The Beginning Intern in Supervision: A Comparative Study of Supervisors' and Interns' Perceptions of the Relationship and the Intern's Needs
The Beginning Intern in Supervision: A Comparative Study of Supervisors' and Interns' Perceptions of the Relationship and the Intern's Needs
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Issue Date
1991
Authors
MacMillan, Megan Leah
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Abstract
This study tested the hypothesis that interns and supervisors differ in their perceptions regarding the beginning intern's needs in supervision, i.e., what the beginner finds most meaningful and helpful in supervision. To test this hypothesis, separate questionnaires for interns and supervisors were developed. Included were matching questions duplicated in both the intern and supervisor questionnaires, whose results were statistically analyzed for differences. A further distinction was made among the intern participants, grouping interns according to their satisfaction with their supervision. The findings were analyzed in four separate ways: Intern answers were compared with supervisor answers; satisfied intern answers were compared with dissatisfied intern answers; satisfied interns with supervisors; and dissatisfied interns with supervisors. A number of findings supported the hypothesis that interns and supervisors differ in their perceptions regarding the beginner's needs and the supervision relationship. Most significant was that interns perceived the supervisor's support and validation for the experience of being a beginner to be a much more important and determining factor in the supervisory relationship than the supervisors perceived it to be. Other findings indicated that supervisors may not be providing their interns sufficient support and validation as beginners, and due to failures to communicate, are not fully aware of the effect this has on the interns' experience. The findings suggest that the supervisor's support and validation of the intern's experience as a beginner is crucial to the intern's learning and professional development. Insufficient supervisor support and empathy can negatively impact the intern's experience and cause feelings of shame, self-doubt, and inadequacy. These feelings may inhibit the intern's ability to take chances and try new things, thus hindering his learning process and potentially affecting him negatively in his role as therapist Supervisors are offered various suggestions for improving the supervisory relationship, decreasing the intern's shame, and reducing the potential of having a negative affect on their intern's learning.