Running head: REFLECTIVE ESSAY

Reflective essay

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Summary of the article

This article by Steven & Ganesh (2016), is focused on the framework of personal

philosophies. The article has focused on the structure of personal philosophy, its importance, and

how it should be constructed. Personal philosophies are a critical tool to ensuring that

practitioners perform their roles effectively, with careful consideration, and in a way that is

congruent with their philosophies. According to this article, it is critical to have a personal

philosophy that will guide the self in their practice as occupational therapy. The professionals

should ask themselves why they are doing what they are doing. This can be done by the

practitioners first reflecting on what their values are. They should then reflecting on their

practice, what is its objective, and the desired outcome both by the profession and from an

individual perspective (Steven & Ganesh, 2016). The practitioners should then reflect on the way

that they can improve their practice. The practitioner should then use enthusiasm and

commitment to their task. 

Steven & Ganesh (2016), gives a process that people can follow in the formulation of

personal philosophies. The process begins with the identification of the core professional values.

The second step is to identify different therapeutic styles and beliefs, and the third is making an

assessment of the outcomes and the quality of the resultant work (Steven & Ganesh, 2016). For

those that do not have personal philosophies, there is a need to create programs that will help

them to formulate persona philosophies, which will utilize the steps that are identified above. 

The theory of personal philosophy that is formed should be guided by the Habermasian

knowledge domain. The domain by Habermasian states that there are three core aspects of

personal philosophy. The first one is the technical aspect which is constituent of the
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technological and explanatory aspect of the personal philosophy (Steven & Ganesh, 2016). The

second one is the practical aspect, which is constituent of everyday activates that are therapeutic

for the client. The third aspect is the emancipatory aspect, which is constituent of the critical

change that needs to be seen after the application of the therapy. 

How does the article fit the theme of the course module? (History, Theory, Ethics, or

Professionalism) 

This article is in line with the theme of theory as studied in the module. The domain

theory that is given by Jürgen Habermas is meant to improve professionalism among

occupational therapists. By identifying the three domains of personal philosophy, the article is

encouraging occupational therapists to take a keen note of the necessities of personal philosophy

which are technical, practical, and emancipatory. Another theme is the theme of professionalism.

The theme of professionalism has a focus on actions and activities that improves or demonstrates

professionalism in practice. In this article, the theme of professionalism is advocated for through

insistence on the development of personal philosophy. Personal philosophy makes practitioners

more professional and they do more professional work. 

How does the article align with your thoughts about and experiences with

occupational therapy?

My personal believes are congruent with the ideal that is advanced in this article. First, I

believe that Occupational therapy is a personal calling. A calling relies on an individual being

self-driven and being enthusiastic about the work that they are doing. However, even if one has a

calling, they need to be qualified and know where they will direct their enthusiasm. This research

provides a criterion toward which an individual will direct their calling in what is being referred
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to as personal philosophy. I believe that when one has a personal philosophy in their work, they

will be able to perform better in their work since their work will be more intrinsically

motivated.  

Copy one quote from the article that made an impression on you. 

“Personal philosophy of practice is a positive and self-motivating statement from a

practitioner that describes how they envision practice and what practice means to them” (Steven

& Ganesh, 2016).

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Reference

Steven D. & Ganesh B., (2016). Constructing personal philosophies of practice using

Habermasian knowledge domains, 44(2),

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312301500