Gupta Veenu, Eames Catrin, Sharples Brooke, Bryant Alison, Greenhill Beth, Golding Laura, Fisher Peter
Department of Primary Care and Mental Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, UK.
Clin Teach. 2025 Feb;22(1):e70022. doi: 10.1111/tct.70022.
The training of clinical psychologists is conducted by staff, trainees, service users and carers. Often those working in clinical psychology do so due to their own lived experiences. These stakeholders may require having to navigate both personal and professional identities. Whilst there is motivation to make visible their lived experiences, this action may differ dependent on the roles they are in. This study aimed to understand identities within UK clinical psychology training and to enable effective teamworking.
Focus groups were used to socially construct and explore identity constructions of groups in clinical psychology training. The data were thematically analysed using a social constructionist lens.
Four themes were found. Theme 1 identified 'dynamics of identity' where personal and professional identities were 'integrated', 'separated', 'permeable' or 'visible/invisible'. Theme 2 found the 'impact of language and labels to rebalance power', encompassing, 'expectations and invalidation of a label' and motivations to 'rebalance the power'. Theme 3 constructed 'learner' and 'expert' identities for each group, and Theme 4 found 'Them & Us divisions' that speak to the 'Barriers', between groups that participants wanted to bridge through modes of 'Connections'.
This is the first study to use focus groups to socially construct and explore identities in clinical psychology training. The research gives clarity to identities in clinical psychology training, identifying the unique and common ways different stakeholders negotiate professional and personal identities that can promote understanding between stakeholders and better collaboration.
临床心理学家的培训由工作人员、学员、服务使用者和护理人员共同开展。临床心理学领域的从业者往往是基于自身的生活经历而投身于此。这些利益相关者可能需要在个人身份和职业身份之间找到平衡。尽管他们有动力将自己的生活经历展现出来，但这种行为可能因他们所扮演的角色而有所不同。本研究旨在了解英国临床心理学培训中的身份认同情况，以促进有效的团队协作。
采用焦点小组的方式来构建和探索临床心理学培训中各群体的身份认同结构。运用社会建构主义视角对数据进行主题分析。
发现了四个主题。主题1确定了“身份动态”，其中个人身份和职业身份呈现出“整合”“分离”“渗透”或“可见/不可见”的状态。主题2发现了“语言和标签对权力再平衡的影响”，包括“对标签的期望和否定”以及“权力再平衡”的动机。主题3为每个群体构建了“学习者”和“专家”身份，主题4发现了“我们与他们的划分”，涉及参与者希望通过“联系”方式弥合的群体间“障碍”。
这是第一项使用焦点小组来构建和探索临床心理学培训中身份认同的研究。该研究明确了临床心理学培训中的身份认同，确定了不同利益相关者协商职业身份和个人身份的独特方式及共同方式，这有助于促进利益相关者之间的理解和更好的合作。
