Humility in clinical supervision: Fundamental, foundational, and transformational

ABSTRACT

We propose that supervisor humility is a critical variable for effective supervisory practice, fundamental, foundational, and potentially transformational in its impact. We examine humility, and the different types of humility (e.g., intellectual humility), that can impact supervision practice. Supervisor humility is considered to be supportive of supervision best practices by (a) enhancing multicultural competence, (b) fortifying the supervisory alliance, (c) rendering receptivity to supervisee feedback more likely, and (d) fostering engagement in peer consultation. Brief case examples are used to show humility in action.

KEYWORDS:

• Humility
• supervision
• relational
• cultural
• intellectual

Additional information

Notes on contributors

C. Edward Watkins

C. Edward Watkins,Jr., PhD, is Professor of Psychology at the University of North Texas, Denton, Texas. His primary professional interests focus on psychotherapy supervision and integrative and psychoanalytic theories, practice, and research. He is editor of the Handbook of Psychotherapy Supervision (1997) and co-editor (with Derek Milne) of the Wiley International Handbook of Clinical Supervision (2014). He is a Fellow of Divisions 29 (Psychotherapy) and 17 (Counseling Psychology) of the American Psychological Association.

Joshua N. Hook

Joshua N. Hook,PhD, is Associate Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of North Texas. His primary professional interests focus on religion and spirituality, positive psychology, and humility and forgiveness. He is a co-author (with Don Davis, Jesse Owen, and Cirleen DeBlaere) of Cultural Humility: Engaging Diverse Identities in Therapy (2017) and co-editor (with Everett Worthington and Don Davis) of the Handbook of Humility: Theory, Research, and Applications (2017).

David K. Mosher

David K. Mosher,MS, is a doctoral candidate earning a PhD in Counseling Psychology at the University of North Texas. His primary professional interests focus on religious/spiritual struggle and growth, positive psychology, humility, and forgiveness. He is a lead author (with Joshua Hook, Laura Captari, Don Davis, Cirleen DeBlaere, and Jesse Owen) of “Cultural humility: A therapeutic framework for engaging diverse clients” (Practice Innovations, 2017, 2, 221–233) and has successfully defended his thesis on religion, health, and cultural humility in the lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) population.

Jennifer L. Callahan

Jennifer L. Callahan,PhD, ABPP, is Professor and Director of Clinical Training for the clinical psychology program, Department of Psychology, University of North Texas. She also directs the Evidence-based Training and Competencies Research Lab. Her primary professional interests focus on psychotherapy training and competency development. She is a Fellow of Division 29 (Psychotherapy) of the American Psychological Association and editor of the Journal of Psychotherapy Integration.