Cross‐cultural supervision in international settings: experiences of foreign supervisors and native supervisees in Cambodia

Abstract

AbstractWith the global expansion of family therapy, it is vital to engage in culturally responsive methods of training and supervision. This is especially critical when international training involves Western‐based therapy models and supervision from non‐native supervisors. This study explores how native Cambodian therapists experience clinical supervision conducted by non‐native supervisors. In this responsive evaluation, data were triangulated across multiple stakeholders (N = 95) and collection methods, including focus groups, interviews, and live supervision observations. Emergent themes highlight the need for intentionally culturally responsive supervision and included challenges with non‐native supervisors, unresponsive methods of learning and power imbalances. Therapists emphasized that they were less likely to attend supervision and felt discouraged when it was not culturally responsive. Data‐driven suggestions for increasing cultural responsiveness in supervision are provided.Practitioner points Supervisors can challenge personal cultural assumptions and deepen contextual understanding by seeking local cultural knowledge Supervision contracts created with input from stakeholders can attend to likely cultural differences The supervisory relationship can be supported through open discussion and negotiation of cultural differences In cultures with high regard for those in authority, supervisors can use a strengths‐based approach to feedback and demonstration