The Narratives Which Connect…

Design

The initial flow chart plan that is presented here shows the ideas for the research flow chart. The actual research flow chart that was conducted through the research process is presented on page 70.

Research Design Flow Chart Plan

STAGE ONE		STAGE TWO
Pilot with PPD trainers. Prepare interview, find 1^st participant.	→	1.First person, first interview. 2.Reflections from participant after interview (Pilot)	→	Analyses of a video of a first session of FT from 1^st participant	→	Second interview, same person. 1. Genogram 2.Reflections from participant after interview	→	Prepare interview, find 2^nd participant
								STAGE THREE
1.Second person, first interview. 2.Reflections from participant after interview	→	Analyses of a video of a first session of FT from 2^nd participant. Prepare interview.	→	1.Genogram 2.Second interview, same person. 3.Reflections from participant after interview	→	And so on till all 4 participants are completed	→	Prepare special topics. Three further interviews about parallel connections with three new participants

Table 2. Research design flow chart plan.
The primary purpose of this research is to explore in depth, with seven participating systemic therapists, the patterns that connect their own personal experiences and lives with their clinical family therapy practices. Theoretical sampling helped in selecting each participant, based on Grounded Theory analysis of the previous participant’s material, and the constant comparison with each previous case. This was part of preparing for the semi-structured interview questions that were asked of each new participant. All analysis was within a Grounded Theory design. Some of the participants were also treated as “case studies” for a separate analysis of their narratives of connection, using the notion of “paradigm case”. The paradigm cases are intended to be a complementary analysis, to enrich and illustrate some of the Grounded Theory research categories.

Two interviews were conducted with each of the first four therapists, punctuated by watching a video of a first family therapy session. The second interview provided an opportunity to present my analysis of possible links between the first interview and the video and provided a validity strategy or “member check” for the first interview and its subsequent GT analysis by myself. The final three therapists were interviewed once only. This helped establish the GT process of saturation.

Sampling Procedures

Step 1

Using the theoretical sampling strategy of Grounded Theory (GT) my primary strategy has been to recruit therapists with differing lengths of practice from inside Norway. Of the first four therapists (full case studies, i.e. two interviews plus video analysis) one is a beginner and three are experienced family therapists.

Of the second group of three therapists interviewed about working as therapists while dealing with similar problems at home as those they are working with in therapy (parallel connections), one is a relatively recent beginner, one has intermediate experience and one is very experienced in family therapy. All three participants are very experienced practitioners in the fields of social work, nursing and clinical psychology. I developed the semi-structured interview guide for the first research interview based on my literature review, teaching and practice experience, and on my pilot work (see Appendix 4).

Step 2

I then designed a contract outlining some basic principles for the research cooperation. These principles included the amount of time for interviews and video recording. Furthermore, the contract stipulated how to resolve the issues of research confidentiality and anonymity properly (see Appendix 2 for a copy of the contract).

Step 3

Step 3 consisted of conducting the semi-structured interviews and collecting the video of a first family therapy session. GT was used in analysing the interviews, and theme analysis for the videos. The next interview was prepared and the next research participant selected up to four participants.

Step 4

Preparing and conducting the research interviews about special topics (parallel connections) based on the combined Theme Analysis and GT analysis sofar, with three new family therapists.

Step 5

Doing Grounded Theory analyses (open coding and axial coding) of all transcribed interviews (N = 12). Then doing theme analysis of the four videos. Then analysing the whole material to create categories and sub categories to formulate a middle-range theory about the patterns that connect the systemic family therapist’s personal and private life with their clinical practice.

My material

My material consists of 12 transcribed semi-structured interviews (including the first pilot interview with Elisabeth) with seven therapists, their genograms, e-mail reflections from the therapists after interviews, and four videos of the first four therapists’ first therapy sessions with clients. The e-mail reflections are an invitation to reflexivity and self-reflexivity both for the participants and myself. All seven participants were invited to send me their reflections after each interview. In the fall of 2006, when I was writing my thesis, I invited all of them to give some comments on their current views. All of them responded to this invitation.