Trainees’ use of supervision for therapy with sexual minority clients: A qualitative study.

Abstract

In the supervision literature, research on sexual orientation considerations often focuses on sexual minority supervisees and less often on their work with sexual minority clients. Yet both heterosexual and sexual minority supervisees serve sexual minority clients and may have different supervision needs. Twelve predoctoral interns from 12 APA-accredited counseling center internships were interviewed about how they made use of supervision for their work with a sexual minority client. The sample consisted of 6 heterosexual-identified supervisees and 6 supervisees who identified as lesbian, gay, or queer (LGQ). Data were analyzed using consensual qualitative research. All participants reported positive gains from supervision that carried over to their work with heterosexual and sexual minority clients, even when not all supervisors disclosed or discussed their own sexual orientation. Heterosexual supervisees used supervision to ensure that their heterosexuality does not interfere with an affirmative experience for their sexual minority client, whereas LGQ supervisees used supervision to explore differences in sexual identity development between themselves and their client to minimize the negative impact of overidentification. Thus, affirmative supervision may unfold with different foci depending on supervisees' sexual identity. Implications for training and supervision are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

Connection Failure: Systemic Disadvantages Facing the LGBTQ+ Community in Therapy and how to Address them

“…Resources such as Dworkin and Pope (2015) or Ginicola et al (2017) and mandatory courses on multicultural counselling could be used to enhance therapist competency. A shift needs to be made in the overall institution of psychology towards understanding and catering to diverse populations, and some of this could also come from supervisors once in the field, as shown in Chui et al's (2017) research.…”

“…The researcher sampled available literature, both empirical studies and theoretical papers, to gain a fuller understanding into the topic of counselling LGBTQ+ clients. The first of these was conducted by Chui, McGann, Ziemer, Hoffman, and Stahl (2017) and explored the importance of supervisors in the counselling setting in the United States. They examined the role of supervision of recent psychotherapy graduates by more seasoned therapists in working with LGQ clients and other minorities.…”

American Psychological Association Guidelines for Clinical Supervision: Competency-Based Implications for Supervisees

“…It is essential that supervisors provide support for supervisees to take an active role in supervision and in their training (e.g., Chui et al, 2018). Supervisors should not assume that supervisees, even those who are advanced in their training, are equipped, prepared for, or have the knowledge, skills, and attitudes, to use supervision effectively.…”

“…Supervisees, however, are well-positioned to proactively and respectfully clarify their needs and initiate diversity-related discussions. In fact, research suggests that supervisees are able to, and do, seize opportunities to integrate and address diversity issues in supervision (Chui, McGann, Ziemer, Hoffman, & Stahl, 2018; Greer, 2002), which may facilitate multicultural self-awareness and MC (Richardson & Molinaro, 1996), and help supervisees initiate cultural discussions with clients. On the other hand, supervisees, especially those from marginalized groups, may experience increased powerlessness within the hierarchical supervisory relationship and lack the requisite safety to initiate multicultural dialogues.…”

“…Being a self-advocate in supervision can be intimidating (Greer, 2002), yet continued learning can offer comfort with, and ownership of, one’s identities and MC. Moreover, being an self-advocate in supervision can help further develop SSC and may prepare supervisees to engage in difficult, yet critical, conversations regarding the dynamic influence of diversity factors in supervision and therapy (e.g., Chui et al, 2018).…”