Resistance in Supervision: A Qualitative Study of Training Experiences Among Multiethnic Women

Abstract

Psychology trainees operate in high stress environments and supervisees with multiple marginalized identities, such as multiethnic women, must also navigate and/or resist discrimination. Resistance as a tool against oppression (positive resistance) is an emerging concept in psychology. Consensual qualitative research method was used to explore the ways multiethnic women engage in resistance during the supervision process. The central research question was, “How do multiethnic women engage in resistance to gender- and ethnicity-based inequities during supervision?” Participants ( N = 12) identified as multiethnic women who were in, or had recently graduated from, clinical or counseling psychology programs. Participants sat for a 60–90 minute interview. Analyses of the interview transcripts yielded the primary domain, Resistance, and three subdomains: Motivation for Resistance, Capability for Engagement, and Forms of Resistance. Implications for supervision with women are discussed, including ways that supervisors may encourage and respond to positive resistance in the training of diverse future psychologists.