Enhancing teaching relationships through therapeutic use of self
| Pages | 61-70 |
| Date | 09 March 2015 |
| Published date | 09 March 2015 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JMHTEP-04-2014-0008 |
| Author | Bronwen Williams |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Mental health,Mental health education |
Enhancing teaching relationships through
therapeutic use of self
Bronwen Williams
Bronwen Williams is a Mental
Health Training Team Leader,
based at Training and
Education Department,
2gether NHS Foundation Trust,
Gloucester, UK.
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how the skills involved in building therapeutic
relationships, especially the therapeutic use of self, in clinical work can transfer in to teaching, making
reference to the supporting education theory.
Design/methodology/approach – A review of relevant education and health literature was undertaken.
Findings – Mental health practitioners’ skills transfer with good effect to the classroom, thereforeclinicians
who deliver teaching to mental health colleagues can be seen to be highly effective in promoting excellent
learning environments. The teacher, and their teaching, needs to be student focused in the same way
that the clinician needs to be patient centred to build the best possiblerelationships to support development
and change.
Originality/value – The therapeutic relationship is a fundamental element of mental health work and
similarly,the relationships that the teachers develop with students are essential to the promotion of learning
environments. However, what creates the teacher-student relationship has been little examined in the
literature and this paper suggests that the core elements of the therapeutic relationship, especially
therapeutic use of self, transfer to the teaching relationship to impact on learning for mental health staff.
Keywords Recovery, Mental health education, Teaching relationship, Therapeutic relationship
Paper type Conceptual paper
Introduction
For many mental health practitioners some form of teaching is a likely part of their role and for
some, education becomes a significant element of their job. When clinicians become involved in
the delivery of courses for their mental health colleagues their specialised interpersonal skills
are of more use to them in the classroom than they might realise. Therapeutic relationships and
the therapeutic use of self have been the cornerstone of mental health practice over many
years (Dziopa and Ahern, 2009; Barker, 1999; Lego, 1999; Altschul, 1972; Peplau, 1952).
When practitioners transfer these skills to the classroom it can support their teaching to become
authentic and facilitate learning for those they teach. This can be broken down into specific skills
and actions that can allow teachers to engage their students and to support a higher degree
of learning.
The relationship between student and teacher is fundamental to the learning process and much
discussed in the teaching literature, but there is less about what the teacher actually does, and
how they use themselves, in the classroom. Only a few writers have described the transfer
of skills from therapeutic work to teaching practice. Carl Rogers applied many of his ideas of
personal growth to both counselling and teaching practice as “the interpersonal relationship in
the facilitation of learning” (Rogers, 1983, p. 119) and he highlighted the importance of the
student-teacher relationship, the therapist-patient relationship and the similarity of many
elements of both. Brockbank and McGill’s (2007) work on the facilitation of reflective learning
was informed by Rogers’ ideas. Ursano et al. (2007) identified that therapists’ therapeutic
DOI 10.1108/JMHTEP-04-2014-0008 VOL. 10 NO. 1 2015, pp. 61-70, CEmerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1755-6228
j
THE JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING, EDUCATION AND PRACTICE
j
PAGE 61
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