinic. Overnight: Ouarzazate (B,

L)

25 August

After driving through the Dades Valley, we head to Erfoud where we will transfer to

4WD vehicles to head south, passing the Oued Ziz, first along a sealed road to the

desert town of Merzouga. We shall see, in a dramatic line almost perfectly from north

to south, the sea of sand dunes of the Erg Chebbi, the highest and longest stretch of

dunes in the Moroccan Sahara. As the sun sets, we will take a camel ride to climb to

the top of the dunes to enjoy a magnificent panorama. Overnight: in tent (B, L, D)

26 August

Awake to a brilliant desert sunrise, almost equal to the previous night’s sunset. After

returning to our bus, we will drive north through the cedar forests to the first real town in the

Middle Atlas - Azrou - before continuing on to the Moroccan pseudo-Swiss ski-resort town of

Ifrane, with its slanted, russet-tiled roofs hidden amidst a forest of cedar. From the French-built

hill station of Immouzèr Du Kandar we will pass over the Saiss Plateau to the Imperial City of

Fes. PD: Group discussion Overnight: Fes (B, L)



MARCH 2015

27 August

The two thousand year old Imperial City of Fes is surrounded as it is by 16 kms of

ramparts in a narrow valley, strategically positioned on the old caravan crossroads which

once connected the one-time Saharan empires with the Atlantic and Mediterranean

trading routes to Europe. The city that was once, after Mecca and Medina, held to be one

of the holiest cities in the Islamic world. We will visit the bustling maze of alleyways of

the medina and souks thousands of stalls and shops offering such things as pottery,

carpets, brassware, silverware, traditional and modern jewellery, leather goods all amidst

the pungent aromas of spices, herbs and oils. PD: Afternoon visit to Sidi Mohammed Ben

Abdellah University (Psychology Dept.) (TBC) Overnight: Fes (B, L)

28 August

Early morning departure for Chefchaouen. After checking into our hotel we will embark

on a leisurely walking tour of this delightful blue and white village. From the Palace El

Makhzen and the famous square of Ouatta el Hammam we will enter the maze of

alleyways in the Medina then on to the crumbling ochre and toffee-coloured Kasbah and

on to see the exterior of the El Masjid El Andalous with its octagonal mosque, a style

typical to Northern Morocco. PD: Group discussion. Overnight: Chefchaouen (B, L)

29 August

We will depart in the morning for our drive to Tangier and the ferry across the Straits of

Gibraltar to Algeciras in Spain. We will transfer to our bus at the ferry terminal and we

will drive on to Ronda (3.5 hours). Overnight: Ronda (B, D)

30 August

After a leisurely breakfast, we will walk across the El Tajo gorge toward the bull ring,

one of the oldest in Spain. We will then descend the gorge and cross the ‘Old’ Bridge’ to

the Arab baths. We will then enter the old city through one of the medieval gates and

visit the Cathedral (built directly over a mosque) and the beautiful Palacio de Mondragon,

originally built in the 14th

century. It was remodelled after the Reconquest but still

contains a lovely patio with Moorish mosaics and plasterwork. PD: Group discussion.

Overnight Ronda (B, L)



MARCH 2015

31 August

Mid-morning departure for our drive to Sevilla via two of the famous pueblos blancos

(white villages) - Grazalema is beautifully situated between two ranges, the Sierra del

Pinar to the north and the Sierra del Edrinal to the south and we will stop at Arcos de la

Frontera for lunch. We will arrive in Sevilla during the afternoon and after checking

into our hotel we will embark on a walking tour of the old city, in the footsteps of

Carmen, commencing adjacent to the old Royal Tobacco Factory (now the university),

through the old red light district past the Torre del Oro (Gold Tower) to finish on the

banks of the Guadalquivir River. A good chance to orientate yourself. Overnight Sevilla

(B, L)

1 September

Walking from our hotel, we will visit the Royal Palaces, beautifully restored buildings

built in the Almohad style during the 12th

century and renovated many times since. We

will also have a chance to walk through the gardens adjoining the palaces. In the

afternoon we will visit the Giralda, the third largest cathedral in the world and the site

of Columbus’ tomb. Those feeling fit may wish to climb the hundreds of steps of the

bell-tower, the original minaret. PD: Group discussion. Overnight Sevilla (B)

2 September

Morning visit to Universidad de Sevilla (TBC). Afternoon free. There are so many sites

to see that we will let you decide which to see. You can visit the Museo de Belles Artes

where you will see works by such artists as Zubaran, Murillo, Velasquez and El Greco;

or visit to the Casa de la Pilatos, one of the most beautiful old (16th

century) homes in

Sevilla with fine examples of Nasrid, Gothic, Mudejar and Renaissance architecture. It

contains beautiful mosaics, artesonado ceilings and mudejar plasterwork as well as a

beautiful collection of paintings, murals and sculptures; or the Hospital de Caridad –

originally a hospital but now a repository of a fine art collection. For dinner you may

wish to dine as Sevillanos do and visit a number of tapas bars during the evening – there

are several thousands to choose from. Overnight Sevilla (B)

