Papers by Nicholas P . Sarantakis
Exploring the future social identity of a PhD student dealing with anxiety: A psychotherapy clien... more Exploring the future social identity of a PhD student dealing with anxiety: A psychotherapy client study pacja.org.au/2022/08/exploring-the-future-social-identity-of-a-phd-student-dealing-with-anxiety-a-psychotherapyclient-study Return to Articles Nicholas Sarantakis I saw "Laura" (the pseudonym of a client who identified herself as a woman and who provided written consent for the publication of this anonymous client study) at the counselling and psychological services of an elite university in a major city in the United Kingdom (UK). Laura had a referral for PhD-related anxiety. Anxiety, as well as depression, is an increasingly common issue for contemporary doctoral students, and several recent studies in different countries (e.g., Hazell et al., 2021; Levecque et al., 2017) have demonstrated that this population experiences clinical anxiety and depression at a rate significantly higher than that of the general educated population of a similar age. Despite increasing interest in this phenomenon, and its pertinence for the future of society and knowledge, the specific circumstances contributing to such mental health difficulties for this population remain unclear. Therefore, it is important to investigate this phenomenon further, including how psychotherapy might help PhD students overcome mental health challenges. This study aims to contribute towards this improved understanding by exploring the nuances of the anxiety experience of a specific PhD student and how a contemporary, humanistically-oriented psychotherapeutic approach could be beneficial.
Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia
This psychotherapy case study examines the brief therapeutic journey of a young woman presenting ... more This psychotherapy case study examines the brief therapeutic journey of a young woman presenting with academic anxiety and the flexible person-centred approach adopted by her therapist, the author. Application during therapy sessions of concepts from humanistic therapy and beyond, such as configurations of self and imagining future possible selves, enabled the client to unravel her anxiety and eventually discover the underlying tension existing between her internal versus external locus of self-evaluation and self-worth, leading her to contemplate her overall social identity and future life choices. The study aimed to stimulate in the client open reflection about how an internal dialogue between parts of the self may reveal underlying internal tensions and how envisaging possible future selves can help identify how self-criticism may be socially and culturally conditioned. This study, being a single-client study, was tailored for the specific therapeutic goals and personality of the...
Family or group therapy for cancer patients? An exploration of different ways of working and the inherent challenges therein
Journal of European Psychology Students, 2014
Research at York St John (RaY) is an institutional repository. It supports the principles of open... more Research at York St John (RaY) is an institutional repository. It supports the principles of open access by making the research outputs of the University available in digital form.
Creativity in Retirement Counselling
Reflections on an Anti-discriminatory Stance in Psychotherapy
Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy
Rediscovering meaning when entering “older age”: A counseling case study based on a lifespan development and a pluralistic approach
Practice Innovations
The current literature review offers a critical evaluation of the extent to which our native lang... more The current literature review offers a critical evaluation of the extent to which our native language
determines the ways in which we conceptualise the external world. Experimental studies regarding colour
perception, spatial cognition and spatial representation of events in time are examined. It is argued that
the available evidence supports the hypothesis of (a flexible) linguistic relativity, instead of the linguistic
determinism hypothesis. Moreover, it is suggested that the impact of language on thought is mediated
by three pathways: (i) the intention of an individual to express their thoughts; (ii) the environmental and
cultural context; and (iii) the ability of an individual to learn different modes of reasoning.
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Papers by Nicholas P . Sarantakis
determines the ways in which we conceptualise the external world. Experimental studies regarding colour
perception, spatial cognition and spatial representation of events in time are examined. It is argued that
the available evidence supports the hypothesis of (a flexible) linguistic relativity, instead of the linguistic
determinism hypothesis. Moreover, it is suggested that the impact of language on thought is mediated
by three pathways: (i) the intention of an individual to express their thoughts; (ii) the environmental and
cultural context; and (iii) the ability of an individual to learn different modes of reasoning.
determines the ways in which we conceptualise the external world. Experimental studies regarding colour
perception, spatial cognition and spatial representation of events in time are examined. It is argued that
the available evidence supports the hypothesis of (a flexible) linguistic relativity, instead of the linguistic
determinism hypothesis. Moreover, it is suggested that the impact of language on thought is mediated
by three pathways: (i) the intention of an individual to express their thoughts; (ii) the environmental and
cultural context; and (iii) the ability of an individual to learn different modes of reasoning.