Gives clear guidance on how to set up and conduct small scale research that is based in clinical practice Assumes no prior knowledge of qualitative research and is aimed specifically at psychotherapists Recognises development of the evidence base for psychotherapy through qualitative research as a key objective for practitioners.

About the Editors vii Contributing Authors ix Preface xi Part I Engaging Qualitative Research and the Relational-centred Approach 1 Introduction 1 1 Qualitative Relational-centred Research: A 'Voyage of Discovery' 3 2 Competing Qualitative Research Traditions 13 3 Embodied Co-creation: Theory and Values for Relational Research 29 4 Challenging 'Evidence-based Practice' 45 5 Quality in Qualitative Relational-centred Research 59 Part II Relational-centred Research: Being and Doing 69 Introduction 69 6 Setting Up Research 71 7 The Research Encounter: Co-creating your Data 87 8 Embracing Relational Research: Learning from Therapy 107 9 Engaging 'Process' 127 10 Analysis of Data Linda Finlay Anna Madill 145 11 Relational Ethics 159 12 Becoming a Relational Researcher 175 Part III Relational-centred Research in Action 183 Introduction 183 13 'My Heart was Killing Me': A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experience of Anger Virginia Eatough 185 14 A Therapist's Portrait of a Clinical Encounter with a Somatizer Maria Luca 197 15 Relating through Difference: A Critical Narrative Analysis Darren Langdridge 213 16 A Journey into Survival and Coping by Women Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse Susan L Morrow 227 References 241 Index 259

Carrying out research has become increasingly important for psychotherapists in clinical practice. Relational-centred Research for Psychotherapists: Exploring Meaning and Experience addresses this clear need by providing a practical introduction to developing relational-centred qualitative research. Readers are offered many practical examples of small-scale research that is firmly grounded in clinical experience. Advocating a qualitative research approach, the examples mirror relational-centred practice by placing the emphasis on conducting research with participants, not on them. Finlay and Evans demonstrate that many of the familiar clinical skills, values, and interests of therapists – such as interviewing skills, reflexive interpretation, and inferential thinking – are, in fact, transferable to the research domain, while knowledge of research processes and findings can further enhance clinical therapy. As an accessible introduction to setting up and conducting research, this book is the long-awaited answer to increasing competencies for psychotherapists and counsellors in clinical practice.

"This is a useful and informative introductory book. It sparked my interest in pursuing some of the suggested methods and topics of research within my own setting." (Gestalt Journal of Australia and New Zealand, June 2010)

‘This book is highly readable, and humanistic in the best and deepest sense of the word. Finlay and Evans have done much to demonstrate what psychotherapy and qualitative research have in common without overlooking their boundaries. They provide a vision and a map that is likely to inspire and give guidance to psychotherapists and researchers who take seriously the exploration of human experience.’--Steen Halling, Professor of Psychology, Seattle University, USA ‘This book is essential reading for seasoned and novice researchers alike; Finlay and Evans put relational-centred research on the map and offer a much-needed bridge across the gulf between academic theory/research and clinical practice.’--Professor Simon du Plock, Metanoia Institute and Middlesex University, UK ‘I believe that psychotherapists will resonate strongly with this approach to research. It just makes so much sense. The human dimensions of research are emphasised --both in its process and in its topic areas. This is a book that can awaken enthusiasm for what is most alive in human-centred enquiry.’--Professor Les Todres, author of Embodied Enquiry: Phenomenological Touchstones for Research, Psychotherapy and Spirituality