Critical incidents related to peer supervisees in group supervision and their influence

Group supervision is defined as a regular meeting of three of more supervisees with a designated supervisor in the field of counseling. Unlike individual supervision, group supervision is characterized by the presence of multiple peer supervisees in a group and possible interactions between them. Although many studies suggested peer interaction is a key factor in determining the success of group supervision, the interactions between peer supervisees have largely been ignored by researchers.

The purpose of this study was to examine critical incidents related to peer supervisees in group supervision and their influences. Twenty-one graduate students in CACREP-accredited programs were recruited and asked to participate in individual interview or written prompts. Using a grounded theory approach, open, axial, and selective coding was conducted. To ensure trustworthiness, member checking, expert review, pilot interview, reflexivity journaling, thick description, an audit trail, and a researcher as instrument statement were implemented in the process of data collection and analysis.

As a result of the study, thirty-one critical incidents related to peer supervisees in group supervision were reported. The critical incidents were classified into eleven categories. The participants’ perceptions of the critical incidents were categorized into three (negative, positive, ambivalent). The influence of critical incidents was consistent depending on the perception of the critical incidents. Most participants reported that their self-confidence, awareness, and commitment to learning and development increased after experiencing critical incidents. Based on these findings, implications for counselor educators, graduate students in CACREP programs, and future research are discussed.