Learnings from a qualitative study into counselling supervision: Listening to supervisor and supervisee

Abstract

This paper draws on the authors' recent experience of piloting qualitative research into helpful and hindering events in supervision using interpersonal process recall with three supervisor‐supervisee dyads. This paper presents in some detail the findings from one dyad. The authors draw on their experience of the research to raise questions relating to ethics and methodology and the implications for practice are considered.

Recording supervision: Educational, therapeutic, and enhances the supervisory working alliance?

“…Audio‐recording supervision (Walker & Jacobs, ) and video‐recording supervision (Inman & Soheilian, ) have been advocated for the training and assessment of supervisors, as well as for self‐directed learning and quality control purposes, to use either alone or with an experienced supervisor (Walker & Jacobs, ). Page and Wosket () and West and Clark () also recommend that supervisors and supervisees occasionally watch a recording together. Page and Wosket () further recommend that, if practicable, the supervisory diad use an ‘inquirer’ (Kagan (Klein) & Kagan, ) to facilitate the process.…”

Counselling supervision and the production of professional selves

“…Disquiet about the culture of supervision in the UK has echoed in this journal and elsewhere over recent years (Feltham, , ; King & Wheeler, ; Wheeler, ; West, ; West & Clark, , for example). As processes of professionalisation increase expectations of what it is possible for supervision to do, the question of supervision as a culture of surveillance (West, , p. 125) is one that requires critical attention.…”

‘I wouldn't dream of ending with a client in the way he did to me’: An exploration of supervisees’ experiences of an unplanned ending to the supervisory relationship

“…Wheeler and Richards (2007) focused their systematic review of the literature on the impact of supervision on experienced counsellors and psychotherapists, their practice and their clients; with the impact of supervision upon the supervisee categorised as 'support', 'self-awareness' and 'skills'. West and Clark (2004) used interpersonal process recall, with three supervisor-supervisee dyads, to determine helpful and unhelpful instances within supervision sessions, finding a significant degree of concurrence between supervisors and supervisees. However, the study suggests that supervisees and supervisors may have different expectations of supervision, which affect the supervisory relationship when these expectations are not met.…”