Arts-based supervision training for creative arts therapists: Perceptions and implications

Supervision is a critical component of quality clinical practice and training. This article describes an arts-based supervision course, and reports the results of a mixed method study on 78 practicing creative arts therapists composed of former students (n = 56) and current students (n = 22). Quantitative analysis of the pre-test to post-test changes indicated that the current students became more comfortable using creative techniques in their own practice as supervisors, and that both samples viewed the arts-based supervision course as having made a contribution to their professional identity. The qualitative results for the current students yielded four themes: the contribution of the arts-based process, personal development, the importance of the group and participants’ recommendations. The discussion centers on the value of creative artistic methods in supervision. These methods contribute to a more in-depth understanding and exploration of supervisory themes such as the clinical process, the therapeutic and supervisory relationships, and the connection to the profession in ways that enhance professional identity.