Reflective practice and continuing professional development among qualified clinical psychologists

Reflective Practice (RP) and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) have become key concepts in the post-qualification education and training of healthcare professionals, linked to maintaining and improving competence and fitness to practice in a modernised health service. There is little empirical research about this in relation to clinical psychologists. This qualitative study explored how clinical psychologists experience RP and CPD and apply this to their professional practice. A focus group generated the topics for 16 semi-structured interviews with a diverse range of qualified clinical psychologists practising in a Strategic Health Authority Region in England. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, four higher-order themes and associated sub-themes emerged: (1) clinical psychologists as reflective practitioners, including the understanding of reflection, influences on development, and reflection and professional identity; (2) the reflective space, including supervision, enablers and obstacles in reflective practice; (3) functions of CPD and reflection, including quality and enhanced service provision, safety and clinical governance, and professional requirements; and (4) linking reflection and CPD, including the link between reflection and action, reflective practice as CPD, and CPD and life-long learning. Seven second interviews were conducted for member-validation, and a final focus group was convened for triangulation and validation of the thematic analysis. The findings are related to the existing literature, and to learning theory and attachment theory. The relevance of this research is discussed in relation to clinical psychology practice and the implications for training and CPD. The importance of the present findings to the issue of the professional identity of clinical psychologists is outlined, and suggestions for future research are proposed