Supervision, as an important factor to improve the quality of art therapists, is regarded as a contribution to expand the quality of art therapy and a field to give attention to(Kim, 2013; choi, 2007; Malchiodi & Riley, 1996; Moon, 2002). Despite this...
Supervision, as an important factor to improve the quality of art therapists, is regarded as a contribution to expand the quality of art therapy and a field to give attention to(Kim, 2013; choi, 2007; Malchiodi & Riley, 1996; Moon, 2002). Despite this necessity, there are only a few graduate schools in Korea which open "Art Therapy Supervision" course for more than 3 semesters. This shows that Supervision courses for Master of Art Therapy is not systematic and standardized enough considering the significance of supervision(Im, 2013). As expertise education for counselors are usually done formally during the Master's course(choi, 2013; Skovholt, Ronnestad, 1992), examining the current graduate education system and organizing it systematically could be an important task for constructing firmly an environment of art therapy in the future.
The purpose of this research was to understand the fundamental significance for Art Therapy master's degree students to experience Supervision course. This serves to provide understanding of supervisees who take the Supervision course to the supervisors so as to provide basic data to establish a systematic and detailed Supervision course.
The research question was 'what is the significance and essence of what Art Therapy master's degree students experience in the Supervision course?'
This research used phenomenological hermeneutic approach of Max van Manen. Phenomenological research aims at describing the experience of different individuals regarding one concept or phenomenon. It is a study of the essence or key meaning of general experience, a process to bring to light and describe systematically the internal structure of meanings. In other words, it means to reduce individual experiences of phenomena into a description of a universal nature(Max van Manen, 1990).
This research proceeded in-depth interview from July to November of 2015, to 17 Art Therapy master's degree students who have taken Supervision course for more than one semester until the first and second data are saturated, and data are collected until saturation.
The collected data are analyzed through phenomenological hermeneutic research method, and 11 essential themes and 36 sub-themes are drawn. The essential themes of Art Therapy master's degree students regarding Supervision course experience are as follows.
<it feels like I get to know more and more about supervision as I take the Supervision course>,<it is hard to proceed supervision in a class format>,<feel various feelings towards supervisors>,<feel uncomfortable to show myself in front of classmates>, <give a lot to think through the feedbacks which got during the class>,<Sharing together during the class helping me to sympathy and support>,<Expend my experience through stating super-vision by experiencing diverse section>,<prepare to be an art therapist in the future while preparing for the supervision presentation>,<it is much easier for supervision to be accompanied with drawings than with words only>,<model the role of Art Therapist after supervisors>, <Learning that It is important to take care of personal life to function well as an art therapist>
Conclusions from the themes drawn are as follows.
First, the research participants did not know the concept of the supervision. However, by experiencing super-vision participants felt uncomfortable the class type.
Second, the research participants reviewed themselves as a therapist by feed back and questions from the class and received help for uncomfortable part by reviewing their case. The research participants build the relationship between the students by sympathize with pain of others. However, sometimes people turn out to be disingenous to other because it was uncomfortable to share their personal stories.
Third, the research participants felt diverse emotions from the supervision class supervisor. research participants felt either confusion from double role of professor and supervisor or felt warm by their supports and understands. Also, participants modeling themselves from the case study as a supervisors role as art therapist. In order to function well as a therapist, participants set up the definition of art therapist by reviewing personal life.
Fourth, students felt much easier proceeding supervision through drawings. When one sees the drawings with supervisors and classmates, one sees parts that are not seen during supervision. They experienced that they could express more clearly what they want to say when they did the case presentations with drawings than when they delivered through words only.
Fifth, the research participants expend their experiences by reviewing and experienced other's case study and different sections. They tried to adopt different case of scenario by listening to people's presentation and from the section. At first it was hard to decided what to focus when preparing the presentation, however, after several case presentation researcher figured it out how to find the answer and felt growth through the progress of the section.
This research captured the significance of master's degree students with various undergraduate backgrounds to experience Supervision course. This could be served as a basic data for establishing a systematic Supervision course. Also it provides data with meanings of ambivalence students feel toward each other, thereby providing understanding of supervisees to supervisors, and will help build a supportive and safe environment for Supervision course. Finally, by conveying the advantage and uniqueness of supervision model in art therapy, it will help build an art therapy supervision model.