UK clinical and community psychology: Exploring personal and professional connections

Thompson, Miles; Stuart, Jenny; Vincent, Rose; Goodbody, Louise

Abstract

This paper explores the personal and professional connections between clinical psychologists in the United Kingdom (UK) and critical/community psychology (CCP). Specifically, it asks how clinical psychologists define the area, how they relate to it and how they apply it in their work. Twenty clinical psychologists responded to an online survey, 12 of whom went on to take part in a follow-up telephone interview. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. The results are divided into three sections: i. "describing CCP": social justice and a questioning stance are considered, ii. "relating to CCP": an interplay between lifespan events and personal responses are described and iii. "applying CCP": a dynamic between role-specific applications and reality checks that either enable or constrain is illustrated. Although the continued need for a CCP is described, the results highlight both challenges and tensions of practising CCP within clinical psychology.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 12, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Feb 1, 2022
• Publication Date: Aug 8, 2022
• Deposit Date: Feb 3, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 3, 2022
• Journal: Journal of Community Psychology
• Print ISSN: 0090-4392
• Electronic ISSN: 1520-6629
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 50
• Issue: 7
• Pages: 2904-2922
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.22805
• Keywords: clinical psychology; community psychology; connections; critical community psychology; personal; professional; social justice
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/8810645