Abstract
The importance for supervisors to approach shame in their supervisees is outlined in the research, as well as methods that supervisors can utilize to promote shame resiliency in supervisees. The purpose of this study was to gain knowledge about shame within the supervisory relationship from a social work perspective, as this topic has been primarily examined through the field of psychology. This qualitative study of five LICSW supervisors served to educate the social work community, both supervisors and supervisees, about the concept of shame in supervision and the perceived best ways of approaching it. The findings formed into seven themes for approaching shame in supervisees: building a safe relationship conducive to talking about shame, directly addressing the shame, processing the shame, individualized approaches to supervisee shame, workplace considerations, supervisor support, and methods of evaluating approaches to shame. A discussion on the similarities and differences between the current research in this area and the findings of this study are outlined, as well as implications for social work practice and research.