THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING A SUPERVISOR USING COLLABORATIVE PRACTICES: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of my study was to examine the experience of the new supervisor in order to better understand what it means to be a supervisor by means of reflecting with them on their personal experience and perspective as a newly Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Supervisor (LMFT-S) specifically from a Collaborative-Dialogic Practices perspective. Method After an in-depth review of the literature, a semi-structured interview process was used to inquire into the internal experience of new supervisors. Using Moustakas’ (1994) Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method of organization and analysis six themes were identified in this phenomenological research. The use of four grand tour questions generated data on what it was like to provide supervision and be a supervisor allowing for rich descriptions of that experience (Spradley, 2003). Transcribed interviews were checked for accuracy by a faculty member, an outside auditor familiar with Collaborative-Dialogic Practices, and member checked by a participant/new supervisor to maintain accuracy of understanding and meaning of themes. In order to ensure trustworthiness, authenticity, and credibility interview quotes were used to describe identified themes. Results In this qualitative study, the research question: What is the role of prior and current clinical experience on the new supervisor’s perception of providing and using collaborative practices? was answered. I identified six major themes. Themes included; (a) concerns of the new supervisor, (b) supervision as a relational process, (c) philosophical assumptions of being a Collaborative-Dialogic Practices supervisor, (d) growth as a supervisor, (e) the impact of prior clinical practice and supervision, and (f) emotional responses to being a supervisor. Participant/co-researchers became more reflective during the interview process contributing to a more complete understanding and description of the experience of new supervisors using Collaborative-Dialogic Practices. The categorized themes and descriptive, rich data from interviews suggested practicing from the philosophical stance of Collaborative-Dialogic Practices enhanced the supervision process and experience of being a new supervisor.