A close look at conflictual supervisory relationships: The trainee's perspective

In a qualitative study of negative supervision, 13 master's and doctoral tr ainees were interviewed about a supervision experience that had a detriment al effect on their training. Many supervisors were described as not being i nvested in the relationship and as being unwilling to own their role in con flicts. Many trainees described being overworked without proper supervision , some felt expected to support their supervisors, and many underwent extre me stress and self-doubt. Most participants reported ongoing power struggle s with angry supervisors, and most relied on peers, other professionals, an d therapists for support. Qualitative themes were consistent with trainees' high scores on the Role Conflict and Role Ambiguity Inventory (M.E. Olk & M.L. Friedlander, 1992) and with their low ratings of their supervisors' at tractiveness and interpersonal sensitivity on the Supervisory Styles Invent ory (M.L. Friedlander & L.G. Ward, 1984).