The supervision genogram: A tool for preparing supervisors-in-training.

The purpose of this article is to introduce the supervision genogram as a training tool that can be implemented in supervisor training. The supervision genogram is a unique training tool that may be used to enhance supervisors'-in-training self-awareness and understanding of the supervisory process. Psychological trainers who are responsible for training supervisors may also find that the supervision genogram can aid them in assessing the needs of supervisors-in-training and in creating corresponding supervisory environments and experiences. A detailed account of how to develop and process the supervision genogram is given. An overview of supervision genogram symbols and a completed supervision genogram are also provided. Implications for training, such as flexibility of application, ethical and professional issues, and developmental considerations for using this tool are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A call for change of emphasis in psychodynamic supervision.

Supervisors are called on to maintain an ambience of acceptance which fosters growth and enables the supervisees to search for the true meaning of their professional self. This article uses self psychology as a model for structuring the supervisory relationship and suggests that supervisors' "empathic failures" in identifying and fulfilling their supervisees' needs disturb and even undermine this necessary ambience. When the process of supervision is disturbed by empathic failure, the interpersonal events within the supervision should be carefully examined to reorganize and rework the supervisory experience and to restore the participants' emotional balance and ability to work well within the supervision. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Learning process in psychoanalytic supervision: Complexities and challenges.

Reviews the book, Learning process in psychoanalytic supervision: Complexities and challenges by Paul A. DeWald (see record 1987-97784-000). This book is a wonderful contribution to the field of supervision. It is the only book available that presents the actual supervision sessions of one ongoing supervisee with one long-term psychoanalytic patient as they were transcribed. DeWald also offers a review of the supervisory literature, his view of the supervisory process, his supervisory reports, and a chapter from the supervisee discussing her experience. The book is refreshing in that the supervisor does not present himself as perfect, and he does acknowledge mistakes he made in the comments after each set of process notes. There are some criticisms of the book to be made. First, the reviewer was not able to determine the frequency of the patient's sessions or the supervisory sessions. Second, the author's framework is classically Freudian. While this is not a problem, it is important that the reader be aware of the point of view. Third, the author seems ambivalent about the role of the patient's ethnicity and culture in her neurotic stance. These comments aside, Learning process in psychoanalytic supervision is an excellent book, and certainly one any supervisor would want to read. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Supervising International Students: The Role of Acculturation, Role Ambiguity, and Multicultural Discussions.

Little is known about the training needs of international students in professional psychology programs and what supervisors could do to assist these students in their training. This study surveyed 42 international students in programs accredited by the American Psychological Association concerning several training and supervision variables. Results revealed that students who reported being less acculturated also reported less counseling self-efficacy, weaker supervisory working alliances, more role difficulties in supervision, and more discussion of cultural issues in supervision. Implications for supervision and future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Directed self-reflection protocols in supervision.

Directed self reflection is an ancillary supervisory method that an experienced therapist can use to prepare a novice therapist for clinical work with an unfamiliar patient population, modality, or setting. First, the supervisor generates a list of questions that address issues known to be problematic for many trainees in a specific clinical site. Prior to contact with patients, the supervisee reflects upon the questions and privately writes answers as a means of priming him or her for potential challenges and further discussion. An example of a self-reflection protocol is discussed, and suggestions are given for constructing protocols for specific clinical settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical supervision in Canadian academic and service settings: The importance of education, training, and workplace support for supervisor development.

A national sample of Canadian psychologists who provide clinical supervision in academic or service settings (n?=?156) was surveyed regarding their background preparation for clinical supervision, satisfaction with current supervisory load, and workplace support for supervisory activities and development. With respect to supervisor training and development, the authors found that (1) almost two-thirds of the Ss received no formal training in supervision, (2) most initially felt inadequately prepared to supervise trainees, (3) subsequent self-study of supervision was perceived as helpful, and (4) self-study was associated with administrative encouragement for professional development. Exploration of supervisory load and workplace support showed that (1) a large majority of Ss were satisfied with their load, (2) satisfaction did not differ across academic and service settings, and (3) supervisors in service settings were more satisfied with opportunities for peer support around supervision. Ss called for more training in supervision and increased amounts of time on the job to devote to supervision. The need for increased training in supervision at all levels, continuing professional education, and workplace enhancements to facilitate supervision are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Commentaries on the ethical and effective practice of clinical supervision.

Every psychologist participates in clinical supervision during various aspects of his or her training. Many psychologists also provide supervision to less experienced colleagues and to those in training. But what makes for an effective and competent supervisor? Psychologists need to know because substandard or ineffective clinical supervision may have far-reaching consequences for the developing professional and for those he or she treats. This contribution provides key information on clinical supervision and related competence issues. A number of questions are raised that must be addressed by individual psychologists and the profession alike. Then, 3 invited expert commentaries are offered to address these issues, further this important discussion, and attempt to answer the challenging questions raised. Attention to the issues raised and recommendations made will hopefully lead to enhanced clinical competence and effectiveness by clinical supervisors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

References on supervision in clinical and counseling psychology.

