The Leaping and the Looking of Clinical Psychology

Abstract

The poem 'leap before you look' by WH Auden articulates many of the lessons I have learnt in my career. Auden says: ‘look if you like but you will have to leap...’ I believe the role of the clinical psychologist is to both leap and look. The leaping: we recover from setbacks and will have to leap and so ideally leap first – 'The sense of danger must not disappear’ . Looking: We need to retain a curiosity about other people; Whilst trying not to leap on others. Remembering everyone we meet is fighting a hard battle. Psychologists also need to be good at thinking, linking concepts, contextualizing and being creative – 'Rejoicing when no one else is there... No one may be watching, but we have to leap'. ‘Our dream of safety has to disappear’.

Keywords: clinical, psychology, philosophy, reflection