Becoming a Reflexive Researcher: Using Our Selves in Research

Is it really possible for researchers to keep their own lives out of their work? In contrast to traditional impersonal approaches to research, reflexive researchers acknowledge the impact of their own experiences, beliefs and culture on the processes and outcomes of inquiry. In this thought-provoking book, Kim Etherington uses a range of narratives, including her own research diary and conversations with students, to show the reader how reflexive research works in practice. Drawing on her own personal journey as a researcher, she suggests that recognising the role of the self in research can open up opportunities for creative and personal transformations. She explores the ways in which reflexivity can be used in counselling and psychotherapy, and argues that it is vital in empowering the client to be an agent in his or her own life. This book will encourage counsellors and therapists to reflect on how their self-awareness can enrich their relationships with clients, while students and academics across a wide range of disciplines will find it challenges and inspires their methods of working.