Everyone Has Their Scars: Meaning Making In a Burn Survivor Support Group.

In the Burn Care literature, there is little on the lived experiences of burn support group members, the perceived benefits of burn support groups for the members, and even less on the meaning the survivors make of the support they receive. In order to provide effective services and to meet the psychosocial needs of burn survivors, it is important to understand the influence a support group has on its members as well as the personal experiences of those individuals who attend these groups. The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning that burn survivors make in a burn survivor support group. A non-random, purposeful convenience sample of six self-identified burn survivors was interviewed using a guided in-depth interview technique to explore their experiences in the support group. Key informant interviews and group observations served to triangulate the data collected in the individual interviews. The experiences of the group's members coalesced around five main themes: acceptance of self, perspective change, value of community, reciprocity, and structural meaning making components. The findings demonstrated the overall positive impact the support group had on psychosocial recovery. Additionally, analysis suggested that the meaning making process experience included Post Traumatic Growth and highlighted the importance of community in psychosocial recovery. Burn survivors reported unique growth opportunities that allowed them to integrate their injury into their identity within an encouraging and safe environment. Certain factors, such as improving group attendance, were addressed and both survivors and support staff generated suggestions for reaching others in need of support.

A Student's Perspective on Graduate Training in Sport Psychology

This article aims to add to the limited literature related to graduate training in applied sport psychology – specifically from the perspective of a current graduate student. The paper begins with a discussion about the evolving definitions of sport psychology and applied sport psychology as well as a brief history of sport psychology. Next, reasons why graduate students pursue the fields of sport psychology and applied sport psychology along with how this impacts their decisions related to graduate training are examined. Then, literature as well as personal experiences from the author related to education, supervision, practica and internships, mentorship, and certification are explored. Finally, recommendations are provided for students considering graduate training in applied sport psychology.

The Experiences of American Indian Women Warriors

This article examines the unique experiences of American Indian (AI) female veterans through a generalized qualitative study. Revealed in this study were interesting cultural insights regarding a concentrated, yet largely misunderstood, population within the U.S. military. For this study, six participants were interviewed and data were analyzed to identify common experiences of AI female veterans. The analyses revealed unique roles assumed during military service, a strengthening of cultural values, identity development, and personal empowerment as a result of AI women having served in the military. Discussion, implications, and limitations of this study are also described.

Personal Reflections on Providing Psychotherapy in a Third Language

This paper reflects upon the increasing diversity of the United States and the subsequent necessity for mental health providers who can provide psychotherapy services in more than one language. Review of the current literature of clinicians who provide bilingual services highlight the challenges and rewards of working in a second language. The literature focuses on the experiences of those bilingual clinicians who are bilingual in English and Spanish. However, there is little to no research concerning clinicians who can provide psychotherapy in three languages. This writer speaks of her experience growing up in a bilingual Vietnamese-English household in Southern California and her journey of becoming fluent in Spanish. Lastly, she provides recommendations to training programs on how to support trainees who aim to provide psychotherapy services in multiple languages.