Mirrors, Clocks, Maps, and Music: A South African Response to Family Therapy Supervision/Training

Once upon a time a training unit embarked upon a Journey. The Journey was to encompass a year's training and supervision in family therapy. Bags were packed to the brim with theory and training methods. One day the Unit left the bags behind to see what would happen if they travelled light and let the students bring their own luggage to the examination. Students were expected to describe their relationships with the interviewed families, and their training through a story. The great exam day came. Inspired students used innovative ideas and metaphors to describe the Journey. This article tells the story about these stories and the Unit's learning from them.     

The swaying form: imagination,metaphor, embodiment

Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences - How is it that metaphors are meaningful, yet we have so much trouble saying exactly what they mean? I argue that metaphoric thought is an act of...     

Narrative imagination and taking the perspective of others

Narrative imagination, as MarthaNussbaum (1996) discusses it, is ``the abilityto be an intelligent reader of another person'sstory', an ability tied to being a democraticand cultivated world citizen, one whounderstands the lives of others. Narrativeimagination does not only need knowledge andlogical reasoning but also love and compassion.This article argues that in order to be agenuine tool for democracy, narrativeimagination and consciously taking theperspective of others has to be based on anunderstanding of humans as basicallypluralistic, as homines aperti. Criticalexamination and reflection should be broughtcloser to the lives we live and confront ourhabits and implicit values in order tocultivate us as humans so that we are genuinelyaffected and touched.     

Supervision, transference and countertransference

The author discusses supervision, transference and countertransference as seen in the context of the clinical case of a patient who had been first seen as a training analysis case and who later, in a fortuitous way, was treated by the supervisor of the training analysis. The supervisor, who in the first instance did not recognize the patient, discusses the reasons for this unusual experience in terms of the presence and absence of transference during the analysis of this patient as a training case and the problems inherent in the task of supervising. The patient's feelings towards the first and the second analyst and the vicissitudes of transference and countertransference during the supervision of the training analysis and its influence on the presentation of the analytical sessions by the student are also detailed and discussed. The question of recorded supervision presentations and their possible influence on the dynamics of supervision is raised.     

Democracy, knowledge, and imagination

In public debate, we can discern amostly implicit idea that politics is an affairfor politicians. This contradicts the idea ofthe active citizen, according to which thedifference between politician and citizen ismerely accidental. This article focus upon theprerequisites of such an ideal in modernsociety and especially the classical idea ofprudence as central to good citizenship. Therole of school education is stressed. MarthaNussbaum's concept of ``narrative imagination'is seen as important as well as well aneducation aiming at the Bildung of thestudent.     

Associative dreaming: reverie and active imagination

The idea of countertransference has expanded beyond its original meaning of a neurotic reaction to include all reactions of the therapist: affective, bodily, and imaginal. Additionally, Jung's fundamental insight in 'The psychology of the transference' was that a 'third thing' is created in the analysis, but he failed to demonstrate how this third is experienced and utilized in analysis. This 'analytic third', as Ogden names it, is co-created by analyst and analysand in depth work and becomes the object of analysis. Reverie, as developed by Bion and clinically utilized by Ogden, provides a means of access to the unconscious nature of this third. Reverie will be placed on a continuum of contents of mind, ranging from indirect to direct associative forms described as associative dreaming. Active imagination, as developed by Jung, provides the paradigm for a mode of interaction with these contents within the analytic encounter itself. Whether the analyst speaks from or about these contents depends on the capacity of the patient to dream. Classical amplification can be understood as an instance of speaking about inner contents. As the ego of the analyst, the conscious component, relates to unconscious contents emerging from the analytic third, micro-activations of the transcendent function constellate creating an analytic compass.     

Cross-Cultural Supervision in Marriage and Family Therapy

The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the various cultural factors that influence the supervisor-trainee relationship when at least one of these individuals is a member of an ethnic minority group in the United States. Marriage and Family Therapy supervisors and students were asked to compare and contrast their experiences working with ethnic minority and white persons. Findings indicate that both supervisors and students express great value in cross-cultural supervisory experiences, but report that these opportunities are very limited.     

Responsible engineering: the importance of character and imagination

Engineering Ethics literature tends to emphasize wrongdoing, its avoidance, or its prevention. It also tends to focus on identifiable events, especially those that involve unfortunate, sometimes disastrous consequences. This paper shifts attention to the positive in engineering practice; and, as a result, the need for addressing questions of character and imagination becomes apparent.     

A Survey of Clinical Supervision in Genetic Counseling

Three hundred and thirty-five full members of the National Society of Genetic Counselors completed a survey concerning the nature of clinical supervision for genetic counseling students. Slightly over half (54.3%, n = 182) had provided clinical supervision within the past 5 years. Of those who supervised, 66.7% had 5 years or less supervision experience, and 55% had supervised 10 or fewer students. The majority became supervisors because they enjoy teaching and contributing to the profession. Common reasons for not supervising include no local graduate program, and had never been asked to supervise. Live supervision is the most prevalent student evaluation method: every supervisor reported providing one-on-one oral feedback, and 47.3% indicated that they always provide feedback immediately following a counseling session. The most frequent challenges involve students who lack technical knowledge and who fail to incorporate feedback. Training, policy, and research implications are discussed.     

