Listen to the Self-Doubt Voice: What do CYC Practitioners Experience?

This inquiry evolved from my curiosity about self-doubt and my self-reflective experiences and studies in the field of Child and Youth Care (CYC).It is a phenomenological inquiry into the lived experience of listening to,and understanding,the self-doubt voice of the CYC practitioner.The purpose was to come to a more thorough understanding of the meaning of self-doubt in practice,to understand the ways in which practitioners experience self-doubt in their practice,and to explore this experience more profoundly to provide greater insight and a deeper understanding of self-doubt in professional practice.Qualitative interviews were conducted with four key informants and a thematic analysis was performed to gain an understanding of their lived experiences, meanings,and impact of self-doubt.Findings revealed positive and negative experiences of self-doubt and that there are cognitive, emotive,physical,and behavioral aspects. Exploring the experiences of self-doubt encourages self-reflection and movement beyond doubts to seek more understanding and clarity. Findings contribute significant information to the field about how CYC professionals value themselves,their profession,and their work