Special Section: Block Supervision: Helping to Overcome Potential Disengagement and Stimulate Development in Qualified Group Analysts

Abstract

This article describes one form of group supervision for group analysts and discusses the experiences of one such group over a four-year period. The importance of supervision which prevents too early or summary closure of understanding in order to make a positive therapeutic outcome is discussed. Group psychotherapy is described as being highly complex, which requires a high tolerance for complexity of understanding and intervention forms in order to be productive. The block format consisting of supervision once a semester over a two-day period is described, as are participant observations and subjective experiences, showing that this format can mirror developmental processes found in psychotherapy groups, manifesting greater group cohesion, empathy and more authentic interaction between the supervision candidates.