Professional knowledge research seeks to document and analyse the experience of therapists, and what they have learned, in relation to their work with a specific client group or issue. This type of research is a valuable supplement to other types of studies that look at therapy from the perspective of the client or that of an independent scientific observer.

The material in Chapter 11 highlights the challenges associated with this area of research, such as the tendency for participants to describe their experience by reference to their pre-existing theory of therapy, rather than providing a candid account of what their practice was really like. When you read the exemplar studies listed below, pay particular attention to the data collection (i.e., interview questions) and data analysis strategies used in each paper, and how effective they seem to have been.

It is also important to keep in mind that the primary audience for professional knowledge studies is you (i.e, therapists). Before you start to read a paper, take a few moments to review your own experience of the topic being investigated, and what you are curious about regarding the topic. How well does each paper answer your questions or provide you with new information, understanding and insight? What should the researcher(s) have done, to generate findings that might have been more useful?