Article Author: Krishna Guadalupe

This analysis examines the risks that arise when professional knowledge in mental-behavioral health is treated as certain or unquestionable. While established theories and practices offer valuable guidance, they are shaped by history and culture (Foucault, 1988; Haraway, 1988). Using insights from different professional fields, clinical work, and personal reflection, this article explores how knowledge that is treated as fixed, complete, or unquestionable can unintentionally obscure complexity, overlook lived experiences, and reinforce dominant ways of thinking in clinical and educational settings (Mullan, 2023). While a degree of understanding is necessary for practice, knowledge is never complete or neutral and is always shaped by context. Here, “absolute certainty” refers to privileging authority and standardization over relationships and context. It also involves the uncritical acceptance and application of professional knowledge as fixed, universal, and context-independent, often prioritizing standardized frameworks over cultural, relational, and situational understanding. In this view, “best practice” means using assessments and interventions that are culturally relevant, grounded in context, and developed in collaboration with those being served, while attending to power and social structures (Linklater, 2014; Mullan, 2023). The article does not reject scientific knowledge; rather, it calls for a human-centered approach grounded in humility, curiosity, and intentionality. It argues that ethical practice emerges from a willingness to understand knowledge as relational and evolving, not solely from technical expertise (Wampold & Imel, 2015). By reframing uncertainty as a marker of integrity rather than weakness, the field can move toward greater inclusivity, cultural responsiveness, and authentic human connection.

Keywords: Epistemic certainty; Reflexivity; Mental-behavioral health; Cultural humility; Qualitative inquiry; Decolonizing practice; Clinical ethics

Article Review Status: Published

Pages: 1 - 14

Download PDF