Becoming expert and understanding mental illness

In the process of becoming an expert in the mental health field the newcomer, through reading, lectures, and supervision, is taught what to notice and how to structure and conceptualize that information. A less recognized part of this learning process is that the newcomer is also taught, explicitly or implicitly, what not to notice, what not to pay attention to. Much of the subjectivity of the newcomer and of the patients and clients he or she sees is pushed, purposely or not, out of the way and is then lost to view. Although these experiences may help the newcomer survive and manage in a complex and difficult world, they also lead to ignoring potentially crucial information. Given how difficult it is at best to know another human being, ignoring available information is particularly unfortunate. In what often appears to be the learning of an important scientific--and objective approach, much data become ignored, potentially leading to a very unscientific "expertise." In this report by making use of first person reports and creative writings, we will describe instances to illustrate how this process takes place and what can be lost or ignored in the effort to be objective and scientific and the implications of this problem for the eventual practice, teaching, or research carried out by the person becoming an expert.