3 September

In the morning we will drive to Italica, a Roman city once located on the banks of the

Guadalquivir River, and the birthplace of the Emperor Trajan. Much of the city ruins

remain unexcavated but it contains good examples of fine mosaics and one of the

largest Roman amphitheatres in existence. While it was a very important city in Roman

times, the river gradually changed its course and moved away from the city and it was

abandoned as Sevilla grew in importance. We will drive on to Carmona for a brief visit

and where you can explore at your own pace and have lunch. We will then drive to on

to Cordoba and arrive in the mid-afternoon. PD: Evening group discussion. Overnight

Cordoba (B, D)



MARCH 2015

4 September

In the morning we will visit the Gran Mezquita (Great Mosque). From the outside this is

a less than spectacular building however upon entry you will be amazed at its vast

interior and forest of columns and horse-shoe arches. The original mosque was begun in

the 8th

century by Abd Al Rahman I and progressively enlarged as the Muslim population

increased. After lunch we will visit the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos – the castle of

the Christian Monarchs. Flamenco show later in the evening. PD: Group discussion –

religion and history – ‘should the Mezquita be able to be used as a mosque?’ Overnight

Cordoba (B)

5 September

Morning departure for Granada along along the Ruta de Califato – the Caliph’s Route –

to drive toward Granada. Through rolling hills almost entirely covered by olive groves,

we will travel via Montefrio and Moclin passing the last remnants of Moorish resistance

as Andalusia began to fall to the Christians. We will have lunch en route at Puerto Lope

and arrive in Granada in the late afternoon. Overnight: Granada (B, L)

6 September

Morning visit to the Alhambra. This is a huge site that contains a spectacular array of

buildings and extensive gardens centred around the Palaces of the Nasrid kings who ruled

the Kingdom of Granada until it fell to the Christians in 1492. We will see the Comares

Palace, the Mexuar, the Patio de los Leones, the Generalife, the Alcazaba (fortress) and

the Palace of Charles V. The tour will take three or so hours but you are free to spend

more time there if you wish. The remainder of the day is free. The Cathedral and Royal

Chapel are worth a visit and there are plenty of good shopping areas in the old quarter.

Farewell dinner in a restaurant at the foot of the Alhambra. PD: Tour debrief. Overnight

Granada (B, D)

7 September

Tour ends. Transfer to airport and homeward flights.

Cost

Base tour – ex. Marrakesh $5935.00 (based on exchange rate of $0.65/Euros)

International Airfares (approximate only): $2450.00

Currency fluctuations above 3% will affect the final fare. This price is based on a

minimum of 16 people attending (max. 26).

Inclusions:

Tour leader and English speaking guides for the duration of the tour;

Accommodation (twin-share) in 3-4 star hotels with private facilities. Single supplement

available (additional $1090.00);

All breakfasts, nine lunches, five dinners as noted, drinking water on coaches;

Land transport on private, chartered coaches;

Ferry from Tangier to Algeciras

Comprehensive tour booklet;

Entries to sites listed in itinerary;

Group tips (bus drivers, local guides).



MARCH 2015

Exclusions:

International Airfares (Australia/Madrid/Marrakesh – Granada/Madrid/Australia);

Travel insurance (compulsory – policy details to be provided prior to departure);

Laundry and telephone;

Drinks with meals (other than water);

Individual tips (for exceptional or individual services beyond that covered by the group

tip).

Reservation and bookings

To secure a booking, forward a deposit of $750.00 per person to Travelmakers together

with the completed booking form. Please contact Phil Dalley or Janelle Woodham on 02

62232780 or email [email protected] or [email protected]

This tour is conducted in areas where the weather will be very hot on some days. Many

of the sites require walking over uneven ground or climbing steep and rough stairs. If

you have any concerns about your fitness or ability to participate in this tour, particularly

anything that may hold up the group, please contact the tour leader to discuss the

physical demands of the tour.

Balance of international airfares (if required) must be paid as specified by the airline.

Payments via credit cards will attract a transaction fee (Visa 1.5%, Diners or Amex 3%).

Balance of payment is required 60 days prior to departure

Cancellation and refunds

Flight cancellation refunds subject to airline policy.

Cancellation received more than 3 months before departure - $100 per person;

Cancellation received less than 2 months prior to departure - $400.00 per person;

Cancellation received less than 1 month prior to departure - 25% of fare.

Cancellation received less than 2 weeks prior to departure - 75% of fare.

Cancellation received less than 1 week prior to departure - full fare.

Travel insurance should be taken out as time of booking to cover cancellation fees due to

unforeseen circumstances (check insurance policy re cancellations).

