Protecting the Dreams of Indigenous Psychology Trainees: Stories of Culturally Competent Supervision

Supervision is the process through which current psychologists pass on important lessons about providing clinical services to the community. Through supervision, psychology trainees learn how to make therapy beneficial to as many people as possible, how to balance their work as therapists with their personal lives, and how to continue learning new skills throughout their careers. Because supervision is vitally important to the field of psychology and future psychologists, it is important that supervision support trainees from all cultural backgrounds. Currently, little research exists on culturally congruent supervision for Indigenous psychology trainees. This study aimed to add to the literature by holding individual storywork sessions, an Indigenous research methodology, with Indigenous supervisors and psychology trainees. These storywork sessions were analyzed and five main themes emerged. These themes included Cultural Competence, Traditional Approaches and Spirituality, Growing into Sovereignty, Connection, and Navigating the Swamps. Two foundational themes, Safety and Wholistic Health, showed what important characteristics were important throughout culturally competent Indigenous supervision. Safety refers to a trainee’s ability to be emotionally vulnerable with a supervisor, and Wholistic Health refers to the supervisor’s support of a trainee’s wholistic wellbeing. All together, these themes represent what factors are most important in supervision in supporting the clinical growth of Indigenous psychology trainees as they develop into independent psychologists.