https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/323 2026-06-05T13:31:08Z 2026-06-05T13:31:08Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147034 2026-06-02T08:41:57Z 2026-05-10T00:00:00Z

Title: Vestiges : a study in ecological identity Abstract: Silvio John Camilleri has unveiled his fifth solo show, Vestiges, at the Wignacourt Museum in Rabat. In Vestiges, Camilleri departs from the dominant focus on the urban landscape evident in his last exhibition to explore instead the thesis of ‘ecological identity’, a term coined by Mitchell Thomashow to refer to how persons perceive themselves in reference to nature. In the artist’s own words, “This series represents a kind of shift for me – from depictions of external spaces to something more internal and symbolic.” This shift could have been inspired by the passing of close relatives which sensitized him to the powerful metaphor offered by nature’s cycles for the grieving process. The collection of 32 vibrant paintings has six main strands of works related to the theme of ecological identity, particularly to the concept of totemism: Totems, Totemantics, Rhythmic Pulsations, The Horizon We Inherited, Kindred, and Primordial Lullaby. The artist uses a hybrid genre of surrealism and totemism. Predominant amongst the leitmotif of totems are four animate objects deeply linked to the Maltese context: bulls, lizards, figs, and loquat. In the case of the bull, the link extends to its strong representation in Maltese prehistoric art. In this article I explore how the genres of surrealism and totemism both align with the concept and title of Vestiges and discuss the artworks from both colonial and postcolonial standpoints.

2026-05-10T00:00:00Z Lanfranco, Ingrid M. Abela, Angela Cowan, Philip A. Cowan, Carolyn Pape https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/142310 2025-12-17T11:04:13Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: ‘Parents as partners’ coparenting programme with parents of infants with a highly reactive temperament : a randomised controlled study Authors: Lanfranco, Ingrid M.; Abela, Angela; Cowan, Philip A.; Cowan, Carolyn Pape Abstract: The ‘Parents as Partners’ (PasP) coparenting programme was delivered to heterosexual parents of infants they described as showing a highly reactive temperament (HRT) following the completion of the Infant Behaviour Questionnaire–Revised (IBQ-R) during a standard post-natal visit in their local Health Centre Well Baby Clinic in Malta. Fifty-two participating Maltese couples, all coparenting a highly reactive infant of 8 to 12 months, were randomly assigned into an experimental (n = 30 couples) or control group (n = 25). The IBQ-R, Coparenting Relationship Scale (CRS), and Parental Stress Index (PSI-4 SF) at pre- and post-intervention periods were filled out by randomised participants. Intervention group couples followed the 16-week PasP programme. All randomised couples were followed by a case manager monthly. Post-intervention results compared with controls showed reduced couple conflict occurring in front of the child, reduced parent–child dysfunctional interaction, and a reduction in negative child reactivity. Implications point to the importance of including fathers and reducing coparenting conflict in interventions designed to reduce behavioural difficulties in infants and young children.

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z Camilleri, Rosienne Sammut Scerri, Clarissa https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/142206 2025-12-15T13:42:54Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Beyond the surface : an exploration of family secrets as entry points into complex family dynamics Authors: Camilleri, Rosienne; Sammut Scerri, Clarissa Abstract: This paper explores how family secrets, silences, and disclosures encountered during childhood serve as pivotal elements in understanding complex family dynamics, as revealed through a qualitative study involving seven adult participants. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, in-depth interviews were conducted to examine the participants’ experiences of secrecy within their families. The findings suggest that family secrets, rather than being isolated occurrences, function as ‘entry points’ into more intricate and often hidden family dynamics and underlying issues. These secrets unveil deeper layers of family relationships and communication patterns, providing a portal into unresolved conflicts and unspoken tensions. Participants’ narratives disclosed a broad spectrum of themes, including parental depression, life-threatening illness, paternity uncertainty, financial struggles, infidelity, violence, abuse, and inheritance disputes. The enduring impact of these secrets on the participants’ development, maturation, and relational functioning stresses the importance of addressing such dynamics in systemic therapeutic interventions.

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z Loewenthal, Del Abela, Angela https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/142097 2025-12-10T13:54:08Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Introduction : Developing psychotherapeutic innovation and imagination through phenomenology and qualitative research with particular reference to the nature of therapeutic knowledge Authors: Loewenthal, Del; Abela, Angela Abstract: "What psychotherapeutic research has been of benefit to your practice?" I (Loewenthal) was asked the above question on completing many years as the Founding Research Chair of a national psychotherapy organisation. Partly to my amazement, and partly with a dawning realisation that this was something I had always known, I realised my answer was (and is) 'not much'! However, this answer is dependent on what is regarded as 'research'. At the time then, and even more so now, research, at the very least in the case of psychotherapy, was becoming and has become synonymous with 'empirical' research. Yet there is also research that is 'theoretical' and research that is based in 'practice'. In both of these latter cases, I can give far more examples where I think such research has benefitted my work innovatively and imaginatively with clients/patients. These three distinctions of 'practice, 'theoretical', and 'empirical' research might sometimes be seen as having some loose similarity to the 'exploratory: 'descriptive, and 'causal' research types denoted in the classic text by Selltiz et al. (1959).

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z