Reflective Practice and Journaling

Reflective Practice is essentially a process by which we review and contemplate our practice. It does not involve simply remembering; although being able to accurately recall what you and your client did or said is essential. Rather it is the thoughtful and critical consideration of our work as a professional. It requires us to appraise and analyse our behaviour and this involves having a degree of resilience to the inevitable ‘failures’ all of us experience.

It can be challenging especially early in our career when we commonly make more errors. Realising that this is normal and to be expected can help us engage in Reflective Practice openly, honestly and with maximum benefit. Becoming proficient at any activity involves repetition and analysis. You only learnt to walk by taking the risk and, probably, falling over numerous time. For this reason RP is closely linked to the concept of learning from experience, through trial and error. It can seem deceptively simple but is often a complex, at times confronting, technique.

As the aim of Reflective Practice is to improve your performance and increase competency by developing insights and assessing past performance it can have tremendous value for our clients. Not only can it improve the quality of care you give but it also provides a means of linking theory to practice. As such it provides an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the principles that underpin our work and improve our comprehension of the interventions that we deliver.

Reflective Practice has huge benefits in increasing self-awareness, which is a key component of emotional intelligence, and in developing a better understanding of others. Reflective practice can also help you to develop creative thinking skills, and encourages active engagement in work processes. Taking ourselves off auto-pilot and taking the time to examine ourselves deeply can also reveal unconscious bias. It allows us space to scrutinise our feelings and beliefs, letting us confront our prejudices and assumptions.

Journals are best written in the first person. They do not need to be planned or chronological. In fact beginning with a simple flow of thoughts, feelings, ideas or concerns could be a good place to start. Use any format that suits you this may include pictures, quotes and doodles. Don’t be concerned about grammar or references. Give yourself a quiet space and don’t be rushed.

Your journal should not just describe events or actions it needs to include your feelings and reactions to what happened. You can include notes on what you might do differently next time, knowledge you would like to gain, questions you would like to discuss with your supervisor or experiments you’d like to try. It can be good to review past entries to analyse your practice and evaluate performance or results. Identify your underlying assumptions and challenge any fixed standpoints you hold. Use your journal to highlight learning needs and create plans and goals.

It will be important to start your reflective journal with the right attitude. These include:

Be Brave - your Journal will provide best results if you are willing to take a risk, write courageously and honestly put down whatever is on your mind. This is not a test you need to pass. It is a space where you can freely express your views and opinions.

Be Flexible - be open to other points of view and be prepared to change your ideas and your actions. After all isn’t this what we expect of our clients? Accepting new evidence and knowledge is how you learn and progress. Try being inventive, innovative and creative when problem solving.

Be Responsible - the careful and critical consideration of the consequences of our work and its impact on the lives of others is an ethical and professional obligation. It is one way we can provide a more meaningful and effective experience for clients.

Be Committed - to constantly improving your performance, your knowledge and your practice. This includes the active pursuit of feedback and evaluation of our work by others. Giving yourself the time and space to journal is a necessary part of this process.

Be Resilient – the acceptance of criticism and the acknowledgement of errors are essential. This can be confronting and it will need strength of character, a commitment to growth and a belief in your capacity to become a better psychologist.