Tóth, E. F., & Chew-Helbig, N. (2025). Exploring the importance of researchers’ self-reflection and personal engagement in interviews with trauma survivors. 

Reflective Practice, –(-), 1-19.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/14623943.2025.2452613 (IF: 1.9)

Abstract

Studying the experiences of trauma survivors evokes a complex blend of profound emotions in the interviewees and the researchers involved. In a session attended by a group of 3 experienced trauma researchers and a facilitator (all of whom are psychotherapists and psychologists by profession), we reflect on their lived experiences as researchers interviewing individuals from traumatised backgrounds.

The shared autobiographic reflections during the session lead to the formation of insights crucial to exploring how interviewer reflexivity in trauma survivor studies can elevate the quality of trauma research. The result is concrete and indispensable knowledge that holds significance for researchers who are interested in using qualitative methods for studying communities affected by trauma.