APPENDIX 7 Reflective Journal Definition, Rationale and Purpose The reflective journal is a private log in which the trainee reflects, questions, records and makes connections about roles, relationships, events, contexts, processes and reading that interest and challenge them throughout their development as trainee clinical psychologists. Becoming a scientist-practitioner is a complex process. The scientist part of the role requires us to recognise, and take into account, our personal, theoretical, and cultural biases and preconceptions as we observe, assess, formulate, intervene and evaluate. The practitioner part of the role requires us to know and understand ourselves as we work in relationship with others. The reflexive scientist-practitioner continues to question, reflect and learn throughout his/her career, taking into account a range of perspectives, and is aware of his/her own impact on the world around him/her, and of the impact of the world on him/her. The purpose of the reflective journal is to help trainees establish a reflexive approach: questioning, continually learning, aware of the mutual interaction between the world and him/herself, and able to be pro-active rather than re-active in their work while at the same time sensitive to the concerns of others. The use of a reflective journal has a long and distinguished history, as noted in this extract from the writing of a scholar-naturalist: An old scholar taught me the game more than fifty years ago and I have never stopped playing it; it is such an easy and engrossing game. You choose some subject or other which takes your fancy, you buy a notebook and label it with the title of your theme; and you keep jotting down therein whatever bears upon your subject, as it comes your way, in all your reading, observation and reflexion. I have many such notebooks and some I have grown tired of but others have lasted long and served me well... Your subject opens out wonderfully as time goes on, it tempts you into by-ways, it carries you afield; if you play the game aright it never comes to an end. It grows in interest continually, for things are interesting only in so far as they relate to other things; only then can you put two and two together, and see them make four or even five, and hear them tell stories about each other. Such is science itself and such is the knowledge that interests mankind. Pp 174 - 175 D’Arcy Thompson, R. (1958) More recently, educationalists in health and social care have developed the idea of critical reflection as “innovative thinking”. The purpose is to ask ourselves questions so as to analyse incidents and information in such a way that we learn from them, and from ourselves, something that we didn’t know before. In clinical practice this often involves reflecting both on what we bring into our work from previous relationships, contexts and life experiences, and on what clinical relationships, contexts and experiences draw out of us. Reflection will usually take place through dialogue: in supervision, in the mentor relationship, with colleagues and peers, in tutorials and appraisals and in self-dialogue. The reflective journal is one place where the trainee can process, record and consider the implications of their critical reflections.
Keeping the Reflective Journal Content and frequency of entry in the journal is left entirely to the trainee. Most trainees will add to their journal at least weekly, or whenever something comes up that particularly interests or challenges them. Entries may be in various forms: notes, prose, poems, sketches, pictures, diagrams, mind maps, etc. The following questions, adapted from Winter and Munn-Giddings (2001), are offered as a possible framework for critical reflection. Trainees may find it helpful to substitute or add others of their own, along similar lines, so as to develop their own approach to critical reflection: 1. Welcoming Challenge What is there in this (incident, relationship, information etc) that I find surprising, interesting or challenging? Why does it interest me? Was I expecting something different, and if so, what? What does this tell me about the situation and myself? 2. Analysing Interpretive Judgements Given my first interpretation of this (incident, relationship, information etc): What are its origins in: My values (personal/political/professional) My feelings My general ideas about this sort of incident, relationship etc? What personal experiences lie behind these values, feelings, ideas? Someone else with different personal experiences might bring quite different but equally relevant values, feelings and ideas. So, what alternative interpretations might be made?
3. Thinking About the Context Given the situation/relationship/information: What is the relevant context and how does it impact on the situation and me? What are the tensions: dilemmas/disagreements/power differences? What is the origin of these tensions? What possible lines for future development do these tensions suggest? How may my actions impact on the context and the situation?
4. Key Questions for Going Beyond Initial Interpretations These questions are designed to help us go beyond our initial response to situations, in some ways summing up the questions above: What is my first reaction to this situation? What else is influencing this situation? How might this situation be understood in contrasting ways? What are my values, feelings, theories and ideas about this, what are their origins and what do these tell me about my original interpretation? What else do I need to do or find out so as to develop further understanding? How might I apply and connect this understanding with other learning? Are any possible questions for future research raised through this reflection?
Material for the Reflective Journal Each trainee will develop his or her own particular approach to keeping his or her reflective journal. Trainees may wish to reflect on a number of issues that arise for them in connection with their development as clinical and community psychologists. Examples might include emotional responses to clinical material, reading or teaching that captures interest or stimulates debate and disagreement, relationships with clients and colleagues, service issues, past experiences, current life events, hopes or fears for the future, media reports, political, social or cultural events etc. Trainees may wish to reflect on any satisfactions, tensions, dilemmas and conflicts of values associated with social identities that change and emerge through training: in particular professional identity, scientist/researcher identity, practitioner identity, and personal identity. Reporting on the Reflective Journal Trainees can be as open as they wish in their journal because it is private and does not have to be handed in. It is an assignment, not a piece of assessed work. However, trainees must demonstrate, through discussion in appraisals, that they are keeping a journal and using it to help their learning and development. Trainees will also be expected to show evidence of the development of their reflexive approach through the relevant sections on the supervisor’s and self- assessment of clinical competence. References D’Arcy Thompson, R. (1958) D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson (The Scholar-Naturalist 1864-1948). Oxford. Winter, R. & Munn-Giddings, C. (2001) A Handbook for Action Research in Health and Social Care. London and New York: Routledge.