Sometimes we are asked if it is important that the supervisor has the same type of training as the supervisee. There is no easy answer to this question, but both supervisor and supervise need to share enough of a common language and belief system to be able to learn and work together. Sometimes having a supervisor with a very different training means that he or she is more able to see what your own belief system is editing out.
Supervisory style is also greatly affected by your gender, age, and cultural background, as well as your personality. It is important to be aware of how these all affect the way you will view both the supervisees and the clients they present to you. This is especially relevant when there is a match between the age, gender, and background of the supervisee and the supervisor, but the client has a different age, background or gender. In such cases the supervisor has to work doubly hard to help the supervisee explore how her own background and attitudes are affecting how she sees and works with the client.