Exploring Supervisor Responses to Issues of Race, Culture and Ethnicity in Clinical Psychology Supervision, and the Systemic Factors Influencing This ...

• Main Author: Desai, Meera
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: University of East London 2018
• Subjects: Blue whale
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.15123/uel.874x5; https://repository.uel.ac.uk/item/874x5

Racial inequality is an ongoing challenge for clinical psychology, with its effects being felt within and without the profession. The supervisory relationship is an important space in which racism-related distress in supervisees and people accessing services can be impacted for better or for worse. This study interviewed twelve clinical psychologist supervisors from a range of backgrounds about their experiences of discussing issues of race, culture and ethnicity with supervisees. Among other topic areas, interviews particularly probed supervisors on their comfort and confidence during these discussions, and on wider systemic influences on these conversations. Thirty-six clinical psychologists were additionally recruited to anonymously complete an online questionnaire to enrich qualitative findings. Qualitative interview data were subjected to a thematic analysis from a pragmatist epistemology, yielding three main themes: The blue whale in the room: Racism and oppression (in clinical psychology), It’s not ...