The dissertation primarily involves an exploration of art-like research possibilities via
symbolic constructivism, concerning research into a therapeutic process from the
position of a beginning therapist. Symbolic constructivism within the broader
framework of artistic inquiry forms the methodological paradigm. Symbolic
constructivism is regarded as a social constructionist research method, and entails
using art-like formats in creating a symbol representing the issue being researched.
Fiction writing is thereby used in creating a story as a co-constructed symbol,
exploring what happened during a therapy process involving issues regarding trauma
and dissociation that I undertook with a female client. The client acts as co-researcher
in co-writing and editing the story's content, style and tone. The study also represents
my reality in terms of understanding theoretical constructs from epistemologically
diverse paradigms, therapeutic processes, doing research and writing a dissertation
as it is punctuated at a specific moment in time. As a subtext the dissertation may also
be described as a narrative about becoming - becoming a therapist, being a person,
and the interface between these two (amongst other) selves. In the dissertation, I
therefore hope to present a process-oriented account of personal therapeutic
development as well.
ŠUniversity of Pretoria 2007
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