The practitioner's intense search for knowing in a sea of ambiguity: Answers from the learning triangle of practice, academic research and personal life

In this chapter, we introduce several guides that serve as our knowledge base in the helping professions, while paying close attention to managing ambiguity and developing wisdom. Practitioners are often exposed to profound and complex human problems, and these existential tensions can remind practitioners of their own state of being. This can make the work confusing. In searching for answers practitioners become aware that there are no steadfast, ready-made solutions to ease client pain. In a field filled with so much uncertainty, professional education across the lifespan becomes vital. But where should practitioners turn for their education" We propose that practitioner expertise is like a learning triangle, with lessons from practice, research and theory, and the practitioner's personal life. All three sides are vital for optimal practitioner functioning.