Feminist supervision and supervisee nondisclosure: The mediating role of the supervisory relationship

In this study, the authors investigated the predictive relationship between a feminist supervisory approach and supervisee nondisclosure, along with the potential mediating effect of the supervisory relationship. Among a sample of master’s-level counseling interns (N = 111), supervisees who perceived more feminist behaviors from their supervisor were more likely to rank the supervisory relationship as stronger and were less likely to report withholding information from their supervisor. Furthermore, the supervisory relationship partially mediated the link between feminist supervision and supervisee nondisclosure. Implications for supervisors and researchers are discussed.     

Psychotherapy Supervision and Attachment Theory: Review,Reflections, and Recommendations

Mental health professionals (N = 110) were surveyed about their experiences in supervision with clinical, administrative, and dual-roled supervisors (supervisors who serve in both clinical and administrative roles). The effects of supervisor training, supervisor disclosure, and supervisor role on supervisee disclosure were examined using a multiple hierarchical regression. Supervisor disclosure explained level of supervisee disclosure regardless of supervisee role (p < .0001). Clinical implications of these findings are discussed.     

Interprofessional Supervision in Social Work and Psychology: Mandates and (Inter) Professional Relationships

Supervision of practicing professionals has grown as a major vehicle for the assurance of clinical competence of health and social services professionals in New Zealand with a consequential increase in the demand for competent supervisors. Interprofessional supervision (IPS) has increased as a means of addressing the gap. The literature suggests there is potential for IPS to improve functioning in multidisciplinary teams and enhance clinical work, but it is relatively under-researched. This article reports on a study of psychologists and social workers (N = 243) practicing IPS. The study explored the rationale for seeking IPS and the perceived advantages and limitations for the supervisor and supervisee alike. Professional mandates may limit IPS but its development as a practice suggests that guidance is needed to ensure it meets the aspirations of its practitioners.     

The Fifth International Interdisciplinary Conference on Clinical Supervision

Doctoral students in counselor education and supervision programs take a course specific to clinical supervision as part of their doctoral course work. The transition from supervisee to supervisor occurring during this course can be challenging, as it is frequently the first time that students are asked to provide supervision to counselors in training. The purpose of this qualitative research was to gain information about the process of doctoral students' development from supervisees into supervisors. Significant themes emerged from the data related to the transition of becoming supervisors: the importance of creating the supervisory relationship and the need for further supervisory skills.     

Attitudes toward Supervisors in a Human Service Agency

This article presents the results of an empirically-based study that explores the supervisory styles of social workers in a large human service agency and presents the supervisees' attitudes toward their supervisors broken down by their supervisory styles.     

Broaching as a strategy for intercultural understanding in clinical supervision

Broaching cultural similarities and differences with genuine, respectful inquisitiveness is an important supervisory intervention. Broaching allows supervisors to acknowledge the relevance of cultural identities and invite supervisee dialogue. Through dialogue, supervisors are tasked with openly receiving what is said by supervisees and working through ideas to maximize the effectiveness of supervision. In this practical article, broaching as an intervention in supervision is described. The importance of clinical supervision, the intercultural nature of supervision, sample broaching prompts, and recommendations for supervisors are also included.     

Measuring Changes in Counselor Self-Efficacy: Further Validation and Implications for Training and Supervision

The marriage and family therapy (MFT) supervision literature points to discrepancies between supervisor's and supervisee's expectations of supervision. There are no specific guidelines for beginning or experienced supervisors regarding establishing a contract for supervision with their supervisees. In addition, the MPT supervision literature lacks any significant attempts to encourage an ongoing dialogue in which both supervisor(s) and supervisee(s) discuss needs, agendas, styles, techniques and goals in a systematic manner. This seems striking in light of the importance placed on establishing such a contract with clients in the therapy process. This paper presents the Initial Supervisory Session Check-list (ISSC), a set of guidelines for use by both supervisors and supervisees regardless of the theoretical orientation and developmental level of those involved.     

Card-sorting as a tool for communicating the relative importance of supervisor interventions

A card-sorting activity was used to stimulate communication about the perceived relative importance of supervisor interventions within a supervisory dyad. Pairs of supervisors and supervisees ranked 10 cards of supervisor interventions in the order of perceived importance and conversed about their rankings. Results indicated that supervisees perceived feedback and correction as more important than supervisors, whereas supervisors perceived allowing for debriefing and validating supervisee's feelings as more important than supervisees. Dyads agreed that the activity was fun, easy to do, and would contribute to a climate of honest feedback, facilitate the working alliance, and help prevent unspoken negative dynamics.     

