‘Return to the cave’ – exploring barriers to organizational learning in a psychiatric clinic

Abstract

This paper presents the findings of a five‐month graduate consulting project in a psychiatric clinic. The project was distinguished by the fact that I, the student consultant, had been a clinician in this system for several years, eventually leaving to practice in a larger university setting. Issues related to managing biases and maintaining the integrity of the consulting role will be an area of inquiry. Paradoxes that exist in the two systems will be highlighted in the context of bureaucratic obstacles and the ongoing stress of offering care in psychiatry. The paper will discuss factors that influence reflective practice using theoretical perspectives by Argyris and Schön, as well as exploring the conscious and unconscious forces that influence organizational learning. Using the metaphor of Plato's ‘Allegory of the Cave’ the paper will describe how the journey back to the system helped to inform my understanding of the various ingredients involved in transforming practices.

Keywords:

• reflective practice
• triple‐loop learning
• Plato's cave
• organizational learning
• recovery oriented practices

Acknowledgement

I would like to kindly acknowledge Dr Warren Linds for feedback and support regarding an earlier draft of this paper.

Notes