Example psychotherapy dissertation topic 9:

An examination of empathetic and compassionate responses in barristers.

The work of a barrister can be very stressful, and an awareness that their performance can affect the lives not only of those whom they defend or prosecute, but their families and the wider community, is an additional stressor. This dissertation considers the extent to which such stress, as well as the day-to-day routine of being confronted with varying degrees of truth, impacts the empathy of barristers. Primary research is conducted amongst ten barristers, two of which having just attained tenancy, and each is also probed for their perception that psychotherapy would improve their work-life balance as well as their professional efficacy.

Suggested initial topic reading:

• Brenner, M. (2010). ‘Redefining supervision from ‘the gaze’ to ‘supportive practice”. ADR Bulletin, 11(5), Article 4.
• Cheng, K.H.C. (2009). ‘Further linguistic markers of personality: The way we say things matters’. International Journal of Psychological Studies, vol. 3(1).
• Haque, O.S. and Waytz, A. (2012). ‘Dehumanization in medicine: Causes, solutions, and functions’. Perspectives on Psychological Science, vol. 7(2), pp. 176-186.

Example psychotherapy dissertation topic 10:

Treatment options featuring school and family involvement for pre-adolescent children with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The use of cognitive behaviour therapy to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder has been shown to be successful in the pre-adolescent age group (Martin and Thienemann, 2005). At this age, children spend a substantial amount of their awake hours at school, and thus an integrated approach with the school should be helpful. This paper considers how schools can become more involved in supportive treatment for OCD sufferers, from an awareness of the side effects of medication, to mindfulness of bullying from other children, and participation in family, individual and group therapy processes. It examines the interaction of several families and the schools which their children attend.

Suggested initial topic reading:

• Geller, D.A., Biederman, J., Stewart, S.E., Mullin, B., Martin, A., Spencer, T. and Faraone, S.V. (2003). ‘Which SSRI? A meta-analysis of pharmacotherapy trials in pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder’. American Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 160, pp. 1919-1928.
• March, J.S. (1995). ‘Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy for children and adolescents with OCD: A review and recommendations for treatment’. Journal of the American Academy Child Adolescent Psychiatry, vol. 34, pp. 7-18.
• Martin, J.L. and Thienemann, M. (2005). ‘Group cognitive-behavior therapy with family involvement for middle-school-age children with obsessive-compulsive disorder: A pilot study’. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, vol. 36(1), pp. 113-127.