Family therapy trainees' evaluations of their best and worst supervision experiences

Abstract

Supervisees in Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education-(COAMFTE) accredited and candidacy training programs were asked to describe their best and worst supervision experiences in terms of the context of training and supervision, the perceived personal attributes of the supervisor, and specific behaviors perceived to be enacted by the supervisor during supervision. Contextual factors such as supervision modality, frequency and duration of supervisory contacts, and sources of supervisory data appeared to distinguish between supervisees' perceptions of their best and worst experiences. These experiences were further distinguished by the supervisees' perceptions regarding the supervisor's level of interpersonal attractiveness, trustworthiness, and expertise. Key behaviors perceived to be enacted by supervisors during best and worst experiences clustered into several dimensions that included creating an open supervisory environment, communication and encouragement, attending to personal growth, and providing conceptual and technical guidance and direction.