A phenomenological inquiry of counseling trainees' experiences of reviewing video-recorded psychotherapy sessions in supervision.

摘要

This study focused upon marriage and family therapy trainees' and interns' experiences in reviewing and evaluating their video-recorded psychotherapy sessions in individual supervision. The present research emerged from a synthesis of the literature related to supervision practices. After the participants had video-recorded their sessions and evaluated them with their supervisors, interviews were conducted with 12 trainees and interns to elicit detailed information about their experiences and the effect on their practice. A phenomenological research methodology was employed to analyze the participants' experiences. The constant comparison method of data analysis was used to code and analyze transcribed interviews. In addition, holistic form analysis was done to illustrate the progression from anxiety to confidence and increased clinical skills. All participants reported conflicting motivational drives between having a strong desire to improve their psychotherapy clinical skills and enduring the anxiety of being video-recorded and then evaluated and reviewed in individual supervision. The degree of anxiety varied among participants but was present to some degree in all of the participants' interviews. A psychological construct materialized that explained the trainees' and interns' underlying need to overcome their fears and anxiety of revealing their clinical work in supervision and the confidence that arose from overcoming those anxieties and fears. The result of this new found confidence was an increase in the participants' self-reported growth in clinical skills. A surprising finding was the expressed desire for more individual supervision and a strong interest in continuing to use video with their clients in the future.;Key Words: video recording, supervision, marriage and family therapy interns and trainees, phenomenological research, supervisor and supervisee relationship, anxiety, confidence, clinical skills.