‘They couldn’t really gauge where we were and what we were struggling with’: intern psychologists’ experiences of support within their placement during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic had detrimental impacts on academic and professional training globally. There were demands to salvage the academic year, ensure maximum competencies under the circumstances and safeguard training psychologists. Given these demands, it is no surprise that training psychologists often experience burnout and threats to their mental well-being. We conducted seven semi-structured interviews with South African intern psychologists from the 2020 cohort about their internship experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thematic analysis of the interview transcripts revealed two predominant themes regarding the influence of supportive and unsupportive experiences. First, while some interns reported receiving support from their psychotherapy supervisors, most highlighted the general disconnect from them during COVID-19-imposed lockdowns. The latter mostly led to a rupture in the supervisory alliance, leaving the participants feeling a sense of loss. Despite this disconnect, many interns nonetheless expressed empathy for their supervisors, who also had to navigate the unchartered territory of online psychotherapeutic and supervisory work. In stark contrast to this disconnect from their supervisors, the second theme illuminates the strong connection between interns. Reportedly, the hardship of COVID-19 strengthened the connection between the interns and provided them with a safe space where they could get emotional and practical support. The research reiterates the role of support and the importance of a broader conceptualisation of competency that goes beyond abilities and skills towards a more integrated professional identity.