[acb-hsp] Doctoral Research on Therapists with Visible Disabilities

[Sharon]

Can some one forward this to the Blind Counselors list?

Running into difficulty doing so.

Sharon Hughey


Hello Friends, Colleagues, and Classmates:

My name is Chris O'Connell and I am a fourth year Doctoral Student at the
Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology (MSPP). I hope you will
consider assisting me with my doctoral research. I plan to interview
licensed psychotherapists with visible physical disabilities or physical
differences about their use of disability related self-disclosure in
psychotherapy. I was born with Cerebral Palsy and thus use a wheelchair for
mobility purposes. Throughout my clinical training I have become curious
about how, when, and why psychotherapists with physical disabilities or
differences talk about their disabilities within therapy. In my own clinical
experience I have found discussions about my disability with clients to be
both intellectually interesting and clinically useful. 

As you may or may not know the APA does not have any division devoted to
disability or for psychologists with disabilities. Any discussion of
disability that I have found within the APA is in journals devoted to
rehabilitation which in itself says something about the APA's philosophy of
disability and physical difference. Also while all clinical psychology
programs address diversity and cross-cultural differences very few mention
disability. All of this despite the fact that people with disabilities
represent the largest minority in the US. 

As you can probably tell I am pretty passionate about this. My hope is that
this small project and future ones like it help to bring the subject of
disability into discussions of diversity where it rightfully belongs. I was
hoping that you all might help me identify potential participants. Since the
APA has no division devoted to disability I am trying to access participants
using my own personal contacts or through contacts of friends or colleagues.
In order to be eligible for my study participants must meet the following
criteria:

. Be a licensed mental health professional (psychologist, psychiatrist,
psychiatric nurse, social worker, licensed mental health counselor, licensed
marriage and family therapist)
. Have worked in mental health for at least one year post-licensure
. Have a visible physical disability or difference (use of a mobility
device, deafness, blindness, missing limb etc)
. Be between the ages of 25 and 80

If you or anyone that you know meet the criteria for the study and would
like to participate, please feel free to contact me directly at
<mailto:Christopher_oconnell at mspp.edu> Christopher_oconnell at mspp.edu or
(617) 653-5776. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Chris O'Connell


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