Cultivating a Relevant Supervisory Space: Culturally Expressive and Responsive Model for Supervision in Neuropsychology

Objective. Provision of supervision is an integral component of training in psychology, a view that was solidified in 2014 with the development of the American Psychological Association created Guidelines for Clinical Supervision in Health Service Psychology (APA, 2014). Current supervisory standards require several components before a relationship is considered supervisory. Among these are assumptions that the supervisory relationship is respectful and collaborative, that feedback is bidirectional, and that it focuses on the development of competency and professional identity by the supervisee. Although clinical and counseling psychology has created supervision models with a variety of different theoretical orientations focused on multiculturalism, neuropsychology as a specialty lacks cohesive, culture-centric, bidirectional supervisory models. Method. A systematic review of two electronic databases (PubMed and PsycInfo) was conducted to search for supervision models designed specifically for training in neuropsychology. Results. A new model for supervision in neuropsychology was developed, coined the Culturally Expressive and Responsive (CER) Model for Supervision in Neuropsychology. The model is dynamic, multifaceted, and bidirectional, integrating sociocultural and linguistic considerations throughout the supervisory relationship. Conclusions. The different facets of the CER Model are discussed, including its place embedded within a larger equitable healthcare model designed to increase healthcare equity. The CER Model highlights the bidirectional supervisory relationship and is designed to be tailored to the developmental level of the learner, encouraging high quality training and evidenced-based practice. Furthermore, the model encourages a process of identity development that is ongoing and emphasizes self-evaluation and cultural humility rather than a static sense of “competence.”