Researcher or Clinician- The tensions and triumphs
Being a researcher and an occupational therapy clinician means I have to be reflexive all the time. I am currently part of a research project called Digital Storytelling and Dementia, and I am enjoying the process of meeting participants, hearing their stories and working together to create digital stories. I met with a participant this morning who asked me, a little unexpectedly, “So why are you doing this?” I paused for a moment. I wasn’t sure if he was asking me why I was meeting with him specifically, or why I was doing this research. I smiled and said that I could see the potential benefits of digital storytelling for people with dementia and I wanted to understand better and hopefully use this knowledge to improve lives. He did clarify his question by saying, “I know what I am getting out of this, but I guess I just don’t see what you get out of it!”
As a clinician, I look at the therapeutic value of research,- not as the purpose, but rather as a potential side benefit. I meet with participants and interact with them as I would clients in a clinical setting. In occupational therapy, there is an emphasis on the therapeutic relationship. In research, there is also a relationship that forms between the participant and the researcher. Although some researchers would not consider this relationship as part of the research, I am unable to make this separation.
As a researcher, I would say that I am a narrative inquirer because I think that research happens in relationships, and that these relationships develop through stories. Stories are shared between individuals based on past experiences, but their interactions also become stories themselves. The experiential knowledge that comes from stories contribute to our understanding of others and the world around us.
The digital stories created by people with dementia are powerful and provocative. The use of media enhances the experience of hearing and seeing the story unfold. Yet, for me, the meaning comes from the process that we went through when creating this story. Having conversations, laughing, talking about the past and present, helped us form a bond that the story grew out of. The gentleman I met today knew me by name- even though he has short term memory loss and has difficulty remembering people since he was diagnosed with dementia. I was touched when he opened the door and said my name. Thinking about the time we have shared and the relationship that has formed, I am confident that it is therapeutic. I can be a researcher and a clinician… who knew?
Source: Elly_Park_Research – RSS