The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Supervising Trans Counselors in Training
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Abstract
Clinical supervisors should be culturally competent working with transgender counselors in training, but currently minimal research exists regarding trans counselors. The current study explores the experiences of five trans counselors or counselors in training who received clinical supervision. Qualitative data was collected by a single semi-structured interview with each participant, who self-identified as a trans counselor who received supervision within the preceding five years. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to understand participants’ interpretation of their experience, which was then interpreted by the researcher. Findings revealed four super-ordinate themes: Competent Supervision, Incompetent or Harmful Supervision, Power and Privilege Dynamics, and Supervisor Competencies Needed, plus two sub-themes related to supervisee experiences in clinical supervision. Findings suggested clinical supervisors displayed widely varying levels of competency when working with trans supervisees, and participants identified several suggestions for supervisors to increase competency with this population. More research is needed to better understand the full extent of supervisor competency working with trans supervisees.