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COUNSELLORS’ REFLECTIONS ON HARM IN BDSM PAIN PLAY: CONTAINING AND MAINTAINING CLIENTS

dc.contributor.advisorMartin, Stephanie
dc.contributor.committeeMemberHellsten, Laurie
dc.contributor.committeeMemberMcIntyre, Laureen
dc.contributor.committeeMemberMorrison, Melanie
dc.creatorBaker, Meaghan 1991-
dc.date.accessioned2018-12-20T21:31:37Z
dc.date.available2018-12-20T21:31:37Z
dc.date.created2018-11
dc.date.issued2018-12-20
dc.date.submittedNovember 2018
dc.date.updated2018-12-20T21:31:37Z
dc.description.abstractPeople who participate in BDSM (bondage/discipline, Dominance/submission, and sadism/masochism) activities have reported some instances of stigmatization and ethical violations from mental health care providers (e.g., Bezrreh, Weinberg & Edgar, 2012; Kolmes, Stock, & Moser, 2006). However, the literature pertaining to counsellor’s understandings of clients who participate in BDSM is limited to a handful of studies (e.g., Garrott, 2008; Kelsey, Stiles, Spiller, & Diekhoff, 2013; Kolmes, et al., 2006; Lawrence & Love-Crowell, 2008). Given the potential for ethical violations, such as breach of confidentiality (Canadian Psychological Association [CPA], 2017), when kink play is interpreted as bodily harm (Garrott, 2008) this topic warrants more attention. From the few studies investigating counsellors’ views of BDSM-oriented clients, pain play has surfaced as one particular area of contention (Garrott, 2008). However, it has not been explored sufficiently due to both a general lack of inquiry specific to pain play and a reluctance of participants to discuss this sensitive topic in-depth (Garrott, 2008). This research examined how counsellors understood harm (CPA, 2017) in need of therapeutic remediation as well as serious harm (CPA, 2017) in need of reporting for clients who participate in pain play. This study was designed to specifically elicit counsellors’ understandings about particular painful activities using vignettes as well as to recruit counsellors using an anonymous, online platform in an effort to facilitate participant comfort in voicing opinions on sensitive topics. One global theme, containing and maintaining the individual, and six supporting organizing themes were generated: bodily integrity, selfhood, presence of consent, social connectedness, mental health and healing, and threat and safety are vague. The findings from this project contributed to this budding area of literature, deepening the description of harm and health as understood by counsellors and, hopefully, contributing to discussions of ethics while working with this sexual minority population.
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10388/11692
dc.subjectBDSM
dc.subjectkink
dc.subjectsadomasochism
dc.subjectsadism
dc.subjectmasochism
dc.subjectcounselling sexual minorities
dc.subjectcounselling ethics
dc.subjectbodily harm
dc.subjectpain play
dc.subjectthematic analysis
dc.titleCOUNSELLORS’ REFLECTIONS ON HARM IN BDSM PAIN PLAY: CONTAINING AND MAINTAINING CLIENTS
dc.typeThesis
dc.type.materialtext
thesis.degree.departmentEducational Psychology and Special Education
thesis.degree.disciplineSchool and Counselling Psychology
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Saskatchewan
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Education (M.Ed.)

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