Open AccessBringing Books Back: Enhancing the Understanding of Psychotherapy in Psychology Students Through Book Club Participation
Author(s) -
Olga Khokhlova,
Aditi Bhatia
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
teaching of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.654
H-Index - 48
eISSN - 1532-8023
pISSN - 0098-6283
DOI - 10.1177/00986283211014179
Subject(s) - psychology , thematic analysis , reading (process) , experiential learning , club , mental health , pedagogy , interpersonal communication , psychotherapist , medical education , qualitative research , social psychology , sociology , medicine , social science , political science , law , anatomy
Background: The experiential and reflective nature of psychotherapeutic training is not always captured in undergraduate psychology teaching, therefore, there is a need for educational strategies that provide opportunities for deeper understanding of the therapeutic process.Objective: This article evaluates one such strategy—A Book Club, to support the understanding of psychotherapeutic practice and mental health in Psychology undergraduate students at a private university in Dubai, UAE.Method: Psychotherapy-related books were assigned as prior reading each month, which were then discussed in the group meetings facilitated by clinically experienced Psychology lecturers. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were carried out with students and analyzed using thematic analysis.Results: Four primary themes were generated—(1) Diversity in perspectives, (2) Autonomous learning environment, (3) Reality orientation, and (4) Sparking self-insight. The results highlight that Book Clubs are useful in fostering deeper conceptualizations of the therapeutic relationship, visualizing future careers in psychotherapy, and promoting self-awareness among students.Conclusion: Discussions centred around books can provide students with discourse opportunities that enhance students’ interpersonal skills and improve student engagement.Teaching Implication: Book clubs can be a useful platform for teachers to help students connect the knowledge that they have previously acquired in the classroom with real-life experiences of psychotherapists described in books.