Supervision and student placements for clinical psychology

There is little research in New Zealand concerning clinical psychology training in general, and in particular the factors that influence effective supervision for students in training as clinical psychologists. This thesis is an exploratory study of supervision and student placements for clinical psychology and is intended to provide a base of data and information to enable further research to be carried out. Data was obtained from two questionnaires which were completed by supervisors and clinical psychology students on placement from the training programmes of six New Zealand Universities. Supervisor and student perceptions of different supervisor behaviours were investigated as well as contracts, conflicts of roles, ethics, transfer of learning from theory to practice, supervision of supervision, gender or cultural issues and parallel process. Information gained from the questionnaires highlights differences between supervisors and students in perceptions of supervisory behaviours. In addition, the responses to the second questionnaire indicate considerable discrepancies within the supervisors' group and within the students' group, as well as between the two groups. The implications for the training of clinical psychologists and for the training of supervisors are stated. The findings suggest that the national minimum and ideal standards, incorporating the defined and specific purposes and objectives of the training and practice component of the programmes for clinical psychology are in need of clarification and justification