Abstract Literature Review References

As a professional in the workforce, it's important to recognize when you are doing a good job but also when things can be done better. Having the capacity for self practice and self reflection goes a long way into developing professional skills that will make you learn and grow. Reflective practice involves reflecting on one's actions and learning from them by reframing the way problems are solved (Admin, n.d; Healy & Murphy, 2023). Self-reflection facilitates change through learning, leading to both personal and professional growth (Rigg & Trehan, 2008). More and more, these self reflective practices have become useful in professions such as: teaching, management and psychological counseling amongst many others.  For mental health professionals, this self reflecting practices have become useful when faced with a moment like, what to say to a client in response to a given question or how to interpret a client's resistance to an intervention (Lilienfeld & Basterfield, 2020). In the category of counseling and therapy, one of the specialties most in need of utilizing the benefits of self-reflective practices is sex therapy. This profession involves working closely with individuals and couples to help with their sexual and intimate difficulties, such as performance anxiety or intimacy issues (Sex Therapist, n.d.). Working so closely and intimately with a patient requires a level of trust, respect, and empathy to make the client comfortable enough to share their troubles. However, there must also be a level of self-reflection from both sides.  Self-reflection and self-practice enable therapists to gain a deeper understanding of their clients by using empathy to better grasp their situations and emotions (Barnet-Levy et al., 2003). They gain an inner sense of how a client might feel or think when facing the need to make changes in their lives or dealing with difficult situations. (Barnet-Levy et al., 2003). By connecting and empathizing with the client's emotions through self-reflection, the therapist can develop a better understanding of the client's pain, difficulty in making changes, and nature of their decisions, bringing a more nuanced sensitivity to the client's ongoing experiences (Greenberg & Goldman, 1988). This ability to attune to the client's experience through self-reflection makes the therapeutic experience more flexible and tailored to accommodate each unique context.  Using frameworks like Gibbs Reflective Cycle (Lilienfeld & Basterfield, 2020) or the Appreciative Change Management Approach (Dixon et al., 2016), the process of self-reflection can be accomplished in a smoother, more step-by-step way. However, these approaches are very different and can be used depending on the career path being taken. Gibbs (1988) proposed a six-stage process of reflective practice, involving describing a clinical interaction, examining thoughts and feelings, evaluating what went well and what didn't, analyzing the interaction, drawing conclusions on what could have been done differently, and formulating an action plan for similar situations. The Appreciative Change Management Approach, on the other hand, follows steps to appreciate, imagine, design, and act (Dixon et al., 2016). This approach may be better suited for sex therapy because it focuses on understanding strengths, talents, and limitations to foster a culture of appreciation, which can be particularly beneficial in a field where empathy, understanding, and innovative solutions are essential for addressing intimate and sensitive issues. Self-reflection can be used actively in therapy with a client, as well as to improve oneself. Providing the client with a more empathetic and personalized experience through active listening establishes a better therapist-client connection. However, sometimes a therapist's own views and opinions can get in the way. Therapists should be there to help patients live meaningful lives (Metz, 2016). Through self-reflection, a professional can view problems and situations from different perspectives, gaining new understanding of a specific situation that may not come instantly (Dixon et al., 2016). This is why it is important to take time for self-reflection alone to better accommodate ideas and have the best potential for growth from a difficult situation.  Understanding the significance of self-reflection is important when developing skills for professional development. Becoming a psychologist involves acquiring both interpersonal skills and technical skills for investigation. These two aspects are very important in any career path toward becoming a psychologist, yet the balance between them varies depending on the specific path chosen. Each career path within psychology requires a different emphasis on professional skills based on its unique demands (Psychology Careers Guide, n.d.). Considering that psychology has many different career paths, it's important to note that different professions within the psychological field will involve varying amounts of interpersonal and technical skills. When delving into the realm of sex therapy, it becomes evident that clients prioritize certain skills in their therapists, such as active listening, empathetic response, and the creation of a sex-positive and non-judgmental environment (Hirschman, 2023; Landes et al., 2013). These skills are not only crucial for fostering trust but also for facilitating open and honest discussions about sensitive topics. However, acquiring and honing these skills requires a deliberate and systematic approach, which is where reflective practices play a pivotal role. By engaging in reflective practices, therapists can gain deeper insights into their interactions with clients, identify areas for improvement, and refine their therapeutic approach accordingly. In this context, the Appreciative Change Management Approach emerges as a valuable tool for therapists seeking to enhance their skills in sex therapy. In Dixon et al. (2016) paper, they mention the concept of the Appreciative Change Management Approach, where you follow the steps to: appreciate, imagine, design, and act. The process of appreciating got its inspiration from appreciative inquiry and appreciative intelligence and it works by: focusing, understanding, and valuing one's own and others' strengths, talents, limitations, and self-worth. After appreciating, one must take the step to imagine, using reflective practices to reframe and manage what has been learned through documentation. Once the experience has been absorbed, the third step is to Design, which involves harnessing individual expertise and connecting innovative ideas to create collective wisdom. This requires critical and creative thinking, emotional literacy, and political acuity. Finally, action should be taken based on the collected knowledge acquired from the experience, considering that sometimes the best action might be to take no action at all (Dixon et al., 2016). References

