Applied Sport Psychology Supervision: A Survey of Students and Professionals
Presentation
Overview
Overview
Description
An abundance of literature has highlighted the importance of effective supervision in applied sport psychology (ASP) (Watson, McAlarnen, & Shannon, 2014) and the importance of the supervision relationship (Hutter, Oldenhof-Veldman, & Oudejans, 2014). For example, supervision has been reported to contribute to a variety of factors, such as supervisee’s personal and professional development (e.g., Bernard & Goodyear, 2009), clients’ welfare (Bernard & Goodyear, 2009), and the development of ethical and legal professional behaviors (Van Raalte & Andersen, 2000). Although supervision is an important aspect of ASP training and practice, scholars have pointed to the limited amount of research in this area (e.g., Castillo, 2014). The primary goal of this study was to obtain a current snapshot of the APS supervision practices of students and professionals. This study aimed to (1) explore who is being supervised for their work in ASP, (2) how often supervision takes p lace in their professional journey, and (3) examine differences in supervision received based on individual’s training and professional background. A sample of sport psychology trainees and professionals (n=190) was surveyed about their experiences related to APS supervision, as part of a larger study. Results showed that, interestingly, only 35.6% of participants received supervision. Moreover, among those receiving supervision, the majority received supervision weekly (65.2%), while other engaged in monthly (11.6%) or bi-monthly (10.1%) supervision. Results also revealed that participants receiving formal supervision was significantly dependent on their status as a student versus professional (x2=64.72, p<.001; Phi=-.590). However, receiving formal supervision was not found to be significantly dependent on the area of an individual’s specialization, nor the area in which participants received their highest graduate degree. The study results will contribute to the training of future practitioners and to the practice of current professionals.
