The Influence of the Supervision of Psychotherapy upon being Therapeutic: II: Modes of Influence of the Supervisory Relationship

Abstract

Through supervision, the student develops those innate personal characteristics which are highly important in being therapeutic. In making conscious use of “reality identification” by the student with his teacher, we must take care to avoid certain pitfalls. What is not wanted is transference identification. To help avoid this, we must select appropriate teachers as supervisors. The student should also have more than one supervisor, as this tends to protect against the development of over-idealization on the part of the student, and of omnipotence on the part of the teacher. Personal characteristics of both students and supervisors are extremely important. A good supervisory experience is the most likely vehicle for developing those qualities in the student which will, in time, lead him to function most therapeutically.