This paper provides data from a study of Australian psychologists who responded to one of two hypothetical client scenarios relating to either a 16 or 18 year old who presented seeking gender affirming assessment and referral. Using a realistic case scenario and utilising both quantitative and qualitative data, the study aimed to explicate the processes of current practitioners in this evolving psycho-legal space. Questions related to first impressions of the client, areas of concern, confidence in their own abilities, opinions about the client's presentation in relation to extant legal and clinical criteria, and justifications for those.

At the time of writing over 80 psychologists had provided rich data, and findings reveal much about practice in this complex area. The goals of this paper are to provide information about the legal and clinical contexts of work in this space, while also using the collected data to highlight current practice among private practitioners, key clinical dilemmas and areas of divergence.

Early career psychologists (ECPs) are a critical component of the clinical workforce, yet mounting evidence indicates they experience disproportionately high levels of burnout, psychological distress and professional vulnerability during the transition from training to independent practice (Kaeding et al., 2017). These challenges pose risks not only to ECP wellbeing but also to workforce sustainability - with seminal burnout research showing early links between burnout and employee turnover and two years being a critical point when burnout impacts decisions to resign or exit the profession (Maslach, 1982). Emerging research suggests that self-compassion may function as a protective factor, with higher levels associated with reduced burnout and enhanced wellbeing among psychologists (Crego et al., 2022), carrying clear implications for ECP support. However, limited existing research has examined how self-compassion is understood, enacted and supported within the everyday professional lives of early career psychologists.

This qualitative study explored the experience of Australian early career psychologists, with a focus on challenges encountered during early professional practice and the strategies used to cope with these demands and potential for burnout. Fifteen semi-structured online interviews were conducted with psychologists in the early stages of their careers (0-5 years post gaining full registration). Interviews explored perceived early career stressors within clinical work, training and supervision contexts; experiences of self-compassion and self-criticism; and the use of additional coping or support strategies when navigating professional challenges. Transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis to identify patterns in how self-compassion is conceptualised, applied, facilitated or constrained within professional practice.

Our findings suggest that while many early career psychologists recognise self-compassion as conceptually valuable, its consistent application is often undermined by performance pressures, internalised professional standards, and systemic features of training and supervision. Participants described supervision as a potential site for fostering compassionate professional development, though experiences varied considerably depending on supervisory style, relational safety and organisational context. These findings highlight the importance of explicitly addressing self-compassion and wellbeing within training, clinical supervision and early career professional development frameworks. This research contributes to workforce-focused clinical psychology education by deepening understanding of how self-compassion operates in practice for ECPs, supporting future implications for clinical supervision training, policy, practice, as well as the wellbeing and overall sustainability of the psychology workforce.

Lived experience perspectives are increasingly recognised as essential to delivering compassionate, trauma informed, and effective clinical psychology services for individuals with personality disorder. Yet lived experience voices from those living with the disorder, or close others involved in their care, have historically been underrepresented in research and clinical practice. This presentation synthesises a program of research examining how embedding lived experience perspectives can meaningfully enhance service delivery across conceptualisation, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment.
First, recommendations from individuals with lived experience of borderline personality disorder (BPD) will be presented regarding how diagnosis can be delivered in a manner that is helpful and compassionate. The concept of ‘recovery’ will then be explored from the perspective of individuals living with the diagnosis, contrasting traditional symptom based outcomes and instead emphasising improvements in relational functioning, community participation, and the capacity for ‘love’ and ‘work’. This section will conclude by presenting findings from a recent randomised controlled trial evaluating a novel peer and clinician led group therapy program for BPD, co-designed by clinicians and individuals with a lived experience of personality disorder. Findings indicate participants receiving the co led intervention (n = 43) demonstrated significant improvements in BPD symptom severity and mental health, relative to treatment as usual (n = 40). High levels of satisfaction, perceived helpfulness, and willingness to recommend the program were reported, highlighting the value of peer involvement in fostering a destigmatising and recovery oriented therapeutic environment.
Second, lived experience perspectives from partners and family members of individuals with pathological narcissism will be discussed. Across qualitative and quantitative studies, findings demonstrate that close others provide unique insight into narcissistic pathology: capturing fluctuations between grandiosity and vulnerability, cycles of interpersonal instability, and in some cases exposure to coercive control or violence. These perspectives also highlight key avenues for improving assessment, risk management, and engagement strategies when treating individuals with narcissistic traits. Further work directly engaging individuals with narcissistic pathology will be essential for advancing assessment and treatment efforts, and decreasing stigma towards this condition.
In sum, this presentation demonstrates how the inclusion of lived experience perspectives can meaningfully advance compassionate, person-centred, and evidence-based clinical assessment, diagnosis, and treatment practices for personality disorders.