Perspectives of Postdoctoral Fellows: A Qualitative Study of Clinical Supervision in Psycho-Oncology

Given the prevalence and distress associated with a cancer diagnosis, the training of psycho-oncology providers to meet the mental health needs of cancer survivors warrants investigation. Clinical supervision is a key teaching strategy for psychology trainees, particularly during a postdoctoral fellowship when trainees are gaining specialized training and making important career decisions. This qualitative study examined how postdoctoral fellows in psycho-oncology used clinical supervision and the supervisory relationship for their personal and professional development. Interviews were conducted with 10 postdoctoral trainees in the United States; data were analyzed using consensual qualitative research methodology. Five themes emerged from the data: supervisees' learning experiences in supervision, foundations and features of support derived from supervision, ethical and social issues, unmet needs in current supervision, and strategies to enhance future supervision. Supervision was a space to learn about leadership and supervisory skills, professional identity, career preferences, multidisciplinary teamwork, knowledge about cancer, emotional responses, self-care practices, ethical dilemmas, social and cultural issues, and power dynamics. Participants also shared needs that were not met in supervision, which included both missed content (e.g., professional development issues and clinical concerns) and constraints of the supervisory relationship. Drawing on the study findings, recommendations are made to enhance the supervisory relationship for both trainees and supervisors in psycho-oncology and to ensure clinicians can thrive while competently and compassionately working with cancer survivors.