A Grounded Theory Investigation of Consultees’ Perception and Experience of Psychological Consultation

Mattan, Rowena and Isherwood, Tom (2009) A Grounded Theory Investigation of Consultees’ Perception and Experience of Psychological Consultation. Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 6 (2). pp. 169-183. ISSN 1743-6885

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Abstract

Consultation is identified as a core skill that clinical psychologists are expected to deliver; however there is little research that has identified how the recipients of the consultation understand or experience this consultation. The aim of this research was to explore, using grounded theory methodology, how mental health and social care staff experienced psychological consultation provided by a clinical psychologist. The research findings indicate that consultation is generally felt to be a positive and helpful vehicle in improving work practice. Consultation tended to be seen as a collaborative process between consultant and consultee with psychologists being viewed as experts in the area of mental health. More specifically, consultees tended to initially request and expect cognitive ideas but ultimately gained most benefit from more emotional processes, such as being listened to and affirmation of their own knowledge. Implications for further research were discussed.

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