Story of a Taiwanese Female Postmodern MFT Faculty: Supervisory Practices in a Cross-Cultural Context

Abstract

“Not all stories are equal” (Freedman and Combs, Narrative therapy: the social construction of preferred realities. Norton, New York, 1996, p. 231). My story reflects my social location as a Taiwanese female faculty member in an American university. Power differences associated with culture and gender hierarchy embedded in the dominant discourse have a profound impact on how I navigate my professional trajectory and interpersonal relationships at home and in my workplace. In this chapter, I discuss my love-hate relationship with my mother, the story of why I chose to adopt a postmodern perspective, as well as how I apply that modality to my professional work as a clinical supervisor in a marriage and family therapy program in an American university. This chapter reconnoiters the influences of power and social location in supervision and teaching processes, especially when postmodern theories are applied.