Further information

Contact: Chris Carter as soon as possible on 0412001586 or email [email protected]

For information regarding flights contact Janelle Woodham or Phil Dalley at

Travelmakers on 1800 838 408.

mailto:[email protected]





MARCH 2015

Research Corner

You will find a level of professional commitment from three students who have been

invited to share their research projects and surveys with you. All of these research

studies will help to clarify the importance of discovering evidence-based truths about our

multicultural population. If you have any feedback on these articles, please write back to

us and we will pass it on to the students. Otherwise, please participate in their surveys if

applicable.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Research Project 1

Australia is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. In 2011, the Census

indicated that 27% of Australia’s population (5.3 million) was born overseas and a

further 20% (4.1 million) had at least one overseas born parent. The overseas-born

population of Australia is steadily growing in number and diversity in particular from

non-English speaking countries (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2013). Immigrants from

non-English speaking countries arrive to the new country with varying levels of English

competence. Over half of first generation Australians, 20% of second generation

Australians, and 67% of recent arrivals speak a language other than English at home

(Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2013). Psychologists are increasingly being required to

attend to the needs of adult immigrants and their children in settings such as schools,

community centres, clinics, and hospitals for whom English is not their native or

dominant language.

Over the last decades there has been increased interest in the role of culture in therapy.

The aim has been to increase multicultural competence among clinicians and to develop

culturally appropriate interventions when working with culturally and linguistically

diverse (CALD) clients. This research has focused on aspects of culture such as the

client’s world views, values, beliefs, customs, interpretation of mental illness, and the

effects on psychotherapy. Interestingly, although language is the main encoder of culture

and is core to psychotherapy very limited attention has been paid to the impact of the

client’s use of a second language in psychotherapy.

The primary means by which Western psychotherapists assist clients is through

verbalisation, and clients need to be able to verbalise their thoughts, feelings and

experiences to the therapist in order to receive the necessary help. In addition, the

client’s culturally generated values, explanations of reality, and beliefs systems are

mainly expressed through language. In Australia this therapeutic interaction is mostly

conducted in English, which is the CALD client’s non-native (and often less dominant)

language. Even for fluent English speaking immigrants this may be a difficult task and

any level of language barriers may often place CALD clients at a disadvantage.

It is well established that the use of a second language in therapy may influence

psychological assessment and treatment outcomes (e.g. may interfere with affect

experience and expression, level of disclosure, levels of anxiety, and retrieval of



MARCH 2015

memories, therapeutic alliance). Therefore, there is a need for clinicians who are aware of

the impact of bilingualism in psychotherapy, who are culturally and linguistically

sensitive, and who are adequately trained to linguistically adapt interventions to provide

competent psychological services to CALD clients.

Only a very limited number of studies have examined the therapist’s experiences when

working in English with clients for whom English is not their first language.

Our research has two primary aims: a. to explore clinicians’ experience (e.g. attitudes,

beliefs, knowledge and skills) referent to conducting assessment and psychotherapy in the

client’s non-native language (English); and b. to develop an intervention

(workshop/training) aiming to increase clinician’s cross-linguistic competence by raising

awareness, imparting knowledge, and teaching specific techniques to apply linguistic

adaptations to psychotherapy.

To this end an exploratory self-report survey will be distributed among psychologists,

counsellors, psychiatrists, mental health nurses, general practitioners, and social workers

both in post-graduate training and practising as registered professionals. Following that, a

workshop will be developed based on theory of multicultural counselling and therapy,

research findings on second language use in psychological assessment and treatment, and

data collected through our own survey. The workshop will include an introduction to the

variations on CALD clients’ linguistic profiles, an introduction to the effects of second

language use in psychological assessment and treatment, an introduction to the use of three

linguistic techniques to use with fluent bilingual clients.

You are all invited to participate in our online exploratory survey (available online in May)

and later on in the workshop (available in 2016).

(references are available upon request)

Marta García de Blakeley

PhD Candidate (Clinical Psychology)

Griffith University

Supervised by Dr Leanne Casey

Email: [email protected]



MARCH 2015

Research Project 2

Multilingual Psychologists in Australia: A study of their experiences and challenges

during training and practice

I am Leah Tan, a provisional psychologist of Chinese descent studying in Australia.

Growing up in Singapore, I learnt English as my first language, and Mandarin as my

mother tongue in school, and am fluent in both languages. Having studied in Australia

for 5-6 years, I feel increasingly competent to deliver psychological concepts and

interventions in English, but I am less confident about practising in Mandarin.

My research project began when I wondered whether other bilingual/multilingual

psychologists in training might have felt the same way, and how they dealt with it.

How did these psychologists eventually become competent in delivering their

psychological services in other languages other than the language they were trained

in?

