Multicultural supervision: supervisees’ reflections on culturally competent supervision

Abstract

This study examined supervisees' perceived experiences of supervisor multicultural competence in supervision and its impact on supervisees' clinical work. Specific attention was given to the cultural content discussed and the supervisory multicultural interventions used in supervision. Data from 102 supervisees was analyzed through a discovery-oriented qualitative approach. With regard to content, the most common focus was on race followed by gender, ethnicity, and religion/spirituality. An examination of the multiculturally competent supervisor interventions revealed that supervisors' frequently educated and facilitated exploration of specific cultural issues, discussed culturally appropriate therapeutic interventions and skills, facilitated supervisee selfawareness within the supervision session, and challenged and encouraged cultural openness of supervisee's understanding of client and cultural issues. The most frequent manner by which the supervisory experience affected client work involved the supervisee modifying the treatment approach, recognizing personal limitations and experiencing improved self-awareness as a counselor in their work with clients, and developing an enhanced understanding of and empathy towards their clients. Implications for these findings are discussed.

Competency‐based Clinical Supervision: Status, Opportunities, Tensions, and the Future

“…Even though they hold significant power in assessment, diagnostic, and treatment decisions (Falender et al, ) and in the supervisory relationship, supervisors generally have substantially less competence in multicultural and international diversity than do supervisees. This may be due to generational curriculum changes (Gloria, Hird, & Tao, ), but even current graduate psychology training in the USA may focus on several multicultural categories: race, gender, ethnicity, and religion (Soheilian, Inman, Klinger, Isenberg, & Kulp, ) rather than the range of multiple identities (e.g., sexual orientation, gender identity, age, country of origin, immigration status, socio‐economic status, disability) or social justice competencies (Ratts, Singh, Nassar McMillan, Butler, & McCullough, ). The assumption that one's multiple cultural identities, requisite self‐awareness, and the knowledge of empirical literature, and competence are impactful in clinical practice and supervision may not have gained adequate traction (Vasquez, ).…”

Transnational research across languages and cultures: Beyond monolingualism and intercultural competence

“…Namely studies focus on: thesis writing in a second language (Paltridge & Starfield, 2007); students' experiences of supervisor multicultural competence and impact on doctoral work (Soheilian et al, 2014); multilingual communicative practices between supervisors and students and the influence of languages and research cultures in research design (Araújo e Sá et al, forthcoming; Robinson-Pant, 2017).…”

The Ruptured Supervisory Alliance and Its Repair: On Supervisor Apology as a Reparative Intervention

“…Lack of (or limited) multicultural knowledge and sensitivity can negatively affect the supervision alliance (Inman & Ladany, 2014;Soheilian, Inman, Klinger, Isenberg, & Kulpe, 2014), and striving to obviate that unfortunate outcome is essential.…”