The purpose of this study is to examine, from the phenomenological perspective, the experiences of play therapist supervisees during a designated period in which they were supervised by play therapist supervisors and to extract meaning from such exper...
The purpose of this study is to examine, from the phenomenological perspective, the experiences of play therapist supervisees during a designated period in which they were supervised by play therapist supervisors and to extract meaning from such experiences. From November of 2012 to March 2014, three supervisees were selected and interviewed in-depth to gather data regarding their experiences being supervised by relevant supervisors. The analysis of such collected data was performed in accordance with the phenomenological standards as suggested by van Manen (1990).
Through interviews with the three selected supervisees, the overall process for supervision was revealed, and it was found that the relationship patterns between the supervisees and their respective supervisors were different according to the personalities and life worlds of the supervisees.
Seventeen subject areas of interest were detected from the analysis of supervision experiences of the supervisees, and some of them are discussed in the following.
In the first session of supervision, the supervisees experienced confusion about their counseling efforts and felt excessive responsibility and pressure from clients. As a result, the supervisees urgently sought out recognized supervisors to obtain the necessary advice for counseling clients. The supervisees received supervision as part of the process required for obtaining certified licenses to be play therapists.
During supervision, the supervisees relied on their supervisors and followed their advice unconditionally. On the other hand, the supervisees were reluctant to admit any fault due to their concern about negative feedback from their supervisors. The supervisees showed desire to get recognition from their supervisors and were grateful to them when the supervisors resolved the supervisees’ problems through supervision. At times, when the supervisees received counseling on personal matters from the supervisors, they regarded the supervisors as their life advisors.
As supervision progressed and the supervisees amassed more experience, they expressed frustration over the still uncertain counseling process but did not stop the counseling. Some did, however, seek out entry-level supervisors due to financial burden. With more accumulated experience, the supervisees reflected on themselves and recognized that their supervisors were not perfect people but that they made mistakes as well. Through this process, the supervisees realized that they were indeed the principal agents of counseling and began to seek appropriate supervisors whose personality and character were in unison theirs. Sometimes the supervisees felt a burden due to their dual relationship with their supervisors and were concerned about their reputation in the small play therapy community. Eventually, the supervisees found that they were becoming experts through supervision and were taking after their supervisors.
The significance of supervisee experiences during play therapy supervision can be summarized in four categories as follows: The first is “security”. The supervisees who had difficulty in their counseling due to lack of experience thought that their supervisors provide them an immense sense of security. In addition, they considered supervision from the supervisors as a secure base from which they could get over the difficulties of counseling.
The second is“growth through learning”. The supervisees grew through learning from supervision and in turn became supervisors themselves. This experience of growth through learning helped the supervisees achieve meaningful growth in that they not only experienced external growth but inner growth as well.
The third is “nurture”. The supervisees experienced nurture from their supervisors as second parents. They experienced caring from the supervisors as parents care for their children. The time for nurture was essential to the supervisees as they needed supervision for a certain period of time to transition from absolute dependence to independence.
The fourth is “road not ended”. Even if supervision is finished and regular meetings with their supervisors are stopped, the supervision experience still remains with the supervisees and continue to affect all aspects of their lives including counseling, lecturing and even raising their kids.
This study tries to further the understanding of the relationship between supervision and supervisees by frankly depicting the experiences of supervisees in play therapy supervision. In addition, this study attempts to specify standards for supervising supervisees through their growth and change and to add to the supervision educational program.