Bridges, Laura, Marshall, Jenny and Charura, Divine ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3509-9392 (2026) Reflective Practice Groups for Leaders: Helping NHS leaders to ‘feel well and able to do my job’: an interpretive phenomenological analysis of participating in a cognitive analytic reflective practice group. International Journal of Cognitive Analytic Therapy & Relational Mental Health, 6.

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Abstract

Objectives

Healthcare leaders are required to manage a complex and emotionally demanding role, which impacts staff and patient care. Reflective practice is understood to aid healthcare workers in managing such roles. In addition, given the highly relational nature of healthcare, it has been suggested that ideas from cognitive analytic therapy have much to offer healthcare staff in terms of making sense of the relational dynamics that affect the experience and ability of healthcare workers to enjoy a positive experience of work and provide high quality patient care.

Design

This study was conducted as a service evaluation to gain understanding of the experience of leaders participating in an existing cognitive analytic reflective practice group.

Methods

Semi-structured video-interviews were conducted with 3 participants of long-term 1-2 monthly reflective group for a leadership team. Transcripts were then analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Findings

Findings generated four group experiential themes: ‘bearing the pressures of leadership’; ‘appreciating a nurturing and developmental space’; ‘needing to feel safe to use
the group well’; and ‘accepting the limits of the group’s work in practice’. The study found that this intervention was highly valued by these participants. This included general effects of reflective space, as well as specific benefits of applying the cognitive analytic relational model.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that leadership reflection is an important and valued intervention for leaders. It also supports the growing evidence for the benefit of applying cognitive analytic therapy organisationally to help improve healthcare staff support, in line with NHS workforce commitments.

Key words

interpretative phenomenological analysis, leadership, reflective practice, staff support, cognitive analytic

Item Type:	Article
Status:	Published
School/Department:	School of Education, Language and Psychology
URI:	https://ray.yorksj.ac.uk/id/eprint/14773

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