Wade in the waters! A critical reflection of supervision: The perspective of a Dramatherapist of African Caribbean decent

Abstract

Until the lion learns to tell their side of the story, the hunter will always be glorified! Zimbabwean proverb! The lion’s recount of its history will always read different to that of the hunter; one thing that I have learnt over the years of my engagement with Dramatherapy and its clinical therapies, frameworks and practices rooted in historical Eurocentric psychologies, ideologies and practices predominantly based on the notion of ‘whiteness and all offshoots of that whiteness being ‘right’. Black therefore, is deemed as ‘other’ and all offshoots of that ‘other’ and Black ‘being inferior’. It would make perfect sense that one day I would, ‘affi mek sense owta dis yah nonsense!’ (Caribbean Proverb: you have to make sense out of this here nonsense), if I was going to remain safe and sane throughout my journey as a Clinical Supervisor and practitioner. I had been asked for many years to consider becoming a Clinical Supervisor, but the thought of re-entering any educational institution filled me with dread. However, if I was going to help the many students, supervisees and clients; particularly from African and African Caribbean heritage to gain a sense of identity and perspective in relation to their own negative experiences within institutions, then I was going to have to decide to use this opportunity to give voice to the challenges I encountered. With the support of my own Clinical supervisor and the lecturers on the Diploma in African Centred Psychology and African Psychotherapeutic Practice, I took courage as I began to tell my side of my story from being trained, practicing and becoming a Clinical Supervisor.