Stage and Contextual Approaches to Development in Professional Supervision

This paper discusses supervision as a means of professional and personal development in adulthood and analyzes its relevant mechanisms and processes. By using several theoretical concepts of development the stage and contextual approaches to supervision are discussed. While the stage approach describes the movement of supervisee, supervisor, and supervision relationship along perceivable and predictable stages, the contextual approach understands the development of an adult as a progression towards increased differentiation and integration of some of its functions, to which experiences, the context of one's life, and one's own activity contribute a great deal.     

Countertransference as active imagination: imaginative experiences of the analyst

Active imagination is at the heart of Jung's elucidation of depth psychology. Yet, in the discourse of present day analytical psychology theory it is not always given the serious attention accorded to some other Jungian concepts. Active imagination emerges spontaneously within the 'third' area--the imaginal or dynamic field--in-between patient and analyst. It is commonly regarded as the patient's experience but I am proposing that, looked upon as the analyst's experience as well, active imagination offers a distinctly Jungian way of understanding some forms of countertransference. I am describing what I think many present-day analytical psychologists already do in their clinical practice but, as far as I know, it has not been theorized in quite this way before. The intention is to exploit the unique contribution of our Jungian heritage by reframing certain profoundly symbolic countertransference-generated imagery as active imagination. In this article these are differentiated from other less complex forms of imaginative countertransference through examples from clinical practice. The point is that such countertransference experiences may activate the symbolic function in the analyst and thus contribute to the mediation of emergent consciousness in the analysand.     

Supervision of Psychosocial Skills in Genetic Counseling

Little has been written about how genetic counseling supervisors can help students develop psychosocial skills in their clinical rotations. The authors describe several approaches supervisors can use, ranging from preventive measures (e.g., normalizing anxiety), to skill-enhancing interventions (e.g., modeling and thinking aloud), to more direct approaches (e.g., immediacy, confrontation) that may be necessary for students who are reluctant, or even resistant, to using psychosocial skills with their clients.     

A Qualitative Investigation of Student and Supervisor Perceptions of Live Supervision in Genetic Counseling

Live supervision of genetic counseling students is critical for ensuring quality client care and student clinical skill development. However, no research has investigated students' and supervisors' experience of this primary supervision method. In this study, separate focus groups of students and supervisors discussed their perceptions of the nature and impact of live supervision. A modified Consensual Qualitative Research method (Hill et al. (1997) Couns Psychol 25:517–572) was used to analyze the data. Results suggest that live supervision is an essential and effective method that promotes student skill development and professional development for both students and supervisors. There is a lack of formal training regarding supervision; most learning is trial and error. Students worry about being evaluated, and supervisors wonder if they are providing supervision effectively. Both samples emphasized that client care should not be compromised. Participant recommendations for improving live supervision are described, and suggestions are made for future research.     

The Interplay Between Therapy and Supervision

This paper examines the relationship and interplay between therapy and supervision; and how the therapist who has particular similarities to the patient brings her own armentarium of defenses as well as life problems into the therapeutic and supervisory space. The paper explores how unconscious factors from childhood become reenacted in the therapeutic space and produce emotions that affect both patient and therapist. The paper describes in detail an upward as well as downward parallel process acted out by the therapist and patient in the transference–countertransference encounter along with the supervisor's conscious and unconscious role in this process. The paper concludes by offering recommendations to beginning analytic therapists.     

The Experience of Leader-Led Peer Supervision: Genetic Counselors' Perspectives

As we proceed through our professional lives, it is essential that we challengeourselves in order to continue to develop our genetic counseling skills. Conferences, workshops,post-graduate courses, journal clubs, and involvement in professional organizations havebecome the traditional methods of continuing education for post-graduate geneticcounselors. While these forums address the need to stay updated on scientific orinformation-based topics, there is little available to counselors to promote growth incounseling skills. A group of Boston-based genetic counselors describe how their leader-ledsupervision group has established a setting to meet the needs of its members both forsupport and continued counseling training. We outline here the evolution of this group andhow it has become a valued part of our professional lives. We feel that the model of leader-ledpeer supervision holds great value in helping genetic counselors continue to enhancetheir interpersonal skills in a supportive, safe, and challenging environment. It is our hopethat others will elect to form similar groups in their own communities, thereby creating newopportunities for growth within the genetic counseling profession.     

Spirituality in MFT Training: Development of the Spiritual Issues in Supervision Scale

As spirituality moves increasingly to the forefront of the body of marriage and family therapy (MFT) literature, many clinicians still find it uncomfortable or difficult to address spirituality in therapy. This study presents a new measure—the Spiritual Issues in Supervision Scale (SISS)—that examines supervisees' perceptions of the degree to which spirituality is addressed in supervision. Researchers distributed the SISS to mental health professionals around the United States who either were receiving supervision currently or had received supervision recently from professionals in their fields or programs. Results indicated that the new instrument has evidence of reliability and validity.     

A Leader-Led Supervision Group as a Model for Practicing Genetic Counselors

With the stage set by the overview of supervision models in the previous paper, thispaper now presents the development and evolution of a currently ongoing leader-ledsupervision group for experienced genetic counselors. I discuss the procedures forgetting started; the creation and maintenance of the contract; typical issues and themesconsidered; the format for case presentation; and the overall growth of the group and itsmembers.