Invade your own privacy: self-truth as the first step towards discovering 'other' truth in educational research

The identity of self is understood as a plurality, seeking integration to allow a fluidity of informed, responsible choice to guide our behaviours. With an increasing emphasis on reducing human identity to cognitive styles and pre-packaged personality trait clusters, emotions and spirituality can fade from awareness when engaging with our own identity, or that of others. This paper discusses the concepts of identity in the context of an accepted research proposal for a study on mental health nurses delivering psychological therapies. While the study is just commencing, the literature review offers discussion points on identity and the use of self with the research process. Through a focus upon constructs of existential psychology, emotional intelligence and spirituality, all grounded in self-awareness and self-conduct, the idea that both critical thinking and feeling on self are required steps in the research process is offered.