The Developing Psychotherapy Supervisor: The Experience of Change and Growth in the Early Years

I began my Doctoral studies researching clinical supervision about five years ago, but this journey started long before I set foot in a classroom. I recognized the importance of clinical supervision early on in my career when I experienced the incredible impact of the supervisor firsthand. “Good” supervision has the potential to greatly inspire psychotherapists –both novice and advanced alike. It can challenge you to grow, develop, and to look inward at your held values and beliefs. It can shine light upon the blind spots of your practice and ultimately improve your work with clients. Good supervision not only cares about your professional development and the quality of client care, but also about your own wellbeing as a therapeutic instrument that incites change.

While I experienced the positive –and at times, negative—impact of clinical supervision myself, research investigating this fundamental role is surprisingly limited.  My Doctoral research was designed with the intention of developing a greater understanding of the internal experience of becoming a clinical supervisor. Specifically, it sought to answer the question: what experiences are most helpful or challenging for the developing psychotherapy supervisor?

Following six novice supervisors for a period of eight months, I became immersed in the experiences of developing supervisors. Three novice supervisors had received formal training in supervision, while the other three supervisors were channeling their professional experiences as supervisor and supervisee to guide their work. This study resulted in a deeper understanding of those initial, impactful moments of becoming a supervisor. It set the stage for further conversations about how to best support those assuming this important clinical role.

Perhaps most important to note from the findings of this study is the value placed by new supervisors on the supervisory relationship, reflective practice, and professional consultation. The novice supervisor appeared to value the relationship with the supervisee as a necessary and important aspect of their development.  Having a positive relationship appeared to improve their efficacy and experience of growth. However, when encountering inevitable challenges in the role, the novice supervisor appeared to rely upon their previous clinical experiences and feedback from other professionals to guide their work. Only when they would engage in critical reflection on the nuances of this challenging role could they truly begin to develop their supervisory skills.

The results of this study have contributed to expand the current –and limited— understanding of what experiences in initial practice are considered most impactful on supervisor development. It highlighted the importance of engaging in reflective practices to foster development and overcome challenging experiences. It further raised questions of how we can best support and train clinical supervisors to critically reflect in an effort to truly nurture the supervisory relationship and ultimately meet the challenges of the profession. While this study posed new questions to the field, it also inspired a preliminary understanding of how to best support those new to this important role.