Clinical Supervision Handbook - CAMH Knowledge Exchange ..

Cultural Competence and Clinical Supervision
INCORPORATING CULTURAL COMPETENCE INTO
CLINICAL SUPERVISION PRACTICES
Within the supervision process, the need for cultural competence is evident at two
distinct, but inter-related levels. These are:
• developing a clinician’s capacity in cultural competence
• addressing the dynamics of culture and difference within the superviseesupervisor
relationship.
The supervision process is an effective vehicle for assessing a clinician’s multicultural
competence and further developing cultural awareness, knowledge and skills. It has been
described as an effective process for examining the conscious and the unconscious
pathologizing of clients and therapists (Tummala-Narra, 2004). Raising cultural
issues encourages self-exploration and can be “eye opening,” leading to development
of new perspectives and practices (Cashwell et. al., 1997). Supervisors need to develop
strategies that move supervisees from knowing that cultural differences exist
(cultural sensitivity) to knowing how to work with individuals from diverse groups
(cultural competence) (Cashwell et al., 1997). To support this journey, intellectual
understanding needs to be augmented by actual examples from practice. An understanding
of how our own gender, race, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic class,
generation and geographical region shape our sense of self can result in increased
appreciation of how others are shaped by the same variables (Okun et al., 1999).
Power dynamics
The challenges of cultural dynamics are not limited to work with clients; they apply
equally to the process of supervision itself and the supervisor-supervisee relationship.
Research examining the experiences of supervisees of colour highlights the
perception that the supervisors’ clinical approaches are often “rooted in a limited,
dominant culture perspective, despite their good intentions to attend to issues of
difference” (Tumala-Narra, 2004, p. 304). In some instances, supervisors may minimize
racially or culturally relevant material, either because of a lack of knowledge, or due
to fear of being perceived as a racist. Supervisors who expect themselves to be “all
knowing” can feel threatened by the client’s or the supervisee’s cultural knowledge.
However, such supervisory encounters perpetuate racial enactments and can be
silencing for the therapist and the client (Tummala-Narra, 2004).
19