Supervision Styles and Topics Discussed in Supervision

The purpose of the study was to determine level of agreement between supervisors and supervisees about the most important topics they discussed and about styles of supervision used. Chi-square analyses of data collected on 86 doctoral student supervisors and 161 master's degree supervisees over a 10-week period showed that supervisors and supervisees agreed to a significant degree about the most important topics discussed and the style used by the supervisor. Actual amounts of agreement are not high despite statistical significance, thus raising questions about clinical significance.     

A multi-method synthesis of studies evaluating wellness-informed approaches to counselor supervision

ABSTRACT

This multi-method synthesis evaluated the effectiveness, course of effect, and perceived salient features of wellness-informed approaches to supervision. Synthesis of findings from between-groups (j = 3), single-case (j = 2), and qualitative (j = 4) studies indicated preliminary support for these approaches to supervisee development. Recommendations for supervisors and limitations of findings to counselor preparation programs are discussed.     

Supervision Characteristics Related to the Supervisory Working Alliance as Rated by Doctoral-Level Supervisees

Supervision is an essential element in developing well-trained and competent psychologists. The present study identifies strengths and weaknesses in supervisor characteristics that contribute to the supervisee's clinical training experience and professional development. Data gathered from doctoral psychology students indicate that supervisees rated their supervisors as having the following strengths: above-average intelligence, a positive attitude toward themselves, ethical integrity, and strong listening skills. Data from this study indicate the following areas may have room for improvement for clinical supervisors: awareness of countertransference in supervision, the ability to stay focused, the ability to meet time constraints, commitment to the supervisory alliance, and an ability to challenge the supervisee effectively. In summary, 68% of the participants rate their supervisor as outstanding, 5% rate their supervisor as acceptable, and 12% rate their supervisor as poor.     

Supervisee Incompatibility and Its Influence on Supervisee and Supervisor Outcomes in Triadic Supervision: An Investigation of Supervisors' Perspectives

A qualitative study was conducted to examine supervisors' experiences of the outcomes for themselves and their supervisees when supervisee incompatibility was present in triadic supervision. In-depth, open-ended interviews were conducted with nine supervisors in one counselor education program. A whole-text analysis revealed that participants varied in the supervisee characteristics that they considered most important to address during supervisee matching. Supervisee incompatibility also resulted in a variety of positive and negative outcomes for both the supervisees and the supervisor.     

Supervision As Pedagogy: Attending to Its Essential Instructional and Learning Processes

The various supervision models each emphasize particular interventions. But to conceptualize supervision as a teaching-learning process permits a common framework and attention to supervision's basic change mechanisms. This article discusses the four learning strategies of modeling, feedback, direct instruction, and self-directed learning through reflective practice, arguing that their effects are mediated by the quality of the supervisory relationship. As well, it makes the case that feedback grounds a developmental continuum that extends from direct instruction when supervisees are learning new skills to reflective practice, which becomes increasingly prominent as the supervisee gains experience.     

Differential Effects of Parental “drug talk” Styles and Family Communication Environments on Adolescent Substance Use

The current study examines the relationships among adolescent reports of parent–adolescent drug talk styles, family communication environments (e.g., expressiveness, structural traditionalism, and conflict avoidance), and adolescent substance use. ANCOVAs revealed that the 9th grade adolescents (N = 718) engaged in four styles of “drug talks” with parents (e.g., situated direct, ongoing direct, situated indirect, and ongoing indirect style) and these styles differed in their effect on adolescent substance use. Multiple regression analyses showed that expressiveness and structural traditionalism were negatively related to adolescent substance use, whereas conflict avoidance was positively associated with substance use. When controlling for family communication environments and gender, adolescents with an ongoing indirect style reported the lowest use of substance. The findings suggest implications and future directions for theory and practice.     

