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All Outputs (82)

The learning experiences of UK autistic university students during the Covid-19 pandemic (2023)
Journal Article
Parker, L., & Clarke, V. (2023). The learning experiences of UK autistic university students during the Covid-19 pandemic. Qualitative Methods in Psychology Bulletin, 15-27. https://doi.org/10.53841/bpsqmip.2023.1.36.15

This study explored the learning experiences of autistic university students in the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic, covering the period from the first lockdown in March 2020 to the removal of restrictions in July 2021 and the subsequent return to in... Read More about The learning experiences of UK autistic university students during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Qualitative story completion: A creative and novel method for psychotherapy and counselling psychology research (2023)
Journal Article
Clarke, V., & Moller, N. (2023). Qualitative story completion: A creative and novel method for psychotherapy and counselling psychology research. Qualitative Methods in Psychology Bulletin, 35(Spring 2023), https://doi.org/10.53841/bpsqmip.2023.1.35.24

Story completion (SC) – where respondents are presented with the start of a story (the story ‘stem’ or ‘cue’) and asked to complete it – originally developed as a projective technique for clinical and research assessment. While SC continues to be use... Read More about Qualitative story completion: A creative and novel method for psychotherapy and counselling psychology research.

Is thematic analysis used well in health psychology? A critical review of published research, with recommendations for quality practice and reporting (2023)
Journal Article
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2023). Is thematic analysis used well in health psychology? A critical review of published research, with recommendations for quality practice and reporting. Health Psychology Review, 17(4), 695-718. https://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2022.2161594

Despite the persistent dominance of a ‘scientific psychology’ paradigm in health psychology, the use of qualitative research continues to grow. Qualitative approaches are often based on fundamentally different values from (post)positivistempiricism,... Read More about Is thematic analysis used well in health psychology? A critical review of published research, with recommendations for quality practice and reporting.

The problem with picking: Permittance, escape and shame in problematic skin picking (2022)
Journal Article
Anderson, S., Clarke, V., & Thomas, Z. (2023). The problem with picking: Permittance, escape and shame in problematic skin picking. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 96(1), 83-100. https://doi.org/10.1111/papt.12427

Objectives: Problematic skin picking (SP) is a poorly understood experience characterised by a drive to pick the skin and related psychosocial impact. In the DSM-5, problematic SP is classified as ‘excoriation (skin picking) disorder’. The aim of thi... Read More about The problem with picking: Permittance, escape and shame in problematic skin picking.

‘Sunshine’, ‘angels’ and ‘rainbows’: Language developed by mothers bereaved by perinatal loss (2022)
Journal Article
Wheeler, L., Fragkiadaki, E., Clarke, V., & DiCaccavo, A. (2022). ‘Sunshine’, ‘angels’ and ‘rainbows’: Language developed by mothers bereaved by perinatal loss. British Journal of Midwifery, 30(7), 368-374. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjom.2022.30.7.368

Background A perinatal loss is a life-changing event that can have psychological consequences for a mother both after the loss and in a subsequent pregnancy. Aims This qualitative study aimed to examine mothers' lived experiences of the holistic jour... Read More about ‘Sunshine’, ‘angels’ and ‘rainbows’: Language developed by mothers bereaved by perinatal loss.

The impact of masculine ideologies on heterosexual men’s experiences of intimate partner violence: A qualitative exploration (2022)
Journal Article
Hogan, K. F., Clarke, V., & Ward, T. (2024). The impact of masculine ideologies on heterosexual men’s experiences of intimate partner violence: A qualitative exploration. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma, 33(1), 123-142. https://doi.org/10.1080/10926771.2022.2061881

The subject of female-perpetuated intimate partner violence (IPV) against men remains poorly understood and in need of further research. Exploration of societal expectations surrounding masculinity and male victimization may enhance understanding of... Read More about The impact of masculine ideologies on heterosexual men’s experiences of intimate partner violence: A qualitative exploration.

