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Aims or purpose

The aims are to enable co-researchers to tell theirs and/or their clients’ stories, to psycho-educate professionals to recognise and understand this presenting issue and to add to the extant sparse literature on this largely hidden topic.

Design and methodology

Based on an anti-positivist, constructionist-interpretivist and social constructionist perspective combined with a relativist ontological position, various qualitative methodologies were initially considered. Choosing a methodology that emphasised meaning rather than verbal communication (Langdridge and Hagger-Johnson, 2009) and preserving the integrity of story was regarded as crucial, so a combination of relational-centred, reflexive (Finlay and Evans, 2009) together with the collaborative narrative approach (Arvay, 2002) was chosen. The priority was to gather and represent people’s unique stories (Etherington, 2004). Participants became co-researchers’, with a collaborative process ensuing throughout the seven-stage research process. Recruitment was through professional bodies, a training college, Psychology Today and social media sites.

Twenty counsellors underwent online preliminary interviews during Summer 2019. Purposeful sampling was then used to gain diversity of representation across the Abrahamic faiths. Eight co-researchers were invited to proceed (one later withdrew), data collection being mainly via face-to-face, unstructured interviews. Following transcription, co-researchers separately analysed the transcript before a joint interpretative interview took place. This was then transcribed into blended texts and ‘pen-portraits’ (Hollway and Jefferson, 2000). This was a reflective, relational and collaborative process throughout.

Ethical approval

Ethical approval for this project has been secured from Metanoia Institute and Middlesex University.

Results and findings

Co-researchers contributed their time generously although not all had fully comprehended the extent of involvement (one person withdrew at analysis stage). However, in reflective feedback, most co-researchers’ expressed gratitude for being involved and for the opportunity to tell their stories (their own rather than clients’, became the major focus).

Research limitations

This is a small-scale qualitative study and therefore has limited generalisability. Participants are from the Abrahamic faiths and it is imperative to acknowledge that co-researchers from other religions may have produced other results.

Conclusions and implications

Co-researchers were at different stages of processing the effects of their upbringing and while most expressed appreciation for the opportunity to share stories and to work collaboratively, beneficial as well as detrimental effects of such an upbringing emerged.