Hazards and horizons of psychotherapy supervision

Individual supervision is a crucial element in the education of the psychiatric resident. Although the supervisory relationship is fully as complex as that between a patient and therapist, it is less frequently studied and far less well understood. After participating in a supervisory relationship for two years, the authors became aware of two important aspects of their relationship which were seriously interfering with the work of supervision. One was the fact of the dual role of the supervisor as teacher and evaluator. The second was the failure to deal openly with emotional issues between them. The authors' separate recollections of the experience are used to explicate the nature, opportunities and pitfalls of therapy supervision. Three levels of learning which occur in therapy supervision are examined. Particular attention is paid to the most neglected aspect of therapy supervision, namely ongoing examination of the emotional vicissitudes of the supervisory situation.