Spowart, J. K. P., & Robertson, S. E. (2024).
Canadian Psychology / Psychologie canadienne.
Advance online publication.
https://doi.org/10.1037/cap0000388
Abstract
Clinical supervisors must learn to attend to and address a breadth of cultural, diversity and social justice factors and dynamics when providing supervision. Developing these abilities does not occur automatically; rather, training in clinical supervision has a significant impact on supervisors’ development. Unfortunately, there is relatively limited research on how supervisors develop these same ways of being and working. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore how counselling psychology doctoral students understand their experiences of becoming culturally responsive and socially just clinical supervisors. Findings from this study detail the developmental experiences of novice supervisors and highlight training needs, educational interventions, progression of competencies and experiences with counselling supervisees and supervisors-of-supervision. Implications for theories of supervisor development and approaches in graduate training programmes are discussed along side of calls to more robustly integrate culturally responsive and socially just training and approaches throughout the field of clinical supervision.
Impact Statement
Clinical supervisors are responsible for attending to and addressing issues of culture, diversity and advocacy so that they may better prepare new mental health practitioners to support populations from diverse backgrounds. Little is known about the training experiences and needs of clinical supervisors as they learn to carry out this important work. The present study addresses this gap in the literature by highlighting the experiences of supervisors-in-training and provides tangible education and training recommendations to help ensure more culturally responsive and socially just clinical supervision practices.
Here are two excerpts:
From the Introduction:
Clinical supervision is a distinct area of practice in psychology (Arthur & Collins, 2015). Historically, it was assumed that becoming a clinical supervisor was "a natural outgrowth of the acquisition of [counselling] experience" (Thériault & Gazzola, 2019, p. 155). Currently, it is recognised that becoming a clinical supervisor is a unique, complex and multifaceted developmental process in which distinct skills, knowledge, awareness and attitudes must be cultivated (Falender & Shafranske, 2017; Thériault & Gazzola, 2019). Adding to this, providing supervision alone does not guarantee supervisor development or the acquisition of clinical supervision competencies (Falender & Shafranske, 2004; C. E. Watkins, 2012). Rather, training in clinical supervision has been shown to have a significant impact on development as a supervisor (Christofferson et al., 2023; Gazzola & De Stefano, 2016; Milne et al., 2011). Individuals may obtain such training either during graduate school or through postgraduate professional development.
From the Discussion:
To begin, the importance of MCSJ (Multicultural Social Justice) factors and dynamics served as a context for the doctoral student SITs' (Supervisors In Training) experiences. As if it were a lens through which they understood their practice and development, their focus on MCSJ factors and dynamics was not something that could be divorced from their experiences. As they were transitioning into and taking on their new role, the SITS experienced some initial difficulties. At first, they felt they needed a road map. They did not have a clear understanding of how they could provide CRSJ supervision and wished they had received more initial guidance. Some of these initial difficulties abated as the doctoral student SITS were impacted by a number of supports to their development.
