Addressing challenges for psychotherapy supervision in global mental health through experiential learnings from rural Nepal

Abstract Background As the field of global mental health grows, many psychotherapy trainees will work across cultures in low-resource settings in high-income countries or in low- and middle-income countries. Mentors and supervisors, including faculty members, may face several challenges in providing...

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Main Authors: Pragya Rimal, Srijana Shrestha, Rekha Khatri, Sabitri Sapkota, Sikhar Bahadur Swar, Madhur Basnet, Kripa Sigdel, Sunita Jirel, Bibhav Acharya
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Springer 2025-05-01
Series:Discover Public Health
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12982-025-00645-z
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author Pragya Rimal
Srijana Shrestha
Rekha Khatri
Sabitri Sapkota
Sikhar Bahadur Swar
Madhur Basnet
Kripa Sigdel
Sunita Jirel
Bibhav Acharya
author_facet Pragya Rimal
Srijana Shrestha
Rekha Khatri
Sabitri Sapkota
Sikhar Bahadur Swar
Madhur Basnet
Kripa Sigdel
Sunita Jirel
Bibhav Acharya
author_sort Pragya Rimal
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background As the field of global mental health grows, many psychotherapy trainees will work across cultures in low-resource settings in high-income countries or in low- and middle-income countries. Mentors and supervisors, including faculty members, may face several challenges in providing supervision for psychologists in low-resource settings. As such, there is a need to develop best practices for psychotherapy supervision in global mental health. We describe the common challenges and potential strategies in psychotherapy supervision based on our research, clinical, and academic partnerships between academic institutions, a nonprofit organization, and the Nepali government. The strategies and considerations we have found helpful include focusing on therapies with strong behavioral and interpersonal (rather than emotional or cognitive) components and using locally validated therapies or standard manuals that have been endorsed by the WHO for low-resource settings. Other strategies include providing psychotherapy training for local psychiatrists who may be in supervisory roles using the train-the trainer models to help them gain competence in navigating different expectations of social structures and family dynamics. Supervisors face many challenges while supporting trainees and early psychologists in global mental health settings. While ensuring local adaptation, key considerations can be developed into best practices to support supervisors, particularly psychiatrists and other faculty members based in high-income settings, and trainees based in low- and middle-income countries.
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spelling doaj-art-cccfe5c0c46b43ab8e1680a8cc43e94e2025-08-20T02:15:25ZengSpringerDiscover Public Health3005-07742025-05-012211810.1186/s12982-025-00645-zAddressing challenges for psychotherapy supervision in global mental health through experiential learnings from rural NepalPragya Rimal0Srijana Shrestha1Rekha Khatri2Sabitri Sapkota3Sikhar Bahadur Swar4Madhur Basnet5Kripa Sigdel6Sunita Jirel7Bibhav Acharya8PossiblePossiblePossiblePossibleBayalpata HospitalDepartment of Psychiatry, B. P. Koirala Institute of Health SciencesPossibleCharikot HospitalPossibleAbstract Background As the field of global mental health grows, many psychotherapy trainees will work across cultures in low-resource settings in high-income countries or in low- and middle-income countries. Mentors and supervisors, including faculty members, may face several challenges in providing supervision for psychologists in low-resource settings. As such, there is a need to develop best practices for psychotherapy supervision in global mental health. We describe the common challenges and potential strategies in psychotherapy supervision based on our research, clinical, and academic partnerships between academic institutions, a nonprofit organization, and the Nepali government. The strategies and considerations we have found helpful include focusing on therapies with strong behavioral and interpersonal (rather than emotional or cognitive) components and using locally validated therapies or standard manuals that have been endorsed by the WHO for low-resource settings. Other strategies include providing psychotherapy training for local psychiatrists who may be in supervisory roles using the train-the trainer models to help them gain competence in navigating different expectations of social structures and family dynamics. Supervisors face many challenges while supporting trainees and early psychologists in global mental health settings. While ensuring local adaptation, key considerations can be developed into best practices to support supervisors, particularly psychiatrists and other faculty members based in high-income settings, and trainees based in low- and middle-income countries.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12982-025-00645-zSupervisionPsychologyGlobal mental healthLMICNepalPsychotherapy
spellingShingle Pragya Rimal
Srijana Shrestha
Rekha Khatri
Sabitri Sapkota
Sikhar Bahadur Swar
Madhur Basnet
Kripa Sigdel
Sunita Jirel
Bibhav Acharya
Addressing challenges for psychotherapy supervision in global mental health through experiential learnings from rural Nepal
Discover Public Health
Supervision
Psychology
Global mental health
LMIC
Nepal
Psychotherapy
title Addressing challenges for psychotherapy supervision in global mental health through experiential learnings from rural Nepal
title_full Addressing challenges for psychotherapy supervision in global mental health through experiential learnings from rural Nepal
title_fullStr Addressing challenges for psychotherapy supervision in global mental health through experiential learnings from rural Nepal
title_full_unstemmed Addressing challenges for psychotherapy supervision in global mental health through experiential learnings from rural Nepal
title_short Addressing challenges for psychotherapy supervision in global mental health through experiential learnings from rural Nepal
title_sort addressing challenges for psychotherapy supervision in global mental health through experiential learnings from rural nepal
topic Supervision
Psychology
Global mental health
LMIC
Nepal
Psychotherapy
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12982-025-00645-z
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