Discursive Psychology Discursive psychology was initially developed by Potter and Wetherell in 1987. It emerged from the broader "turn to language" in the social sciences during the 1980s. This approach represents a significant shift in the study of psychological phenomena, both in past and present research. It recognizes the importance of focusing on the analysis of talk and text as valuable research subjects in their own right, rather than merely as tools for accessing underlying cognitive processes. Unlike traditional methods that treated language primarily as a means to access internal cognitive processes, discursive psychology emphasizes the importance of examining language as a form of social action (McMullen, 2021). In discursive psychology, discourse (text and speech) is not merely seen as a reflection of mental states but as an active component of social interaction. This perspective is grounded in the idea that language plays a crucial role in constructing reality, managing relationships, and performing various social actions (McHoul & Rapley, 2001). Discursive psychology’s emphasis on the social functions of language aligns closely with the principles of Critical Social Psychology. Both approaches critique traditional psychology's focus on internal mental states, such as attitudes and attributions, and instead emphasize how psychological phenomena are shaped by social, cultural, and political contexts. With time the approaches to discursive psychology have changed and evolved as it now has shifted from focusing on interviewing and interpretative repertoires to a more focused approach into sequential analysis informed by conversation analysis principles (Kent & Potter, 2014; Locke & Budds, 2020). Potter (2002) argues that interviews are designed to elicit specific interactions from participants, resulting in a co-constructed reality. While interviews are useful for collecting data, it is important to recognize their limitations, as the situation is intentionally set up for the interaction to occur. Consequently, naturally occurring everyday discourse is preferable for discursive psychology (O'Reilly & Kiyimba, 2015). This preference reflects discursive psychology’s alignment with Critical Social Psychology’s focus on understanding how psychological phenomena are situated within and influenced by broader socio-cultural and political contexts. Both approaches seek to reveal how psychological processes are not merely individual but deeply intertwined with social practices and structures.This shift reflects the field’s focus on understanding discourse within its natural context to better capture how language functions in real-life social interactions. Discursive psychology applies principles from discourse analysis to psychological topics, focusing on how people use language to negotiate meaning, establish social norms, and influence others. Language is viewed as a tool for performing a range of actions, such as making requests, giving orders, blaming, justifying, or constructing identities, rather than simply conveying thoughts or emotions (Potter, 2003). This approach highlights the role of language in organizing and managing social interactions, rather than seeing it solely as a reflection of internal mental states. To fully understand discourse, it is essential to analyze it within its actual context, considering the specific situational factors in which it occurs. Discourse must be examined as it unfolds in real-time, paying attention to how individuals use language to construct interpretations of the world and what happens around them (Edwards & Potter, 2018). These interpretations not only shape individuals' thoughts and beliefs but also influence their actions and the events around them. By analyzing how people talk about various topics, researchers can uncover how these linguistic practices shape perceptions and impact social practices and interactions (Potter & Wiggins, 2007; Wiggins, 2017).  Mainstream psychology often assumes that language is merely a way of conveying pre-existing thoughts and feelings. In contrast, discursive psychology demonstrates how language itself is a form of action that shapes and manages social realities. Potter (2012) argues that discursive psychology offers a significant opportunity for mainstream psychology to rethink traditional concepts. By incorporating discursive psychology, traditional psychology could benefit from a broader understanding of how language and expression are influenced by cultural and environmental factors. Discursive psychology views what people colloquially refer to as having an “attitude” not just as an internal psychological state but as different kinds of evaluations people make and the contexts in which these evaluations are used. This perspective reveals that discourse is organized and conditioned by sociohistorical, cultural, social, political, economic, and institutional contexts (Crawford & Valsiner, 1999). These social constructionist presuppositions make discourse analysis relevant and useful for exploring psychological processes and their dynamic interrelationships with culture. Integrating discursive psychology into mainstream approaches can thus offer valuable insights and enrich our understanding of psychological phenomena. Discursive psychology has several limitations, particularly regarding data collection and analysis. Analyzing discourse in everyday life scenarios requires extensive time to understand the context behind spoken words. Potter (2002) argues that achieving a complete understanding in practice is challenging and suggests that researchers should either be actively involved as co-participants in data creation or remain entirely detached from data generation (O'Reilly & Kiyimba, 2015). Potter's preference is based on the notion that talk should be analyzed within the specific context of its occurrence. However, he acknowledges that naturalistic material may not always be suitable, and interviews can be appropriate for some research issues. Another limitation of discursive psychology is the difficulty in generalizing findings from specific contexts to broader populations or different settings. The context-specific nature of discourse can lead to inconsistencies when applying insights across varied contexts. However, qualitative studies that use discursive data can still yield coherent and definitive sociological accounts (Wooffitt, 2005). Gilbert and Mulkay (1984) proposed a four-step procedure to address variability in qualitative research: This approach can help overcome some of the challenges associated with discursive psychology and enhance the reliability of its findings. Enhancing practices in discursive analysis could better align with the principles of critical social psychology, which emphasize the role of social contexts in understanding psychological processes. With these improvements, discursive psychology could become a valuable tool for refining our approach to other psychological practices aimed at better comprehending human behavior and social constructions of communication. In this context, it is crucial to examine how discursive psychology addresses attitudes and attributions, as it reveals that these constructs are not merely internal states but are actively shaped through social interactions and rhetorical practices. This perspective highlights the dynamic nature of attitudes and attributions, emphasizing that understanding them requires a focus on how they are managed and framed within conversations. Attitudes and Attributions References