Students
IF we consider identity to be multifaceted, how much of you is there
in your training? It could be argued that with the increased use of
qualitative research methods and reflective practice, psychology as a
profession is shifting to invite more of you into your professional
role. Carrere and Weiss (1988) propose that as a profession:
We are no longer detached, ‘objective’ Copernican observers, rather our
involvement in psychological work is revealed to be an intimate one…
Accordingly, it is important that psychology as a science address the
subjective and personal engagement of students in its professional
education. (p.151)
But how much of you do you choose to bring in? In my current master’s
in systemic therapy I am encouraged to speak from the identity position
that informs my reflections on the work, be that gender, culture,
ethnicity, class, etc. For example, when listening to stories of sexual
abuse with African clients, I might say ‘While you were talking, I
found myself thinking that as a white Western woman I would label what
you are describing as an abuse of power; I wonder if this fits for
you?’ However, some of these positions feel more comfortable to speak
from than others. In my clinical psychology training, I felt varying
degrees of comfort discussing different aspects of my identity that I
felt connected to the work with different supervisors and tutors. For
me the greatest area of conflict was around my sexuality (which I
defined as lesbian at the time). Choosing to be ‘out’ or not is always
a complex issue, but there were times when my reflections on the
clinical work were informed by this view, or when I felt dismayed in
staff meetings witnessing opinions that I considered homophobic.
However, it also felt uncomfortable holding different aspects of my
identity so separate. This has also been written about by trainees from
ethnic minorities, for example, Patel (1998) discusses how ‘it was as
if the denial of differences… became a feature of professional
identity…[leading to] two differing self-perceptions: a professional
and a personal identity’ (p.14).
My dissertation reflected this was also the case for lesbian and gay
trainees (Butler, 2004). They reported that training environments
presented numerous challenges to personal–professional integration,
including anti-lesbian and
gay sentiments from peers, lecturers and supervisors. When trainees
were open about their sexuality, they risked being positioned as an
expert or feeling marginalised within their peer group. Trainees
reported that such experiences
left them feeling disheartened with the profession, so much so that one
trainee had decided not to apply for clinical psychology jobs. Such
findings have serious consequences for diversity within our profession.
However, the experience of negotiating different valued aspects of
identity can be an opportunity for growth, providing the individual
with an increased range of coping strategies for dealing with future
challenges and an increased sense of self-efficacy (Milton & Coyle,
2003).
The British Psychological Society also recognises this and in its
accreditation guidelines (2002) for clinical psychology training, it
states that courses should encourage ‘professional competence relating
to personal and professional development and awareness’ (p.25).
It feels as if the time is ripe to stand up and be heard within the
multiple contexts of training (placements, lectures, research, essays,
etc.). To speak from your lived experience and prior knowledge, from
whatever identity position informs you
(be that family position, gender, ethnicity, culture, class, sexuality,
age or ability). In this way we can integrate our strengths and
resources and own and develop a professional identity that is relevant
to us. Such a position also requires us to accept difference and
diversity in our colleagues and clients, which can only serve to
benefit the communities we aim serve.
- Catherine Butler is a clinical psychologist in Camden Primary Care Trust. E-mail: [email protected].
References
British Psychological Society. (2002). Criteria for the
accreditation of postgraduate training programmes in clinical
psychology. Leicester: Author.
Butler, C. (2004). Lesbian and gay trainees: The challenges of personal
and professional integration. Lesbian and Gay Psychology Review,
5(1), 22–29.
Carrere, R.A. & Weiss, A.G. (1988). The relationship of the
personal from graduate training to professional practice. Journal of
Phenomenological Psychology, 19, 147–157.
Milton, M. & Coyle, A. (2003). Sexual Identity: Affirmative
practice with lesbian and gay clients. In R. Wolfe, W. Dryden & S.
Strawbridge (Eds.) Handbook of counselling psychology (2nd edn).
London: Sage.
Patel, M. (1998). Black therapists and cross-cultural therapy: Issues
of power dynamics and identity. Clinical Psychology Forum, 114,
13–15.
(Please note that some pictures may have been removed for copyright reasons)
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