Possibilities and limits of cross-disciplinary supervision: An exploratory study

Abstract or Summary

This small, qualitative New Zealand study explored some of the limitations and possibilities of cross-disciplinary supervision. It was based on semi-structured interviews with six supervisors from the fields of counselling, social work, and psychology, who supervised a wide range of other professionals in private practice and in health settings. Identified benefits of cross-disciplinary supervision include the sharing of knowledge between disciplines, and the potential decentring of supervisor knowledge. Cross-disciplinary supervision was represented as a diverse range of practices, depending upon the careful and skilled negotiation of agreements, including the acknowledgement of professional and organisational mandates and accountabilities. Two areas of potential further study are identified: the extent to which counsellors and counselling supervisors participate in cross-disciplinary supervision, and the effects that counsellor registration may entail for cross-disciplinary supervision.