Evaluation of the critical events in supervision model using gender related events

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the applicability of the Critical Events Model to the psychotherapy supervisory process, with a focus on gender related events (GREs) experienced by counseling trainees. Four research questions framed the study: (1) What types of GREs do trainees experience in psychotherapy supervision? (2) How do supervisors attend to these GREs? (3) What is the relationship between the interventions that supervisors use and the resolution of the critical event? Finally, given the importance of the working alliance and the supervisor's multicultural competence, (4) What is the relationship between GREs, the supervisory working alliance, and supervisees' perceptions of their supervisors' multicultural competence as it relates to gender related events? A consensual qualitative research-modified (CQR-M) method was used to examine the qualitative data, highlighting four types of GREs reported by counseling trainees: Gender Discrimination, Gender Identity Interactions, Attraction, and Power Dynamics. While supervisors attended to GREs using various interventions, multiple linear regression analyses revealed that the most frequently used interventions (i.e., therapeutic process, exploration of feelings, focus on skills, and focus on self-efficacy) were significantly related to the resolution stage. GREs related to Gender Discrimination were significantly and negatively related to the supervisory working alliance and supervisees' perceptions of supervisors' gender-related multicultural competence.