Survey of the peer supervision needs of genetic counselors in Japan

Abstract

In the field of genetic counseling, supervision is crucial not only for students learning it but also for maintaining and enhancing the professional competency of practicing genetic counselors. Additionally, supervision plays an important role in assessing and managing the attitudes and mental health of counselors to ensure the best client care and self-care of the genetic counselors. However, Japan has no established system of official peer supervision for genetic counselor after beginning professional practice, which is left to individual workplaces. Moreover, the state and the need for peer supervision have not yet been investigated. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the current state and need for peer supervision among certified genetic counselors in Japan using a questionnaire survey. Notably, only approximately, one-third of the 128 respondents received peer supervision after training completion, and almost all respondents recognized the need for peer supervision. The most common reason for not receiving peer supervision was the lack of opportunities or knowledge on how to receive supervision, highlighting the reality that many professionals are currently unable to receive peer supervision despite needing it. Regarding the desired peer supervision, respondents frequently indicated that the supervisor should be a genetic counselor, the format should be “individual” and “face-to-face,” frequency should be “once a month” or “as needed,” duration should be “30 min to <1 h,” it should occur “during work hours,” and the cost should be “free” or “under 5000 yen.” Overall, this study highlights the need to establish an official peer supervision system, including the provision of educational programs for the training and promotion of peer supervision.