Individual Supervision Sessions
Psychoanalytic supervision involves the discussion of clinical material—provided orally or in writing by a psychoanalyst, a psychoanalytically oriented therapist, or a psychologist—with a supervisor.
A supervisor may be a specialist who has undergone special training or has relevant experience recognized as sufficient by a particular professional community.
Supervision can be individual (a psychoanalyst—the supervisee—and a supervisor) or group-based (several supervisees and a supervisor). There is a special form of group supervision called intervision, in which several colleagues with supervision experience are supervised without a facilitator.
The psychodynamic model views supervision as a therapeutic process. The focus of supervision is on the psychotherapist’s intrapersonal and interpersonal dynamics in relationships with the client, colleagues, the supervisor, and significant others. The primary goal of a supervisor working within the psychodynamic model is not to teach skills, but to enhance the psychotherapist’s capacity for active listening by improving their dynamic awareness. Changes in the supervisee’s intra- and interpersonal dynamics allow those dynamics to become an effective tool in the therapeutic process.
One of the key aspects of a supervisor’s work is professional competence. A certified supervisor is a psychoanalyst who has met the requirements of psychoanalytic training for this professional status. When seeking supervisory support, be sure to verify whether a particular specialist has met the standards of psychoanalytic training required to supervise colleagues’ practice.
The supervisee (the professional presenting a case) has the opportunity to:
Monitor their countertransference (their internal response to what is happening during psychotherapy) and receive feedback from the supervisor.
Analyze the dynamics of the process through the lens of the analysand’s history.
Examine the process in the context of current events in the analytical space.
The supervision process for a psychoanalyst includes:
An educational function—depth of insight comes only with experience.
A supportive function—the profession of psychoanalysis involves processing a large number of feelings and emotions, and it is very important to detach oneself from the other person in the office in a timely manner.
A guiding function—with the help of a supervisor, the psychoanalyst’s observing self is strengthened.
At our counseling center, individual supervision is provided by: