To be perfectly frank, the concept of supervision is a relatively new one for me. It may seem strange, but I never came across this term when I was studying psychology basics at university. Once I finally learned about the practice of supervision, I sighed with relief. Everything had come together for me, and my perception of psychotherapy changed from an unsteady, risky practice into an almost exact science.
So, who is a supervisor? Simply put, this specialist can be considered a teacher, counselor, or mentor. In the area of transactional analysis, for example, it is normal to have several of these mentors – the counselor (supervisee) may need their help with each of the different supervisors’ specialties.
When is such assistance needed? Here are some examples:
- The psychotherapist encounters a specific topic in practice for the first time, and needs a more experienced specialist’s advice.
- The beginner psychotherapist wants to be sure that they apply their knowledge correctly.
- The specialist has faced an issue in their life that is similar to that of their client’s, and doesn’t want any personal experience to negatively influence the course of psychotherapy.
- The psychotherapist has questions in related areas (psychiatry, medicine, pharmacology, law, pedagogy, etc.) and advice from a specific specialist is needed.
- The psychotherapist is experiencing difficulties at work and he or she needs an outside perspective.
- The specialist is planning further professional development, advanced training, or certification, and advice regarding this is required.
There is much more that we could add to this list. In addition to supervisions (meetings with more experienced professionals), intervisions are widely practiced as well. These are group meetings of therapists where they discuss their practice and exchange accounts of their experiences.
At each stage of a psychotherapist’s professional development, the industry’s governing organizations determine the minimum ratio of practice to supervisions. This gives specialists all the necessary support and individual insurance that they need. Throughout the course of practice, a professional community of experienced associates and colleagues helps each psychotherapist. This minimizes the risk of mistakes and sub-optimal solutions, and maximizes productivity. This is very beneficial for both psychotherapists and patients!