Postdoc training dilemma

[Mercury in Taurus]

Updates: Problem solved.
Original text has been removed.

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[summerbabe]

I was also presented with the possibility of supervising an intern in a group setting.

it was decided that the intern and I will be co-facilitating the group since the intern is familiar with the protocol and I am not

A licensed psychologist who is not my supervisor will be supervising both of us for this group.

It sounds like there was initially the possibility of supervising but those details were never formalized or even specifically discussed (e.g., selecting an area/intervention you have had significant experience in and figuring out what tiered supervision for you would look like).

Since you are not familiar with the intervention that was ultimately selected, it's now an equal training experience for you (to learn this protocol) and the intern (to gain continued chronic pain experience) that will be supervised by the licensed psychologist.

Therefore, I would not expect you to be evaluated for supervisory competency through this experience. I ended up not having any supervisory experience during postdoc since my rotations and availability/need of interns never lined up, which was fine since supervising was not a requirement for completing the postdoc.

It feels like a developmental regression instead of progression in co-facilitating this group.

I truly appreciate the level of support that I am getting and do my best not to bother my supervisors with questions or problems that I can solve on my own.

Sorry that you feel like the group won't be an important learning experience since you aren't interested in this specific protocol and you also aren't supervising.

One thing to consider and reflect on is the balance between being independent and efficiently communicating your needs to supervisors in order to maximize the rest of your postdoc. This sounded like an ideal opportunity where you needed to hammer out some details with your supervisors, rather than assume the experience would turn out as you had planned.

For example, was there a chronic pain intervention that you're familiar with that was not chosen? If so, how did the conversation about using that intervention happen/not happen? Or did you propose the group without this experience and hoped to learn the intervention and supervise at the same time? (Which a supervisor should probably nix since that isn't ideal for you or the intern but could have provided alternatives).

 

[thebalmofhurtminds]

I agree with summerbabe above, but I must say I'm also really curious about which protocol this is. A structured chronic pain treatment that you had never heard of before despite drafting a different proposal for this population? Because my guess would be that your supervisors see this as an important protocol to become familiar with, and feel as though the power imbalance is worth it because of this. But I'm just taking a shot in the dark here.

 

[Mercury in Taurus]

I agree with summerbabe above, but I must say I'm also really curious about which protocol this is. A structured chronic pain treatment that you had never heard of before despite drafting a different proposal for this population? Because my guess would be that your supervisors see this as an important protocol to become familiar with, and feel as though the power imbalance is worth it because of this. But I'm just taking a shot in the dark here.

Sorry it was a long post, and I did not make it clear. I proposed a chronic pain group because it was my interest but didn't follow-up on that. The group I am asked to co-facilitate is not chronic pain related. The protocol is called Moving Forward. It is a 4-session weekly class based on the principles of problem-solving therapy and delivered in a lecturing style. It categorizes problem-solvers into five types, offers a systematic four-step problem-solving approach, and teaches three problem-solving strategies. It is a skill emphasized protocol that is kind of rigid in a way that there are lots of information to present for each 60-minute session and leaves very little room to explore and gain a deep understanding of the presenting problem(s) to be solved or get to know the participant(s) at a personal level. Hope this offers some clarity.

 

[Mercury in Taurus]

It sounds like there was initially the possibility of supervising but those details were never formalized or even specifically discussed (e.g., selecting an area/intervention you have had significant experience in and figuring out what tiered supervision for you would look like).

Since you are not familiar with the intervention that was ultimately selected, it's now an equal training experience for you (to learn this protocol) and the intern (to gain continued chronic pain experience) that will be supervised by the licensed psychologist.

Therefore, I would not expect you to be evaluated for supervisory competency through this experience. I ended up not having any supervisory experience during postdoc since my rotations and availability/need of interns never lined up, which was fine since supervising was not a requirement for completing the postdoc.



Sorry that you feel like the group won't be an important learning experience since you aren't interested in this specific protocol and you also aren't supervising.

One thing to consider and reflect on is the balance between being independent and efficiently communicating your needs to supervisors in order to maximize the rest of your postdoc. This sounded like an ideal opportunity where you needed to hammer out some details with your supervisors, rather than assume the experience would turn out as you had planned.

For example, was there a chronic pain intervention that you're familiar with that was not chosen? If so, how did the conversation about using that intervention happen/not happen? Or did you propose the group without this experience and hoped to learn the intervention and supervise at the same time? (Which a supervisor should probably nix since that isn't ideal for you or the intern but could have provided alternatives).

Thank you for your input and guidance. I utilized today's time efficiently and worked on making a PowerPoint slide show for a chronic pain group that I plan to show to my supervisors for discussion. With the PowerPoint presentation designed for the chronic pain group, I can follow-up on my proposal and ask my supervisors if it fits the organization's needs to offer something that I know I can do well.

 

[WisNeuro]

Sorry it was a long post, and I did not make it clear. I proposed a chronic pain group because it was my interest but didn't follow-up on that. The group I am asked to co-facilitate is not chronic pain related. The protocol is called Moving Forward. It is a 4-session weekly class based on the principles of problem-solving therapy and delivered in a lecturing style. It categorizes problem-solvers into five types, offers a systematic four-step problem-solving approach, and teaches three problem-solving strategies. It is a skill emphasized protocol that is kind of rigid in a way that there are lots of information to present for each 60-minute session and leaves very little room to explore and gain a deep understanding of the presenting problem(s) to be solved or get to know the participant(s) at a personal level. Hope this offers some clarity.

It can still be very useful to have this experience. Most empirically supported treatments, and successful therapy in general, entail some psychoeducation components. These problem solving skills could be useful across a wide variety of presentations, even in chronic pain. It's amazing how many people lack any kind of efficacious problem solving skills in life, and this invariably leads to an exacerbation of whatever they may be dealing with. So, try to glean what you can while also working on incorporating more of the chronic pain specific content.

 

[cara susanna]

Ahh, I am familiar with Moving Forward. Not something I'd be SUPER jumping up and down at the opportunity to learn, but I agree that it will still be useful in the end.