https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/9176 2026-09-10T14:35:00Z 2026-09-10T14:35:00Z Galea, Julian Falzon, Ruth https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148985 2026-09-09T10:25:00Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Metaphor in counselling research design : accessing imagery to unveil understanding Authors: Galea, Julian; Falzon, Ruth Abstract: This paper outlines the methodology and research design used to explore how counsellors conceptualise growth and how this may inform their work with clients. Five counsellors practicing on the island-nation of Malta were interviewed in a process driven through the use of stimuli intended to support participants to access deeper, more complex sources of meaning. Participants noted that the use of visuals and metaphors within the research design facilitated prompt, profound access to themes, concepts and reflections about their own beliefs and approach to counselling. The study highlights the role of creative and analogical thinking in fostering reflexivity and deeper therapeutic engagement when using imagery and metaphors. These helped evoke discourse that surprised the participants themselves. Findings suggest that incorporating metaphorical and visual elicitation techniques in research and practice can provide rich, complex data; enhance participants’ understanding of complex psychological constructs and support professional development within the field of counselling.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/145465 2026-04-10T09:14:02Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Understanding identity in later life : trauma-focused narratives of older Maltese adults living in residential care Abstract: This study explores the narrative construction of trauma-related identity among older Maltese care-home residents to inform age-appropriate counselling interventions. Trauma-related identity refers to how self-concept is shaped or influenced by a perceived or real threat to self-integrity. Five women and one man without cognitive impairments, who were above 80 years old and resided in a state-owned residential care home, shared their life narratives and the meanings they attribute to experiences in relation to personal/social identity. Data was generated through in-depth, open-ended interviews using the SQUIN (Single Question Instigating Narrative) method. SQUIN was selected to encourage narrative willingness, allowing participants to structure their life stories organically and have complete control over the unfolding story, especially as their living situations were categorised by a lack of control. Rigour and trustworthiness were ensured through reflexive journaling and a code re-coding strategy. Narrative inquiry and reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) were adopted for data collection and analysis respectively, whereby five major themes emerged. These include a childhood shaped by conflict and responsibility, trauma as a cause and consequence of social roles and identity disruption, adjustment to residential life, framing hardship through normalcy and redemption, and identity anchors as a stronghold against trauma. A major implication of this study is the need for trauma-focused care and identity maintenance within counselling services for older Maltese care home residents. Recommendations for future research include narrative gerontological trauma/identity research specific to the Maltese context. Description: M.Couns.(Melit.)

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/145464 2026-04-10T09:11:04Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Play therapy for adults? : exploring the lived experience of local kink practitioners Abstract: This study investigated the lived experiences of four local kink practitioners (kinksters), each with a history of trauma utilising Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Participants were recruited using purposive sampling. Data was collected through audio recorded semi-structured interviews. Findings showed how for participants kink activities functioned as a context for reclaiming autonomy and practicing consent literacy, transferable into everyday life. Participants described kink as a vital space for somatic regulation, providing opportunities to navigate bodily presence and manage traumatic dissociation through structured kink practices. Furthermore, participant experiences demonstrated that through kink activities they are able to rehearse and reconstruct parts of their identity re-authoring narratives of powerlessness into experiences of negotiated vulnerability. Central to these experiences was the presence of ethical scaffolding, where explicit communication and community safeguards facilitated harm reduction within a small-island context. Collectively, these findings challenge pathological assumptions by suggesting that, for some survivors, kink becomes a site of relational repair and embodied confidence. Implications are outlined for Maltese counselling practice, including the need for kink-aware, trauma-informed, and queer-affirmative training, reflexive supervision around sexuality and power, and assessment practices that differentiate consensual kink from abuse. Description: M.Couns.(Melit.)

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/145463 2026-04-10T09:05:04Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Primary colours : a qualitative study with persons with DS and expressing of emotions through colours Abstract: Emotional expression can be complex for individuals with DS, especially when counselling relies heavily on verbal communication. This study explores how colour and expressive-arts methods can support emotional expression among adults with DS in Malta, aiming to investigate how creative, non-verbal modalities, specifically colour-based art activities, can facilitate self-expression, emotional awareness, and communication within a counselling context. Grounded in a person-centred and humanistic framework, and informed by the ZOR and the Expressive Therapies Continuum, the research employed a qualitative, practice-based design. The Primary Colours programme, which I created, consisted of six structured sessions incorporating collage, colour-based emotion sorting, body-scan drawings, mask-making, and reflective painting. Data were collected through observation notes, reflective journaling, and visual analysis of the three participants’ artwork to interpret how emotions were represented and expressed. Findings show that participants were able to identify and communicate emotions more clearly when offered structured, supportive, and visually engaging activities. Colour and imagery provided an accessible emotional language, while adapted tools such as the ZOR enhanced emotional understanding. This study contributes to the limited Maltese research in this area and highlights the value of expressive-arts approaches as inclusive counselling methods for clients who communicate more comfortably through non-verbal means. Description: M.Couns.(Melit.)

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z