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Writing the ‘self’ into self-practice/self-reflection (SP/SR) in CBT: learning from autoethnography

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 July 2019

Craig Chigwedere Open the ORCID record for Craig Chigwedere [Opens in a new window]
Craig Chigwedere*
Affiliation:
School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin 2, Republic of Ireland
*
Corresponding author. Email: cchigwedere@stpatsmail.com
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Abstract

Self-practice/self-reflection (SP/SR) allows cognitive behavioural therapists (CBT) to self-experience the techniques they use clinically. However, it is difficult to find published first-hand accounts of CBT therapists’ SP/SR experiences. This may be because CBT research is primarily positivist and objective, while SP/SR is intrinsically subjective. Borrowing from the principles of autoethnography may offer a subjectivist qualitative methodology, allowing CBT therapists to write up their SP/SR experiences as rich, first-hand research material, potentially impacting theory and practice. This novel personal case study of SP/SR borrows from autoethnography, adapting it to analyse the self-practice of the CBT model of worry, in order to understand my own experience of worry as well as the model itself.

Key learning aims

  1. (1) To develop an approach to the research that is applicable to first-hand SP/SR material.

  2. (2) To demonstrate how therapists can continue SP/SR practice post-CBT training.

  3. (3) To illustrate how, with the aid of autoethnographic principles, SP/SR practice can influence not only the practitioner’s personal and therapist-self, but also theory development.

Keywords

cognitive behavioural psychotherapy (CBT)generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)self-practice/self-reflectionworry
Type
Original Research
Information
the Cognitive Behaviour Therapist , Volume 12 , 2019 , e38
Copyright
© British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2019 

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References

Further reading

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