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UK clinical and community psychology: Exploring personal and professional connections
Author(s) -
Thompson Miles,
Stuart Jenny,
Vincent Rose E.,
Goodbody Louise
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.585
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1520-6629
pISSN - 0090-4392
DOI - 10.1002/jcop.22805
Subject(s) - thematic analysis , community psychology , psychology , clinical social work , applied psychology , social justice , social psychology , economic justice , engineering ethics , sociology , social work , social science , criminology , qualitative research , law , political science , engineering
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.