Feminist Supervisors in South Korea: A Reflective Thematic Analysis of Identity and Clinical Practice

The authors explored how feminist clinical supervisors in South Korea develop their supervisory identities and incorporate feminist principles into supervision. Four Korean feminist supervisors participated in semi-structured interviews, and the data were analyzed using reflective thematic analysis guided by a constructivist perspective. The research team generated six themes: feminist counselor identification, immersion into feminist counseling, liminal experience, four principles of feminist counseling, feminist supervisory insight, and activism and advocacy. The findings highlight how participants navigated challenges in aligning their feminist values with traditional supervision models, integrating feminist counseling principles into their supervision, and fostering social justice and empowerment in their supervisory roles. Despite structural barriers, they emphasized the importance of advocacy and activism within supervision to mentor future feminist counselors. The study contributes to the discourse on feminist supervision, offering insights into the South Korean context and suggesting implications for counselor education and future research.