Time to Work Out! Examining the Behavior Change Techniques and Relevant Theoretical Mechanisms that Predict the Popularity of Fitness Mobile Apps with Chinese-Language User Interfaces

ABSTRACT

Eyeing the huge potential mHealth market in China, developers both inside and outside of China have created an increasing number of fitness mobile applications with Chinese-language user interfaces. The present study analyzes the content of those fitness mobile apps (N = 177), with a particular focus on their behavior change techniques and relevant theoretical mechanisms. It finds that three theoretical mechanisms, modeling/observational learning, self-regulation, and social comparison/social support, are prevalent among fitness mobile apps with Chinese-language user interfaces. Moreover, based on the configurations of the behavior change techniques, three distinct clusters are identified: “instructional apps” (N = 75), “self-regulation apps” (N = 58), and “triathlon apps” (N = 44). Among them, “triathlon apps” equipped with technical features reflecting all three theoretical mechanisms are found to be the most popular among users. This suggests the usefulness of health behavior change theories in promoting physical activity via mobile apps in that the inclusion of more theoretical content in the app design enhances the app’s effectiveness. More theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.     

Dependence and Independence in Clinical Supervision

Abstract

Dependence and independence can pose important learning issues in clinical supervision. Dependence in supervisees is frequently defined as a problem, while independence is more likely to be valued and supported. The differential valuation of dependence and independence in the supervisory relationship reflects core cultural values which are embodied in traditional psychodynamic developmental theories. This paper explores the challenges to learning posed by supervisee independence, and conceptualizes these challenges using the developmental learning theory of L.S. Vygotsky, a Soviet Psychologist.     

Supervision: From Prescribed Roles to Preferred Positionings

Clinical supervisors provide support, instruction, and professional gatekeeping for supervisees, while also working with them and clients to ensure that quality clinical service is provided. Thus, supervisors find themselves managing multiple and competing ways of orienting to the supervisory situation that may result in relational conflicts (e.g., with supervisees, professional boards). We build on the concept of supervisory positions to articulate an approach to supervision aimed to foster optimal conditions for supervisees' professional development. We exemplify how supervisors may use this approach to manage multiple responsibilities without lessening good relationships with supervisees.     

Practitioners' Risk Exposure to Client Violence: A Test of Gender-Sensitive Case Assignment Among Supervisors

Gender has emerged as a risk factor for male social workers exposed to client-related assaults in the workplace. This explanatory study examines the main hypothesis that male social workers are more likely to be assigned adult mental health clients with histories of violence than are female colleagues. This experimental case vignette study solicited a national random sample of National Association of Social Workers (NASW) members (N = 181) who identified mental health as their primary service setting and supervision as their primary practice function. This investigation used gender role theory as a conceptual framework. A mixed-model repeated measure analysis of variance was employed to test the hypotheses. The findings suggest that management practices can contribute to disparate assignment of male exposure of gender disparities of client-related violence among social workers. Implications for practice, management, and policy are discussed.     

Supervisor and Organizational Factors Associated with Supervisor Support of Job Accommodations for Low Back Injured Workers

Purpose Temporary job accommodations contribute to the prevention of chronic work disability due to low back pain (LBP) through the facilitation of early return to work; yet, workplace dimensions of job accommodation are poorly understood. The objective of this study was to determine supervisor and organizational factors associated with supervisors’ support for temporary job accommodations for LBP injured workers. Methods Supervisors were recruited from 19 workplaces in the USA and Canada and completed an online survey regarding job accommodation practices and potential associated factors with respect to a case vignette of a worker with LBP. Multivariable linear regression was used to identify the most parsimonious set of factors associated with supervisors’ support for accommodations. Results A total of 804 supervisors participated with 796 eligible for inclusion in the analysis. The final set of factors explained 21 % of the variance in supervisors’ support for temporary job accommodations. Considerate leadership style (β = 0.261; 95 % CI 0.212, 0.310), workplace disability management policies and practices (β = 0.243; 95 % CI 0.188, 0.298), and supervisor autonomy for designing and providing workplace accommodations (β = 0.156; 95 % CI 0.071, 0.241) had the largest effect on supervisor support for accommodations. Conclusion Factors predicting supervisors’ likelihood to accommodate LBP injured workers include use of considerate leadership style, workplace disability management policies and practices, and supervisor autonomy. Workplace interventions targeting these factors should be developed and evaluated for their ability to improve work disability prevention outcomes.     

Disclosure—and Lack Thereof—in Individual Supervision

Disclosure is a central component of the supervision process for supervisees and may, at times, also be a vital intervention for supervisors. I review the theoretical and empirical literature on disclosure and nondisclosure in individual clinical supervision, from both supervisees’ and supervisors’ perspectives. The review is focused primarily on supervisee nondisclosure, supervisor disclosure, and supervisor nondisclosure, and concludes with implications and recommendations for practice and research.