1. Understanding the Learner in Context

This chapter sets out a principle that runs through the entire book: that training applied psychologists well begins with understanding the learner within their specific context. It argues that competence cannot be built through the transfer of psychological knowledge alone, particularly in resource-constrained and war-affected settings such as Palestine, where much of the existing literature on practitioner training, licensing, and competence has been drawn largely from high income countries. Three interconnected themes are explored. The first concerns self-regulated learning, examining how cognitive and emotional factors influence a learner's engagement, and how educators can calibrate challenge so that learners are stretched without being overwhelmed, drawing on Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development as a guiding framework. The second addresses the evaluation and tracking of competence, moving away from credential-based models toward context-sensitive, competency-based approaches that have begun to emerge in low- and middle-income countries, including work with non-specialist providers in Gaza. The third turns to learner wellbeing, considering how pre-existing conditions, disability, and exposure to trauma intersect with the demands of applied practice, and how protective factors such as sense of coherence, spirituality, and structured supervision can buffer against burnout and vicarious traumatisation. Throughout, the chapter argues against a model of learning built on rote acquisition and grade-maximising, proposing instead an approach grounded in curiosity, reflective practice, and lifelong professional growth suited to the realities of practitioners working in Palestine and similar settings.