Time-Limited Therapy for Complex Trauma
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Time-Limited Therapy for Complex Trauma: How do clinicians work with developmentally traumatised clients within a time-limited therapeutic frame? A Grounded Theory study.
IRAS ID
197473
Contact name
Katrina Aguilera
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
London Metropolitan University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 3 months, 29 days
Research summary
Major changes have been made in the delivery of psychological therapy in the NHS recently. Lack of funding has caused psychological treatment to become much more restricted and time-limited therapy (therapy provided within a time-limited number of sessions, for example 20 sessions) focused mainly on reducing symptoms, appears to be the approach increasingly used within NHS community mental health services, typically made up of very complex patients. The people within these services have often suffered complex trauma i.e. trauma resulting from physical, sexual and/or emotional abuse beginning in infancy or early childhood and repeatedly throughout. Severe psychological and emotional problems can develop as a result of this which may considerably impact on their ability to function day-to-day.
The aim of my research is to establish how NHS psychologists, working with clients presenting with these severe difficulties, grapple with the dilemma of providing time-limited therapy with complex, high need clients. Participants will be recruited from psychology teams within two NHS Trusts which currently provide time-limited therapy to complex trauma clients. Interviews will be carried out with psychologists within these teams to explore how they are best able to address the complex needs of their clients within the 20 therapy sessions now typically offered within these Trusts. Interviews will be expected to take about 1 hour and the entire study is expected to last about 18 months start to finish. It is hoped that by carrying out this research this may be able to help psychological therapists working with high need clients within short timeframes in future.
REC name
North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/NW/0454
Date of REC Opinion
20 Jun 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion