ii feel humbled when i realise that i can actually receive help myself from a research participant (similar feeling to when i am feeling i am growing as a result of working with clients in counselling…). I had written an email to A. (now in canada) about my experience of our interview. in that email, i kind of cimmunicated to him that i am in a process of finding new perspectives etc and how his experience was so much different than mine. JHe wrote back, offering a sufi poem which just spoke inside me, just at the right time, when feeling low, and needing sth to uplift me togo though the panel. Here it is: … Read more »

As I am thinking about the choice of Heuristic Research as methodological stance for my PhD, I can see more and more the importance of reflexivity and acquiring a perspective and way of being at all stages of the research where i can find a balance between my ‘own story’ of the phenomenon I am exploring and that of the co-researchers. … Read more »

I feel the need to write down a brief summary of all the interviews i have done so far to get a clearer view of the broader picture.Here we are: … Read more »

Last week William introduced me to a colleague who is visiting the UK for a short period, after having immigrated to Canada (host culture) and working there as a therapist. This was such a unique opportunity to interview him for the research. We arranged to have an interview today. I feel amazed by how powerful a research interview can be, even when it is with somebody that you meet for the first time. So much rich data came out of the encounter and i feel enriched by it (although I notice that i tend to feel quite exhausted and hungry, after conducting a research interview…i guess it’s cause it involves deep processing and level of engaging). I wish i could dedicate time to hear the recording today and make notes about it but i know that i need to stay focused on preparing the panel presentation so, i have to postpone that for later. … Read more »

I did a research interview with participant M. today to pilot the interview schedule (from fresh) as i have prepared it for the review panel proposal. Thw whole process flew really well, i enjoyed it and felt that there is a lot of interesting data in there. Soon after the ineterview, I listened carefully to the tape and made notes about the process and the interaction and also recorded the main themes and ideas drawn from the interviewee’s responses, to capture the initial ‘feel’. I do not have the time to do the fully detailed verbatim transcript right now but i produced a 6-page ’summary’ document for this interview as ‘individual depiction’ in heuristic terms, whilst also recording some significant quotes using the participant’s actual words (tried to keep close to M’s own words when writing up my notes anyway). I emailed those ‘filednotes’ to my supervisor and his comments were very positive actually. I have to go back and do a bit more work on my proposal now, also need to finalise the other documents required for the panel and print them off for William to sign before submission to Debbie on Friday.

I sent my process notes about the intreview with M. to William, with the following note on my email:

“ i did an interviw with M. yesterday to pilot the interview schedule i recently prepated…it was really so interesting but also engaging…deep process, it exhausted me but also inspired me…..difficult to differentiate the different dynamics within (my relationship to the topic, my personhood,my counsellor in me, the researcher…and hearing another Greek talking about all this)… you re right: the professional impact also brought up the personal stuff,big way…and of course the two greeks doing the interview when in England brings up so much…..everything is data, how wonderful and owverwhelming at the same time…i feel on edge but also touched and moved,loads going on”
and he responded by saying:

“This is interesting data and PhDable. I thought about Pittu’s Esatern/western dimesnions and how you Greeks seemed to be at the eastern end of his table and then Marina uses a metaphor that Pittu used in his last meetign and interview with me – Chameleon.”

Good to have the blog space to record all this