A Social Construction of Identities in Clinical Psychology Training in the Uk: A Focus Group Study

Purpose The training of clinical psychologists is conducted by clinicians, academics, trainees, service users and carers. Often those working in clinical psychology do so due to their own lived experiences. These stakeholders may require navigating both personal and professional identities in their roles. This study aimed to understand identities within UK clinical psychology training. Method Focus groups were used to socially construct and measure identity constructions of groups in clinical psychology training. A social constructionist lens was used to thematically analyse data. Findings Four themes were found across groups. Theme 1 identified ‘dynamics of identity’ where personal and professional identities were ‘integrated,’ ‘separated,’ ‘permeable,’ or ‘visible/invisible.’ Theme 2 found the ‘impact of language and labels to rebalance power’, encompassing, ‘expectations and invalidation of a label,’ ‘weight of a label,’ and motivations to ‘rebalance the power.’ Theme 3 constructed ‘learner’ and ‘expert’ identities for each group and Theme 4 found ‘Bridging Them & Us divisions’ by identifying, ‘Feeling Similar and Different,’ and ‘Barriers and Connections.’ Implications and Conclusions This is the first study to use focus groups to socially construct and measure identities in clinical psychology training. The research gives clarity to identities within clinical psychology training and can help bridge Them & Us divisions, promoting effective collaboration across the workforce.