What is it about?
Psychotherapeutic work with minority clients requires the acquisition of a set of competences that allow therapists to be responsive to specific client needs in this population. Although supervision is widely recognized as an important context for professional development, existing qualitative studies have examined its role in fragmented ways, and no review has systematically explored how therapists benefit from supervision in the work with minority clients. This qualitative meta-synthesis examined the perceived impact of supervision on therapeutic competence in psychotherapists working with minority clients. The term “minorities” encompasses any individual belonging to a category that faces difficulty or insecurity resulting from sociocultural, ethnic, monetary, religious, gender, or sexual orientation aspects. A systematic review of the literature led to the identification of eight published qualitative research studies.
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Why is it important?
The findings from individual studies were subjected to grounded theory meta-analysis. Three clusters were identified: (a) Supervision fosters therapists’ self-awareness toward minority clients, (b) supervision deepens the understanding of minority clients, and (c) supervision stimulates a minority-adapted therapeutic approach.
Perspectives
Discussion addresses how supervision enhances therapists’ competence specifically with minority clients by fostering self-awareness, deepening understanding of clients’ unique minority experiences, and supporting the adaptation of therapeutic approaches to better meet their needs. It highlights the importance of recognizing power dynamics within therapy and supervision, as well as addressing therapists’ personal reactions and societal contexts to promote more attuned therapeutic work with minority clients.
Hubert de Condé
Universite catholique de Louvain
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: A qualitative meta-analysis examining the perceived impact of supervision on therapeutic competence in psychotherapists who work with minority clients., Qualitative Psychology, May 2026, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/qup0000362.
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