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Chapter Five - A Beginning – Page 164
Unusually, in the previous session, number Nine, Nancy brought vignettes from her
clinical work (that is, her summary descriptions of scenarios and interactions) rather
than the basic standard requirement of a verbatim record of ten minutes of the presenter
working with a client or patient, 2 and so the group was in a different mode. Nancy had
sought permission from the course staff to do this, on the grounds that her colleagues in
her work setting were not happy with the ethics of a colleague presenting interactions
between them and their patient to this course. 3 This permission was granted, largely
because there was very little alternative at the stage that the problem arose. One impact
of that outcome was more control by the presenter over what the group could make of
the material. The session prior to that, session Eight, is discussed in Chapter Ten (which
follows this one), but that too was an unusual session because on that occasion there
was no clinical material because of the illness of the scheduled presenter. Therefore, this
session is, in a way, the first opportunity for the group to get on track with its familiar
task since session Seven.
This week, 4 session Ten, it is Frances’ turn to present her work for the group to play
with, but as noted above, she is absent as the session starts. Only Paula, Ron and Kelly
are present together with Judi and Bill. Veronica and Heidi have sent apologies. Mary,
Tom, Frances and Nancy are absent without notice. Mary soon comes in to the room,
and, as she comes past Paula’s chair, nearly knocks over some eggs laid by Paula’s
hens, which are in a bag on the chair.
2 The terms are used relatively interchangeably in this course, based on convention in the presenter’s
work setting, or alternatively, based on their personal preference, which may be theoretically determined
or linked to practice traditions.
3 It is possible that this refusal of a basic course requirement (very rare, in the researcher’s experience
over many years of training) represents Nancy’s perceived lack of ‘suitable’ material to bring, her
inexperience at seeking consent, her reluctance to do so, or her experience of fear at the exposure of her
work (and actual or feared criticism that may ensue) that presenting clinical work quite so openly can
evoke.
4 The attendance register for this semester is recorded in Table 4.2 on Page 121.