What difficulties or barriers did they face while gaining competency to practise

psychology in multiple languages?

What resources and methods do psychologists need and use in their multilingual

practice?

Little is known about the training needs or competencies of multilingual psychologists in

Australia. The published research has mostly been conducted in the USA with Spanish

and English speaking psychologists. Because of

Australia’ s rapid influx of multicultural migrants and refugees, there is increased

demand for bilingual/multilingual mental health services, and the provision of Medicare

billing items has rendered these services more affordable throughout the community.

I hope that with your help, I can discover some answers, and provide a platform for

bilingual/multilingual psychologists in Australia to share their experiences and wisdom. I

am keen to better understand the unique experiences, challenges and training needs of

bilingual/multilingual psychologists. Additionally, I wish to understand the possible

motivators and barriers involved in choosing to offer psychological services in multiple

languages. The study outcomes may potentially extend and improve training, support and

professional development activities for bilingual/multilingual psychologists and trainees

in the future.

The research project? A master’s thesis project devised and conducted by Leah Tan, a

2nd

year Master of Psychology (Clinical) student at the University of Adelaide,

supervised by Dr Linley Denson, a clinical psychologist. The study has been approved by

the Human Research Ethics Subcommittee in the School of Psychology at the University

of Adelaide (Approval No: 1493). The de-identified findings will be submitted for

publication as a journal article.



MARCH 2015

Can you help? I am recruiting psychologists who:

Are bilingual or multilingual

Are from EITHER an English-speaking background OR a Culturally and

Linguistically Diverse (CALD) background

Have experience (current or past) in practising psychology in Australia

Have full registration as psychologists with the Australian Health Practitioner

Regulation Agency (AHPRA)

During their training years, were trained mainly in English, in other language(s), or

both

The Online Survey: 20-25 minutes. Participation in this study involves your completion of

an anonymous online survey via Survey Monkey.

If you would like to participate, please follow the link below which will take

you to a detailed information sheet, consent form and the survey.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Adelaide-Uni-Multilingual-Psychologists-

Study

Optional extra: Phone Interview 30-40 minutes. Participants who are willing to

volunteer for an interview can optionally provide their email address and phone number,

together with their preferred day and time for contact, at the end of the online survey. I will

then email you to secure a time for the interview phone call. Participants will be asked to

consent to audio recording of the confidential phone interview which will be conducted in

English and transcribed verbatim for qualitative data analysis.

If you have any queries about the study, I can be contacted at

[email protected] and Linley Denson can be contacted at

[email protected] or 08 8313 5693.

Whether or not you undertake the survey yourself, I would be extremely grateful if

you would FORWARD THE SURVEY LINK to any bilingual/multilingual

psychologists you know who could potentially participate.

Thank you!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Adelaide-Uni-Multilingual-Psychologists-Study

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Adelaide-Uni-Multilingual-Psychologists-Study





MARCH 2015

Research Project 3

Spiritual and Religious Issues in Therapy

I am looking for psychologists to participate in a research project on how psychologists

perceive their level of competency in addressing spiritual and religious issues in therapy,

and how they perceive the importance of such competencies. The study is being

conducted by Eden Foster, a student in the Masters of Clinical Psychology, under the

supervision of Associate/Prof Rocco Crino (School of Psychology, CSU) and Laurenn

Thomas.

Before you decide whether or not you wish to participate in this study, it is important for

you to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. This topic is

of importance to me as I have often been advised by clients that they have sought

“Christian Psychologists” or psychologists from other religious/spiritual backgrounds for

fear of being judged by those of differing spiritual/religious backgrounds, and a sense of

acceptance of their beliefs and values by someone with similar beliefs. As a Christian

Psychologist, I feel that I myself lack the sound knowledge, awareness and competency

to deal with issues of religion and spirituality, and discussions with my colleagues have

led me to believe that I may not be the only one.

I am hopeful that my study will shed some light on how we as psychologists perceive our

own abilities in dealing with religious and spiritual matters, and that it will serve as a

catalyst for the field of psychology in Australia. Given that we are a multicultural nation,

with a number of varying religious and spiritual beliefs in our society, spirituality and

religiosity are bound to be an important part of the lives of many of our clients.

Please take the time to read the information provided carefully and discuss it with others

if you wish.

If you would like to participate in this study please use the below link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/austpsychcompspirit

I would also appreciate your assistance in forwarding this survey through your own

professional networks for other psychologists to complete this survey. No identifying

data from participants will be collected.

If you would like further information please contact Eden Foster, Chief Investigator in

this research on 0409 797 814 or by email at [email protected]

Thank you.

Regards,

Eden

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/austpsychcompspirit


Documents

Psychology and Cultures APS IG (PCIG) Newslettergroups.psychology.org.au/Assets/Files/MAR15correct template.pdf · Psychology and Cultures APS IG (PCIG) Newsletter ... through the