Purpose: Clinical supervision is a common pedagogical practice, but one that has received little scrutiny. This descriptive study examined the state of supervision in psycho-oncology in the United States. We were interested in learning more about how supervision is being conducted to better understand how training and clinical supervision can be improved in psycho-oncology. Design/Sample: Fifty-three psychosocial oncology mental health professionals completed an electronic survey. Methods: Participants were asked about their training in supervision, how they practice, what is unique about supervising in an oncology setting, and whether participants viewed their training as sufficient. Findings: Most respondents (50; 94.3%) had received some training in supervision; however, about half (28, 52.8%) reported that they had not received enough training to be an effective supervisor of trainees working with cancer patients. The majority (49, 92.5%) believed it is necessary to gain specific training to be an effective supervisor in oncology settings. In open-ended responses, participants shared what they found unique about supervising in psychosocial oncology; 4 themes emerged. These were the considerations of working in a medical setting, differences in the process and structure of therapy, deeper relationships with colleagues and patients, and the effect of clinical work on the therapist/supervisee. Conclusions/Implications: More than half of our sample of psychosocial oncology practitioners in the United States felt that they were inadequately prepared to supervise and believed it is necessary to pursue specific training in this area. Enhanced training in supervision should be offered because of the specialized demands of practicing in oncology settings.

Objective: Many who choose to work in oncology manage an ongoing tension-the work is rewarding, yet simultaneously challenging. Given the need for psychosocial professionals to provide treatment for the increasing number of cancer survivors in our aging society, it is important to consider what helps and hinders professionals in their work. Therefore, this study sought to understand the work experiences of psychologists working in psycho-oncology, specifically clarifying the rewards and challenges they experience as a result of their occupation. Methods: Twenty psychologists with oncology work experience in the United States completed semi-structured interviews; data were analyzed using the Consensual Qualitative Research method. Results: In this paper, findings are presented for two of the domains that emerged from the data. In the domain of Sustaining Factors and Rewards, six themes were identified: (a) making a difference, (b) personal impact of the work on psychologists' lives and personal enrichment, (c) sense of purpose and fit with the work, (d) important relationships, (e) unique aspects of psycho-oncology, and (f) benefits derived from the workplace. In the domain of Challenges, five themes were identified: (a) job-related challenges, (b) emotional intensity, (c) financial challenges, (d) ambiguity in professional roles and psycho-oncology, and (e) ethical dilemmas. Conclusion: Psychologists employed in psycho-oncology found great meaning and purpose in their jobs, but also struggled with challenges related to the work and their workplaces. These findings can lead to better training, supervision, retention initiatives, and administrative policies to support productive employees. K E Y W O R D S cancer, career development, consensual qualitative research, oncology, psychologists, psychooncology, self-care, training 1 | BACKGROUND Charles Dickens' quote, 1 "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…," is an appropriate description for working in psycho-oncology. Many who choose to work with cancer survivors face an ongoing tension-anecdotally, the work is rewarding, yet simultaneously challenging; there is light, darkness, hope,

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