Post by Amanda Moses

Being clinically competent doesn’t mean feeling confident all the time. As a supervisor, I’ve worked with psychologists at many different stages of their careers. One thing that’s become very clear to me over time is that confidence and competence are not the same thing. In fact, they can move in opposite directions. There is a kind of humility that often sits at the heart of good clinical practice, where a psychologist is not completely sure all of the time and remains aware that there is always more to learn. It can look like pausing to question your own formulation, revisiting the evidence base, sitting with discomfort rather than rushing to certainty. That uncertainty often plays an important role in shaping thoughtful clinical work. It can prompt psychologists to seek supervision, consult with peers, return to the literature, and reflect more critically on their decisions. It’s what keeps our work grounded, thoughtful, and responsive to the person in front of us. Over the years, I’ve been far more concerned about psychologists who appeared overly confident, who felt they had little left to learn, or who rarely questioned their own clinical judgement. Because unexamined confidence can close the door to reflection, growth, and good clinical practice. At any stage of your career, being open to being wrong, open to learning, and open to feedback is one of the things that makes our profession safer and more ethical. If you sometimes find yourself second-guessing your decisions, that experience can sit alongside competence. Just try and repurpose it into something that helps you grow.