Becoming Relationally Spacious: Mental Healthcare Students’ Experiences With the Immunity to Change Workshop

Abstract

Students in mental health care are urged to develop professionally as well as personally, according to the Norwegian national state curriculum. The purpose of this study was to describe mental healthcare students’ experiences with the use of Immunity to Change (ITC) workshops and endorse this as a transformative learning approach to personal–professional development. One focus group interview and four in-depth individual interviews were conducted with open-ended questions. These were analyzed with Giorgi’s phenomenological method. Further existential reflections were guided by van Manen’s phenomenological hermeneutics. ITC workshops offered a way to develop the ability to approach various situations and relationships in mental healthcare work flexibly and dynamically. Tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity enabled students to grow personally and interpersonally. This study highlights the importance of supporting students to structure their transformative journey of becoming relationally spacious, being able to room themselves as well as colleagues and users/patients.