Early career clinicians’ supervision experiences related to secondary traumatic stress when treating child survivors of sexual abuse

ABSTRACT

In this study, we examined experiences of supervision related to Secondary Traumatic Stress responses among early career mental health clinicians treating child survivors of sexual abuse. We utilized consensual qualitative research methodology to capture the experiences of clinicians undergoing the phenomena. We report data analysis findings and implications for research and clinical supervisors.

KEYWORDS:

• Secondary traumatic stress
• clinical supervision
• consensual qualitative research
• child sexual abuse
• early career mental health clinicians

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported in part by a grant from the Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (www.saces.org). Special thanks to Jenna Piltzer and Megan McDowell for your assistance in this study.

Notes on contributors

Brooke Wymer

Brooke Wymer, PhD, LISW-CP/S, a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Counselor Education Program at Clemson University, received her PhD in Counselor Education from the University of South Carolina. She is a clinically licensed, trauma-focused therapist and supervisor with specializations in child sexual trauma treatment and parenting support interventions. Her research interests include trauma-focused clinical supervision, child trauma treatment, counselor wellness, and child abuse prevention.

Jessie D. Guest

Jessie D. Guest, PhD, NCC, LCMHC, RPT-S, QS, received her PhD in the Counselor Education and Supervision program from the University of South Carolina, where she now teaches in the Graduate Play Therapy Certificate at and is a program manager for the Carolina Transition to Teaching Residency. Jessie is a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor and a certified EMDR clinician. Her research interests and publications consist of mindfulness and well-being, play therapy, countertransference, and trauma.

Jennifer D. Deaton

Jennifer D. Deaton, PhD, LPC, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Counseling and Educational Development at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a licensed professional counselor. Jennifer completed her PhD in counselor education at the University of South Carolina. Jennifer’s research areas included trauma-informed care, vicarious posttraumatic growth, scale construction, and program evaluation.

Therese L. Newton

Therese L. Newton, PhD, NCC, is an Assistant Professor of Counselor Education in the Department of Advanced Studies and Innovation at Augusta University in Augusta, GA. She completed her doctoral studies at the University of South Carolina and has a background in clinical mental health counseling. Therese has worked as a mental health counselor in a variety of settings including university counseling clinics, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient treatment centers. Clinically, Therese specializes in working with women and adolescent girls, bereavement counseling, and eating disorders. Her research interests include client outcomes, cultivating facilitative counselor dispositions, mindfulness in counseling, and the use of single-case research design in counseling research.

Dodie Limberg

Dodie Limberg, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Studies in the counselor education program. She worked as a school counselor and clinical mental health counselor in Florida, Switzerland, and Israel. Dodie has been awarded over $2.5 million grant dollars to support her current projects focused on the school counselors’ role in career development, supporting students with emotional behavioral disorders, and counselor education doctoral student’s research identity development. She currently serves as associate editor for Professional School Counseling and Counseling and Values Journal and editorial review board member for Counselor Education and Supervision.

Jonathan H. Ohrt

Jonathan H. Ohrt, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Counselor Education in the Department of Educational Studies at the University of South Carolina. He earned his PhD in Counselor Education at the University of Central Florida. His research is focused on wellness promotion in schools and identifying factors that lead to optimal mental health and holistic functioning of children, adolescents, and emerging adults. His clinical experience includes children in residential care, high school counseling, and university-based counseling clinics.