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Summary of - Which aspects of social GGRRAAACCEEESSS grab you most?” The social GGRRAAACCEEESSS exercise for a supervision group to promote therapists’ self-reflexivity
Title of Original: Which aspects of social GGRRAAACCEEESSS grab you most?” The social GGRRAAACCEEESSS exercise for a supervision group to promote therapists’ self-reflexivity
Authors: Yoko Totsuka
Journal: Journal of Family Therapy
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6427.12026
Why This Matters - The article encourages therapists to reflect on social identities, blind spots and power differences, strengthening reflexivity, cultural awareness and responsiveness in supervision.
Read Time - 5 Minutes
This article describes a supervision exercise designed to enhance therapists’ self-reflexivity through exploration of social differences captured by the acronym social GGRRAAACCEEESSS (SG). The author situates the exercise within systemic family therapy supervision, where reflecting on the “self of the therapist” and the influence of social context is considered an essential component of practice. The paper outlines the theoretical background of the approach, explains the development and implementation of the exercise in a supervision group, presents themes that emerged from the activity, and discusses supervisee feedback, benefits, and potential limitations.
The introduction highlights the increasing emphasis within systemic family therapy on therapist self-reflexivity and awareness of how personal, familial, and societal contexts shape therapeutic practice. This shift is associated with developments in systemic thinking that moved from viewing therapists as objective observers to recognising them as participants within the therapeutic system. Contemporary supervision is therefore expected to address not only client issues but also the therapist’s beliefs, emotions, and social positioning. Literature in systemic therapy has increasingly addressed power, diversity, and social context, encouraging therapists and supervisors to reflect on how social identities and differences influence therapeutic relationships.
The concept of social GGRRAAACCEEESSS provides a framework for examining these influences. The acronym refers to gender, geography, race, religion, age, ability, appearance, class, culture, ethnicity, education, employment, sexuality, sexual orientation, and spirituality. These dimensions are described as interconnected and fluid, with different aspects becoming more or less prominent depending on context. Some aspects may be visible or invisible and may be voiced or unvoiced within professional interactions. The framework has previously been used in training and supervision to encourage awareness of diversity and cultural competence.
The author developed the supervision exercise following reflections on personal and professional experiences, including a conversation with a supervisee who described race as the aspect of SG that most influenced her while gender had little personal relevance. This prompted questions about how individuals come to privilege certain aspects of social identity over others and how such positioning influences therapeutic practice. The exercise was designed to facilitate reflection on these questions.
In the exercise, participants individually identify two aspects of SG that “grab” them most and two that do not. They reflect on significant personal or family-of-origin experiences that shaped these relationships and consider how these influences affect their work as therapists. Participants then engage in structured interviews with one another while the rest of the supervision group observes. After each interview, observers offer reflections, followed by reflections from the interviewee. The exercise was implemented in a supervision group consisting of three trainees from diverse backgrounds.
Several themes emerged from the group discussions. Personal experiences were found to strongly shape which aspects of SG held greatest significance for individuals. For example, experiences of racial segregation led one participant to prioritise race as a central identity factor. Participants also described how multiple aspects of SG are interwoven, rather than experienced separately. Differences could be visible or invisible and could be voiced or unvoiced depending on context, with participants describing dilemmas about whether to disclose certain identities in professional settings. Changes over time were also noted, with some aspects becoming more or less salient across life stages. Emotional responses such as anger, pain, and pride were linked to experiences of oppression, injustice, or support. In addition, participants reflected on “non-grabbing” aspects of SG, often linked to limited personal experience or relative privilege.
Feedback from supervisees indicated that the exercise helped them explore both personally significant and overlooked aspects of social identity. Participants reported that hearing colleagues’ personal stories deepened their understanding of how different experiences shape perspectives. Some supervisees described increased awareness of their assumptions and blind spots, and in some cases the exercise prompted further reflection or conversations with others about cultural and religious differences.
In the discussion, the author suggests that the exercise can promote self-awareness and reflexivity by encouraging therapists to examine their relationships with social identities and how these influence their thinking and practice. The group format allows participants to encounter multiple perspectives and recognise similarities and differences within the team. However, the author also identifies ethical considerations, noting that sharing personal stories can evoke strong emotions and requires a safe supervisory environment with clear expectations and boundaries. Supervisors must remain attentive to the emotional impact of the process and ensure that participation occurs within a context of trust.
The article concludes that the SG exercise is intended to foster curiosity and reflexivity rather than to change individuals’ beliefs about social differences. By bringing previously unexamined assumptions into awareness, the exercise aims to enhance therapists’ flexibility and responsiveness when working with clients and families.