Tomkins, Leanne (2018) A Conversation Analysis of Mandated Therapy Talk. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
Mandating offenders to participate in psychotherapy as part of a rehabilitation program has unique consequences for psychotherapy processes. This exploratory case study investigates how a therapist and client interactionally manage a court-mandated therapy session. It focuses on the interactional consequences being mandated has on the psychotherapy process rather than being concerned about the outcomes mandated therapy should accomplish. The method involved unmotivated examination of a court mandated therapy session for sequences of talk that occurred after ‘being mandated’ was introduced into the conversation. The relevant data was then extracted and transcribed using Jeffersonian transcription conventions. Through the application of conversation analysis, three findings were revealed including the contributions of conversation analysis to understanding mandated therapy process research, the troubled nature of client responses, and the identification of a stepwise process to advice giving. Analysis confirmed that mandated clients face different challenges compared to nonmandated clients when commencing therapy which in turn impacts on the ability of the therapist to build a therapeutic alliance. This study offers a foundation to commence empirical research aimed at filling a gap in the literature on the unique consequences mandated a client into psychotherapy has on the psychotherapy process. This new and unique way to research therapeutic interactions with court mandated clients will support economic and social policy development in the treatment of offenders and aide int eh development of training materials for practitioners working with this client group.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Psychology and Counselling (1 Jan 2015 - 31 Dec 2021) |
| Supervisors: | Steven Christensen |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 19 Aug 2025 23:49 |
| Last Modified: | 19 Aug 2025 23:49 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | mandated, conversation analysis, rehabilitation, resistant, unwilling, stepwise, advice |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52825 |
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