Lindsay DeWal realised pretty soon that although her skills in Humanist pastoral care were entirely transferable to the UK context, there are significant differences from her native Holland in the culture and faith tradition which she encountered. Lindsay realised that there is little to no research from a humanist perspective in the UK and embarked on a PhD. We explore with Lindsay what her research tells us about how people within chaplaincy teams feel about their identity and place in their team. The dangers of assumptions we may make about each other are revealed but also the enrichment in the experience of cross-belief working. Our discussion goes on to reflect on the precariousness of the chaplaincy profession and its anomaly in the NHS structures and requirements. Has the time has come to forego some of the freedom of flying under the radar to professionalise what we do through training, qualifications, research and evidence based practice?
