Trainee disclosure in psychotherapy supervision: The impact of shame

Research indicates that psychotherapy trainees often withhold information from supervisors even though they are expected to be self-disclosing in the supervisory process. A contributing factor to this nondisclosure is trainee shame. By its very nature, psychotherapy supervision is an endeavor in which trainees are likely to experience feelings of self-doubt and shame. Because shame is an affect that often provokes a desire to hide oneself, it follows that supervisees experiencing more shame will be less likely to be forthcoming, especially about material that might be viewed negatively by their supervisors. The material most often withheld by trainees pertains to problems within the supervisory relationship. It appears that trainee shame and nondisclosure have the greatest impact upon the quality of the psychotherapy supervision itself, as opposed to the treatment being supervised. Four examples of supervisory dyads affected by trainee shame and nondisclosure are presented. Each case is examined in terms of what could have triggered the supervisee's shame, the consequences of the disrupted communications, and ways in which the situation might have been improved.