Concept mapping: A supervision strategy for introducing case conceptualization skills to novice therapists

Case conceptualization, a term synonymous with case formulation, is an essential psychotherapy skill. Novice therapists enter into the practice of psychotherapy with limited case conceptualization skills. Hence, an important goal when supervising novice therapists is to effectively teach these skills. Concept mapping facilitates case conceptualization skills through the process of methodically creating graphic representations of clients' problems and dynamic relationships between these problems. This article introduces a highly structured and practical 4-stage approach to supervision that effectively introduces case formulation skills to novice therapists using concept mapping. It is assumed that concept maps, when shared with clients, function as an intervention to facilitate insight and change.