Complex issues are inherent in psychology training. This bibliography addresses diverse aspects of supervision in psychotherapy and more generally in professional psychology, especially during internship. English-language articles, books, and chapters are listed in 8 categories: books; administrative, ethical, and legal issues; evaluation; internship; professional standards and training; supervisee development, perspectives, and issues; supervisor issues and the supervisory relationship; and supervision approaches, issues, research, techniques, and theories. Citations from the counselor education, marital/familytherapy, psychiatry, psychoanalysis, school psychology, and social work literatures are also included. Most references are from the 1970s and 1980s; older citations are included to provide historical perspectives on supervision. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Retrospectives from three counseling psychology predoctoral interns: How navigating the challenges of graduate school in the face of death and debilitating illness influenced the development of clinical practice.

Death and debilitating illness can have a significant impact on one's understanding of self, others, and society. When a counseling or clinical psychology graduate student experiences such hardships during the course of his or her clinical training, there can be several potential implications. The stressors of graduate school may exacerbate the emotional responses to an already painful situation. Additionally, clinical skill development can be negatively affected if the student has difficulty acknowledging how hardship influences his or her capacity to be an effective therapist. However, the same tribulations can also help new therapists to realize their inner strength, develop beneficial coping skills, and apply this knowledge when working with clients. Highlighted in this article are three cases of loss and hardship that underscore the importance of supportive clinical supervision, psychological hardiness, humor, and optimism during times of personal crises. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Narrative approaches to supervision and case formulation.

Reviews the literature on the use of narrative in personality theory and its application in the clinical practice literature. A constructionist approach to supervision is proposed that integrates narrative approaches with the supervisory process. Clinical supervision and case formulation are discussed as the result of a dialog between the supervisor and supervisee about the client's story, the supervisee's story about the client, and the professional story offered by the supervisor, resulting in a new case formulation and treatment plan. The new narrative allows a collaborative, empathic approach to both the supervisee and client. Case examples of a single male in his early 20s with complaints of feeling overwhelmed, nervous, and experiencing sleep and appetite disturbances, and of a single mother in her early 30s presenting with concerns about raising her 4-yr-old son illustrate the narrative approach. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dynamics of Race and Culture in the Supervisory Encounter.

The rapid increase in racial/ethnic minority populations in the United States implicates the necessity of implementing new approaches to the training of psychologists. The author proposes that the integration of racial and cultural diversity related issues in clinical supervision is an essential component of clinical and teaching competence, which has important implications for the provision of services to ethnic minorities and, more broadly, to better addressing the full realm of clients' intrapsychic and interpersonal worlds. Psychodynamic aspects of the supervisory encounter, such as the narcissistic struggles of the supervisor and supervisee and racial and cultural elements in transference, contribute to supervisory interactions around race and culture. Clinical illustrations are discussed to elaborate these dynamic processes. Recommendations for supervisors on how to explore race and culture in a safe supervisory space are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Negative supervisory events: Effects on supervision and supervisory alliance.

What are the consequences when a supervisee experiences a negative event in supervision? Supervisee developmental level, supervisory working alliance, trainee attachment style, and negative supervisory events were examined to determine their relationship with one another. Findings underscore the destructive impact negative supervisory events can have on supervision and supervisee development. This impact varies depending upon a supervisee's developmental level or the strength of the supervisor--supervisee working alliance. Supervisors are encouraged to be more supportive of supervisees in early development, and suggestions are offered on ways to ensure a strong supervisory relationship. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stages in psychotherapy supervision: From therapy skills to skilled therapist.

Describes the process of psychotherapy supervision as 4 increasingly complex stages of supervisory focus. The 4 stages are based on the belief that psychotherapy progress is determined by the interaction between clients' presenting problems, their personalities, the techniques used by the therapists, and the interpersonal interactions of the therapists. The proposed stages of supervision include developing basic therapy skills and adopting the therapist's role, expanding the range of skills and roles to match the client's problems and role expectations, developing the trainee's ability to assess the client's habitual and conflicting behavior patterns and select effective intervention methods, and helping the trainee learn to use the self in assessment and intervention. These 4 stages are not regarded as mutually exclusive but as primary focal issues during the process of supervision. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nurses' perceptions of the elements of good supervision

This paper explores the concept of good clinical supervision from the perspective of the nurse being supervised. A focused discussion with a group being supervised was used to develop a questionnaire, which was then given to 50 post-registration students who were receiving formal clinical supervision (seven students were on the ENB higher award and 43 were on ENB clinical award courses). A number of characteristics of good supervision were identified. These were grouped into one of three themes: relevant knowledge, supervisory/teaching skills and personal relationship skills. This paper is part of a larger study that aimed to explore the concept of good clinical supervision from the perspectives of the supervisor, the person being supervised, the professional bodies and nursing lecturers.     