Qualitative story completion for counseling psychology research: A creative method to interrogate dominant discourses (2021)
Journal Article
Moller, N., Clarke, V., Braun, V., Tischner, I., & Vossler, A. (2021). Qualitative story completion for counseling psychology research: A creative method to interrogate dominant discourses. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 68(3), 286-298. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000538

Qualitative story completion (SC) research involves the novel qualitative application of a technique previously used in quantitative research and clinical assessment, in which participants write stories in response to a story “stem” designed by the r... Read More about Qualitative story completion for counseling psychology research: A creative method to interrogate dominant discourses.

Conceptual and design thinking for thematic analysis (2021)
Journal Article
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2022). Conceptual and design thinking for thematic analysis. Qualitative Psychology, 9(1), 3–26. https://doi.org/10.1037/qup0000196

Thematic analysis (TA) is widely used in qualitative psychology. In using TA, researchers must choose between a diverse range of approaches that can differ considerably in their underlying (but often implicit) conceptualizations of qualitative resear... Read More about Conceptual and design thinking for thematic analysis.

"Surprisingly helpful": An exploration of trainee and registered music therapists' perspectives on the current role of personal therapy in music therapy training in the United Kingdom (2021)
Journal Article
Brand, M., Clarke, V., & Warner, C. (2023). "Surprisingly helpful": An exploration of trainee and registered music therapists' perspectives on the current role of personal therapy in music therapy training in the United Kingdom. Approaches: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Music Therapy, 15(2), 219-240

Music therapy training programmes in the United Kingdom are accredited by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). The HCPC requires registered music therapists to have experience and understanding of the value of therapy for developing insigh... Read More about "Surprisingly helpful": An exploration of trainee and registered music therapists' perspectives on the current role of personal therapy in music therapy training in the United Kingdom.

Men’s experiences of help-seeking for female-perpetrated intimate partner violence: A qualitative exploration (2021)
Journal Article
Hogan, K., Clarke, V., & Ward, T. (2021). Men’s experiences of help-seeking for female-perpetrated intimate partner violence: A qualitative exploration. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 21(4), 934-945. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12409

The subject of female-perpetrated intimate partner violence (IPV) against men has been one of controversy, with well-rehearsed arguments surrounding both the nature and existence of female-perpetrated abuse against men. The aims of this study were to... Read More about Men’s experiences of help-seeking for female-perpetrated intimate partner violence: A qualitative exploration.

“I was just fed up of not being myself”: Coming out experiences of white British divorced and separated gay fathers (2021)
Journal Article
Clarke, V., & Earley, E. (2021). “I was just fed up of not being myself”: Coming out experiences of white British divorced and separated gay fathers. Journal of GLBT Family Studies, 17(3), 251-272. https://doi.org/10.1080/1550428X.2021.1902448

Before the so-called “gayby boom” in the 1990s the most common pathway to parenthood for gay men was heterosexual marriage. Since the 1990s most research on gay parenting has focused on intentional gay fathers–those parenting after coming out as gay–... Read More about “I was just fed up of not being myself”: Coming out experiences of white British divorced and separated gay fathers.

Staying strong: Exploring experiences of managing emotional distress for African Caribbean women living in the UK (2021)
Journal Article
Graham, R., & Clarke, V. (2021). Staying strong: Exploring experiences of managing emotional distress for African Caribbean women living in the UK. Feminism and Psychology, 31(1), 140-159. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959353520964672

The ‘strong Black woman’ (SBW) is a Western cultural stereotype that depicts African heritage women as strong, self-reliant, independent, yet nurturing and self-sacrificing. US research indicates that this stereotype negatively impacts the emotional... Read More about Staying strong: Exploring experiences of managing emotional distress for African Caribbean women living in the UK.

