Exploring the Experiences of Psychotherapy Supervisors in South Africa
Psychotherapy supervision is an invaluable process, both in the development of beginning psychologists and in the continued professional development of psychologists. Initially, psychotherapy supervision is predominantly conducted in academic settings, as part of both a student and an intern psychologist’s development and training. This research provides an exploration into a number of supervisors’ experiences conducting psychotherapy supervision within academic settings.
Research in psychotherapy supervision is somewhat scarce within a South African context. Studies have also indicated that supervisors experience substantial difficulties in psychotherapy supervision, particularly in managing the supervisor-supervisee relationship. The research aims to contribute to this area by investigating these experiences and how these processes may manifest within an academic setting. Seven open-ended interviews were conducted with registered psychologists working within academic settings as psychotherapy supervisors.
The research employed a qualitative, interpretative approach to the data analysis to create a thematic account of subjective experiences of conducting psychotherapy supervision within the academic context. The findings highlighted several different aspects within the supervisor-supervisee relationship, such as boundaries, power and negotiating professional identity. These aspects are explored further and discussed in conjunction with considerations for future research in psychotherapy supervision in South Africa.
