Package Description

Presented by Diane Adlestein, Ph.D and Jeffery E. Barnett, Psy.D., ABPP

Part I: Enhancing Supervision Skills with the use of Psychodynamic Psychology

Clinical Supervision required complex skills that one does not develop by virtue of having been supervised. Yet, many clinicians received little formal training in supervision. This workshop focuses on the application of psychodynamic psychology to the practice of clinical supervision. A main goal is to inform attendees of how applying certain key psychodynamic concepts can enhance one's skills as a supervisor regardless of one's theoretical orientation or treatment approach. 

Topics to be covered include: understanding parallel process, appreciating the importance of teaching supervisees to recognize and appropriately disclose counter-transference, and using counter-transference to monitor therapist boundaries and to inform treatment decisions. A particular focus will be on concepts that help in working with anxious supervisees such as the application of Winnicott's "holding environments" and Adler's concept of counter-transference incompetence.

Part II: Ethical and Legal Essentials for Clinical Supervisors

Clinical Supervision will be address as a core competency for psychologists. The difference between supervision and consultation will be highlighted and the legal aspect of supervision and responsibilities of supervisors will be addressed. The specific competencies involving in being an effective supervisor will be described to include the two types of competence every supervisor must possess. Relevant ethics issues for supervisors will be presented to include the role of informed consent and the supervision contract, documentation and record-keeping, the role of the supervisor as gatekeeper of the profession, confidentiality, boundaries and multiple relationships, and ending the supervisory relationship. Specific attention will be paid to the supervision of both students and Psychology Associates, reviewing legal responsibilities and liabilities. Recommendations for proactively addressing the challenges that frequently arise and for promoting ethical practice will be presented and resources to support ethical and effective supervision will be shared. 

• Apply understanding of parallel process to enhance one's practice of clinical supervision;
• Explain the usefulness of teaching supervisees to recognize and effectively utilize counter-transference reactions regardless of the type of treatment approach;
• Utilize understanding of counter-transference to monitor and attend to therapist boundary crossings and help the therapist maintain an appropriate treatment frame;
• Identify at least two different patterns of response to anxiety in supervisees as well as two different psychodynamic concepts that can assist in managing supervisee anxiety;
• Explain the ethics issues relevant to serving as a clinical supervisor;
• Describe the legal responsibilities associated with being a clinical supervisor;
• List the positive actions you can take to proactively address common ethics challenges in supervision.