Exploring therapists' and psychology students' constructions of sexual refusal in heterosexual relationships: A qualitative story completion study (2021)
Journal Article
Shah-Beckley, I., & Clarke, V. (2021). Exploring therapists' and psychology students' constructions of sexual refusal in heterosexual relationships: A qualitative story completion study. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 21(4), 946-956. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12388

Anxieties about sex and sexual problems are widespread and are often brought to counselling and psychotherapy. Research has found that even practitioners without specialist training often work with sexual difficulties because of the prevalence of suc... Read More about Exploring therapists' and psychology students' constructions of sexual refusal in heterosexual relationships: A qualitative story completion study.

‘Rarely discussed but always present’: Exploring therapists’ accounts of the relationship between social class, mental health and therapy (2021)
Journal Article
McEvoy, C., Clarke, V., & Thomas, Z. (2021). ‘Rarely discussed but always present’: Exploring therapists’ accounts of the relationship between social class, mental health and therapy. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 21(2), 324-334. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12382

With a few exceptions, the subject of social class has rarely been addressed in counselling and psychotherapy research. This study seeks to contribute to redressing this omission by exploring therapists’ accounts of how social class operates within t... Read More about ‘Rarely discussed but always present’: Exploring therapists’ accounts of the relationship between social class, mental health and therapy.

Can I use TA? Should I use TA? Should I not use TA? Comparing reflexive thematic analysis and other pattern‐based qualitative analytic approaches (2020)
Journal Article
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). Can I use TA? Should I use TA? Should I not use TA? Comparing reflexive thematic analysis and other pattern‐based qualitative analytic approaches. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 21(1), 37-47. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12360

Thematic analysis methods, including the reflexive approach we have developed, are widely used in counselling and psychotherapy research, as are other approaches that seek to develop ‘patterns’ (themes, categories) across cases. Without a thorough gr... Read More about Can I use TA? Should I use TA? Should I not use TA? Comparing reflexive thematic analysis and other pattern‐based qualitative analytic approaches.

The online survey as a qualitative research tool (2020)
Journal Article
Braun, V., Clarke, V., Boulton, E., Davey, L., & McEvoy, C. (2021). The online survey as a qualitative research tool. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 24(6), 641-654. https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2020.1805550

Fully qualitative surveys, which prioritise qualitative research values, and harness the rich potential of qualitative data, have much to offer qualitative researchers, especially given online delivery options. Yet the method remains underutilised, a... Read More about The online survey as a qualitative research tool.

One size fits all? What counts as quality practice in (reflexive) thematic analysis? (2020)
Journal Article
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2020). One size fits all? What counts as quality practice in (reflexive) thematic analysis?. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 18(3), 328-352. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2020.1769238

Developing a universal quality standard for thematic analysis (TA) is complicated by the existence of numerous iterations of TA that differ paradigmatically, philosophically and procedurally. This plurality in TA is often not recognised by editors, r... Read More about One size fits all? What counts as quality practice in (reflexive) thematic analysis?.

Being both narrative practitioner and academic researcher: A reflection on what thematic analysis has to offer narratively informed research (2019)
Journal Article
Lainson, K., Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2019). Being both narrative practitioner and academic researcher: A reflection on what thematic analysis has to offer narratively informed research. International Journal of Narrative Therapy and Community Work, 2019(4),

What opportunities are there for narrative practitioners to engage in academic research whilst retaining an alignment with poststructuralist ideas, feminist commitments and narrative practice principles? This paper considers Virginia Braun and Victor... Read More about Being both narrative practitioner and academic researcher: A reflection on what thematic analysis has to offer narratively informed research.

Counselling formerly heterosexually partnered gay fathers raised with religion (2019)
Journal Article
Earley, E., Clarke, V., & Moller, N. (2020). Counselling formerly heterosexually partnered gay fathers raised with religion. British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 48(6), 768-779. https://doi.org/10.1080/03069885.2019.1679351

© 2019, © 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Formerly heterosexually partnered gay fathers raised with religion are an under-researched group of LGBTQ parents. This group have potentially complex coming out journeys, which... Read More about Counselling formerly heterosexually partnered gay fathers raised with religion.