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Supervisory Rashomon: The Evolution of Our Analytic Minds
Mary Kay O'Neil1,2,3, Kristine Klement4,5
1Toronto Psychoanalytic Society, Toronto, Canada. oneilmk4@gmail.com.
American Journal of Psychoanalysis
|July 31, 2026
Summary
Developing an analytic mind involves understanding unconscious influences. This study explores supervisor and supervisee perspectives on psychoanalytic development during training, highlighting differing goals and optimal supervisory dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychoanalysis
- Psychotherapy Training
Background:
- The analytic mind involves understanding unconscious influences on behavior, relationships, and decisions.
- Psychoanalytic supervision is a critical component of training for aspiring analysts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the development of the analytic mind in both supervisors and supervisees.
- To examine the dynamic interplay of goals and experiences within the supervisory relationship.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative reflection on personal experiences of psychoanalytic training and supervision.
- Analysis of the supervisor-supervisee dyad, focusing on differing goals and learning processes.
Main Results:
- Supervisors aim to impart analytic thinking, while supervisees focus on becoming analysts.
- Optimal supervision involves balancing teacher/analyst roles for the supervisor and support/autonomy for the supervisee.
- The learning relationship exhibits both convergence (support) and divergence (differing learning perspectives).
Conclusions:
- The development of an analytic mind is a complex process shaped by individual goals and the supervisory relationship.
- Effective psychoanalytic supervision requires navigating differing perspectives and maintaining an optimal balance of roles and support.
- Understanding the interplay of convergence and divergence is key to successful analytic training.
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