An autoethnographic exploration of anxiety in a cognitive assessment during a clinical neuropsychology placement

Abstract

Cognitive assessments can be anxiety-provoking. Although commonly observed by clinicians, there are no published autoethnographies of those undergoing such assessments. Autoethnography involves reporting on personal experiences and observations of an event to facilitate a rich understanding of cognitive assessments. The current autoethnography provides reflections of an aspiring psychologist who underwent a cognitive assessment to experience the process from the service user’s viewpoint. The Five Aspects model (Padesky & Mooney, 1990) and Johns’ (1995) model of structured reflection are employed, to assess anxiety throughout. Practical recommendations are provided for clinicians administering assessments, with an emphasis on the importance of reflection.