What Makes a Great Reflection? How to Impress on Application Forms and Interviews

The Aspiring Psychologist Podcast

In this episode of The Aspiring Psychologist Podcast, Dr. Marianne Trent shares her strategies for crafting exceptional reflections that can help you stand out on application forms, in interviews, and in practice. With practical examples, she explains how to elevate your reflective skills and avoid common pitfalls, ensuring you impress supervisors, recruiters, and colleagues alike.

Key Takeaways:

1. What Makes a Great Reflection: The importance of description, analysis, and application in reflective writing.
2. Common Mistakes: Avoid being overly descriptive or offering surface-level insights.
3. Reflection in Practice: Using reflective models and techniques to continually grow as a clinician.
4. Practical Tips: Keeping a reflective journal and seeking feedback to refine your skills.
5. Ongoing Growth: Regularly revisiting and revising reflections to show development over time.

Highlights:

• 00:00 - IntroductionWhat OCD is (and isn’t), and why this episode is important.
• 01:06 - Why Reflection MattersHow reflective skills impact your professional journey.
• 03:20 - Crafting Great ReflectionsThe three essential components of impactful reflections.
• 05:05 - Common Mistakes to AvoidWhat not to do when reflecting on experiences.
• 07:04 - Strong Examples of ReflectionBreaking down what makes an excellent reflection.
• 09:03 - Developing Reflective SkillsPractical ways to improve your reflective practice.
• 10:55 - Revisiting ReflectionsWhy updating your reflections regularly is key to growth.
• 12:12 - Closing RemarksResources and support for aspiring psychologists.

Links:

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📱Connect socially with Marianne and check out ways to work with her, including the Aspiring Psychologist Book, Clinical Psychologist book and The Aspiring Psychologist Membership on her Link tree: https://linktr.ee/drmariannetrent

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