Relations of complementarity and supervisory issues to supervisory working alliance: A comparative analysis of two cases.

This study examined the effects of complementary communications and supervisory issues on the formation of working alliance in 2 graduate student supervisor–supervisee dyads, 1 characterized by high alliance and 1 by low alliance, over the first 3 weeks of clinical supervision. A research-informed case study method was used to collect process and outcome data from the participant and rater perspectives. Results provided some support for (a) a sequential order of the themes or issues underlying the professional development of counselor trainees, (b) a higher degree of complementary interaction in the high-alliance dyad than in the low-alliance dyad, and (c) a relation between complementarity and supervision satisfaction level. Implications for future research and practice are discussed relative to the supervision literature. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Legal aspects of clinical supervision 1: Employer vs employee

In order to implement clinical supervision some major issues need to be clarified. This article looks at clinical supervision in terms of the relationship between the employer and the employee. It discusses clinical supervision as a contractual requirement and a voluntary system and examines some of the related problems. The implementation of clinical supervision may be limited by the significant cost of training. Possible frameworks for setting up a system for supervision are suggested. Employers need to be adequately informed about the clinical supervision process so that it can become both effective and flexible. The second article in this series will consider legal issues relating to professional accountability, patients' rights, and records and record keeping. These two articles refer to information generated from a workshop held at Prince Philip Hospital, Llanelli, in which practitioners looked at some of the legal issues relating to clinical supervision.     

Supervision of pharmacy personnel

OBJECTIVE: To review legal, acceptable, and optimal personnel practices. DATA SOURCES: A general literature search was conducted to identify appropriate material. In addition, the personnel manuals of several organizations (large and small) were reviewed for alternative ways to address similar problems. DATA SYNTHESIS: The cost of personnel is often the largest single non-drug expense in a pharmacy's operating budget. Pharmacists rarely receive comprehensive training during their professional training to address the unique issues of supervision. A review of the basics of supervision, and some topics unique to pharmacy, is presented. CONCLUSION: Familiarity with appropriate supervisory practices can enhance productivity, improve morale, and create a better practice environment.     

The roles of group supervision of supervision.

This article recommends that group supervision of supervision be an integral part of the curriculum of any senior professional who is involved in regular supervision of trainees. Work in the group setting enables use of group dynamics to understand therapeutic events as well as processes of mirroring and identification in the supervision. The supervisory group may promote feelings of security and containment in the supervisors while attenuating and minimizing their potential feelings of vulnerability and validating their perceptions of reality. At the same time, such a group gives rise to difficulties (owing to issues of trust and confidentiality) both inside and outside the group (e.g., among trainees who develop fantasies about the proceedings of the group). Some general resolution of such problems is presented here. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Contracting for supervision.

The changing job market has increased the demand for psychologists to serve as clinical supervisors of other mental health service provides; however, such supervisory arrangements inevitably increase legal exposure and pose unique ethical challenges for the supervising psychologist. A detailed sample supervision contract incorporating ethical and practice standards of psychology is offered. Although such contracts may not be legally binding, these agreements help facilitate (a) an adherence to these professional and ethical standards, (b) effective supervisory practices, and (c) the quality of care for the persons receiving psychological services. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Training graduate students to be clinical supervisors: A survey of Canadian professional psychology programmes.

Recognising the need for training in clinical supervision, the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) requires that accredited professional psychology programmes offer graduate students training in supervision. To fill a gap in the existing supervision literature, we surveyed training directors (or designates) of CPA accredited clinical and counselling programmes to understand how this training standard is currently being met in the area of clinical supervision. Responses were obtained from 20 of 28 programmes (71.4% response rate). Approximately 50% of respondents indicated that their programmes required some coursework related to clinical supervision, with wide variability, however, in the number of hours of coursework provided to students (range 3 to 39). Most courses included lectures and group discussion, but also often provided students with practical experience in clinical supervision provision. Only 25% of programmes required a practicum in which students gained experience in clinically supervising other students, although an additional 40% of programmes offered an elective practicum in which students gained some training in clinical supervision. Most programmes (~71%) identified strategies for improving training in clinical supervision (e.g., improving course work, requiring practical experience), but also identified challenges to offering clinical supervision training (e.g., availability of skilled supervisors, insufficient time to devote to supervision, student competency). Based on the findings, we offer some recommendations for how training in clinical supervision could be improved in Canadian professional psychology programmes as well as describe some important directions for future research in this area. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)