Officer, Chaplain, Therapist: A Feminist Perspective on the Challenges of Supervising U.S. Army Chaplain-Therapists

Abstract

This report of clinical supervision with U.S. Army chaplains who have been trained as marriage and family therapists is presented to encourage discussion and dialogue among supervisors and supervisors-in-training approved by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. The unique challenges presented in this clinical supervision setting include: issues specific to chaplains’ rank as military officers, countertransference, confidentiality, use of military language, and the struggle to integrate three professional role identities. Using a feminist supervisory approach, effective supervision with U.S. Army marriage and family therapist chaplains require that supervisors focus on issues of power, gender, supervisee needs, and cultural diversity as it relates to the military practice environment.