This paper offers an account of my own epistemological journey over four decades of social work practice and research. It traces the journey from my early years as a practitioner working from an approach largely grounded in what we called practice wisdom, to my current situation as a professor of social work, undertaking research and guiding students on their own research and practice journeys.

The paper begins with a vignette from a research field trip in the early 2000s – mid point in my journey and then takes a more chronological turn exploring disability research and the theme of voice and activism in research. Finally, I offer some reflections on the journey itself, what has influenced and guided my own learning, the challenges and the insights.