An appreciative self-management coaching programme to facilitate the wellness of somatology therapists

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Date
2015-06
Authors
Henrico, Karien
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
English: In this research project, an in-depth study was conducted by the researcher with a view to design and develop an Appreciative Self-Management Coaching (ASMC) programme to facilitate the wellness of somatology therapists. The work of many health disciplines, such as the somatology therapist, is mentally, physically and emotionally demanding. Working with clients on a daily basis has been found to cause distress to the professional within this emotionally labour-intensive context. In recent years, the prevalence of wellness and the need to look after the wellness needs of the health professional have become important. The significance and benefits of wellness initiatives to the individual and the employer has been well-documented in the academic literature. The literature, however, fails to provide the somatologist with a cost effective and time efficient wellness programme, tailor made for the somatology clinic context, which is as unique and flexible as the individual him/herself. In light of the above challenges, the following research question arose: What should an appreciative self-management coaching programme consist of to facilitate the wellness of somatology therapists? A qualitative, design-based research design was followed, including Appreciative Inquiry as the underpinning philosophy. The research took place in three phases. In Phase 1 – Preliminary phase – a needs-and-context analysis was done. This phase was informed by (1) a previous study on the self-management needs of somatology therapists (Richter 2010), conducted by the researcher in collaboration with practitioners in the field of somatology; (2) a literature review on wellness, self-management, self-coaching and appreciative coaching in order to probe the contemporary trends in modern somatology and elsewhere; and (3) Appreciative Inquiry based, in-depth, semi-structured interviews using the GROW model of coaching with practitioners in the field of somatology. Phase 2 – Prototyping phase – extended on the above research. An iterative design was used, consisting of two micro-cycles of research concerned with formative evaluation. Through collaboration with practitioners and experts in the somatology, education and coaching field, using focus group discussions, the researcher improved and refined the proposed ASMC programme. Phase 3 – Evaluation and Reflection phase. Through semi-formative and focused discussion, the perceived soundness and feasibility of the ASMC was tested, using a two-fold Alpha test. (1) The first part of the alpha test was conducted during the focus group discussion in Phase 2, and (2) a document analysis was conducted by expert appraisal (using an expert in the field of coaching, education and health). Finally the researcher conducted both organic and structured reflection to further both the theoretical and practical goals of this study. Bracketing was used to meet the methodological, ethical and emotional challenges that arose. This study presents an ASMC programme that is holistic, unique, flexible and effective. The researcher believes that the ASMC did more than just bridge the gap identified for the somatology therapist. Wellness is important to all professional groups, and the ASMC is believed to be a novel first step in addressing the maldistribution of wellness related practices for the somatologist and Higher Educational Institutions due to its flexible and adaptive nature.
Afrikaans: In hierdie navorsing is ʼn indringende studie deur die navorser gedoen met die doel om ʼn waarderende selfbestuurafrigting (WSBA) -program te onwerp en ontwikkel ten einde die welstand van somatologieterapeute te fasiliteer. Die posvereistes vir baie gesondheidsverwante dissiplines, soos somatologieterapie, is geestelik, fisies en emosioneel veeleisend. Om daagliks met kliënte te werk veroorsaak angs by die professionele persoon in hierdie emosioneel uitputtende konteks. In die afgelope paar jaar het die voorkoms van welstand en om aandag aan welstandsbehoeftes van die individu te gee, baie belangrik geword. Literatuur het die belangrikheid en voordele van welstandsinisiatiewe vir die individu en die werkgewer goed gedokumenteer. Vanweë die aard van die somatologiekliniek, bly literatuur in gebreke om aan die somatoloog ʼn koste- en tyddoeltreffende welstandprogram te verskaf wat op hul konteks, wat so uniek en buigsaam as die individu self is, toegespits is. In die lig van bogenoemde uitdagings het die volgende vraag ontstaan: Waaruit moet ʼn waarderende selfbestuurafrigtingsprogram bestaan om die welstand van somatologieterapeute te fasiliteer? ʼn Kwalitatiewe, ontwerpgebaseerde navorsingsontwerp is gevolg, insluitend waarderende ondersoek as ʼn onderliggende filosofie. Die navorsing het in drie fases plaasgevind. Fase 1 – Voorafgaande fase: ʼn Behoefte-en-konteksontleding is gedoen. Eerstens het ʼn vorige studie oor die selfbestuursbehoeftes van somatologieterapeute hierdie fase ten grondslag gelê (Richter 2010), wat deur die navorser in samewerking met somatologiepraktisyns uitgevoer is. Tweedens is ʼn literatuuroorsig oor welstand, selfbestuur, selfafrigting en waarderende afrigting gedoen ten einde die huidige tendense in moderne somatologie en elders noulettend te ondersoek. Derdens is waarderende ondersoekgebaseerde, indringende, semigestruktureerde onderhoude gevoer met behulp van die GROW model van afrigting saam met praktisyns op die gebied van somatologie. Fase 2 – Prototipefase: gegrond op bostaande navorsing het fase twee ʼn herhalende ontwerp gevolg wat uit twee mikrosiklusse van navorsing, wat met formatiewe evaluasie as die belangrikste navorsingsaktiwiteit gemoeid is, bestaan. Deur samewerking met praktisyns/deskundiges in somatologie, opvoedkunde en afrigting en deur fokusgroepbesprekings het die navorsing die voorgestelde WSBW-program verbeter en verfyn. Fase 3 – Evaluasie- en nadenkefase: Deur semiformatiewe en gefokusde bespreking is die vermeende gegrondheid en uitvoerbaarheid met ʼn tweeledige alfa-toets getoets. (1) Die eerste deel van die alfa-toets is gedurende die fokusgroepbespreking in fase 2 gedoen, en (2) dokumentontleding is deur deskundige beoordeling gedoen (deskundig op die gebied van afrigting, opvoedkunde en gesondheid). Ten slotte het die navorser organiese en ook gestruktureerde nadenke uitgevoer om sowel die teoretiese as die praktiese doel van hierdie studie te bevorder. Groepering is gebruik om die metodologiese, etiese en emosionele uitdagings wat ontstaan het, die hoof te bied. Hierdie studie bied 'n WSBA program wat holistiese , unieke , buigbare en doeltreffende is. Die navorser is van mening dat die WSBA meer gedoen het as om bloot die gaping te oorbrug wat vir die somatologieterapeut geïdentifiseer is. Welstand is vir alle professionele groepe belangrik en die WSBA, vanweë die buigsame en aanpasbare aard van die WSBA, word as ʼn eerste tree beskou om aandag aan die wanverspreiding van welstandverwante praktyke vir die somatoloog en hoëronderwysinstellings te gee.
Description
Keywords
Individual wellness, Self-management (psychology), Coaching (psychology), Appreciative coaching, Self-coaching, Appreciative inquiry, Design based research, Somatology, Health sciences, Health education, IS-Wel, Wellness, Well-being, Beauty operators -- Training of, Success in business, Beauty operators, Thesis (Ph.D. (Health Professions Education))--University of the Free State, 2015
Citation