Play in Supervision

Abstract

Clinical supervision is a fundamental component of counselor education training. Counselor Educators play an active and dynamic role in helping beginning practicum students conceptualize their work with clients. The use of expressive arts in counseling has been shown to be effective in creating a deeper level and meaning to counselor and client interactions. This article describes the use of a particular expressive art technique, a sandtray, based on Sandplay Therapy, with students enrolled in beginning practicum. Additionally, results from a pilot study comparing ratings of traditional supervision and ratings of sandtray supervision with students enrolled in a beginning practicum experience are provided. Results of the pilot study indicated some preliminary support for the viability of the application comparing ratings of traditional supervision sessions with ratings of supervision using sandtray.     

Clinical supervision in cognitive behavior therapy improves therapists’ competence: a single-case experimental pilot study

ABSTRACT

Clinical supervision is a cornerstone in psychotherapists’ training but there are few empirical evaluations on the effects of supervision on therapists’ competencies. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the effects of standardized supervision on rater-assessed competency in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). Six therapists with basic training in CBT were provided with protocol-based clinical supervision in CBT in a single-case experimental multiple baseline design. The supervision focused on specific CBT competencies and used experiential learning methods such as role-play. Each therapist recorded weekly treatment sessions during phases without and with supervision. The therapists’ CBT competence was assessed by third-party raters using the Revised Cognitive Therapy Scale (CTS-R). Statistical analyses showed that the therapists’ CTS-R scores increased significantly during the phase with supervision with a mean item increase of M = 0.71 (range = 0.50–1.0) on the supervision focus areas. This is one of the first empirical studies that can confirm that supervision affect CBT competencies. The results also suggest that supervision can be manualized and that supervisees have a positive perception of more active training methods. Further studies are needed to replicate the results and to find ways to improve the impact of supervision.     

The relationship between abusive supervision,distributive justice and job satisfaction: A substitutes for leadership approach

IntroductionRecently, interest in abusive supervision has grown (Tepper, 2007). However, little is still known about organizational factors that can reduce the adverse effects of abusive supervision.ObjectiveBased on a substitute for leadership perspective (Kerr & Jermier, 1978), we predict that job resources adequacy and role clarity act as buffers in the negative relationship between abusive supervision, distributive justice and job satisfaction.MethodA sample of 253 employees from a City Hall was used to test our hypotheses.ResultsWe found that abusive supervision was significant and negatively related to distributive justice when job resources adequacy and role clarity were low, but not when job resources adequacy and role clarity were high, with consequences for job satisfaction.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that job resources adequacy and role clarity can reduce the negative impact of abusive supervision, which then lessens distributive unfairness perceptions and job dissatisfaction.     

Supervision in aamft accredited programs: Supervisee perceptions and preferences

Abstract

To assess supervisees' perceptions of supervision in AAMFT accredited programs, 72 supervisees from 14 degree programs responded to a questionnaire asking them to describe the supervision they were receiving and what they preferred. The majority reported perceiving their supervision as a mixed didactic-experiential style. Subjects were also asked to describe their perceived actual and preferred supervision on six dimensions. The findings showed that from supervisees' point of view, the quality of supervision in accredited programs is good, that some supervisees do not receive once per week supervision, and that the majority did not receive the style of supervision they preferred.     

Religiousness,collectivism, and helping behavior: The invigorating role of abusive supervision

IntroductionVoluntary helping behaviors are important for spurring organizational effectiveness.ObjectivesThis study investigates how employees’ religiousness and collectivism might enhance their propensity to help their peers on a voluntary basis, as well as how this relationship might be invigorated by the presence of abusive supervision.MethodsSurvey data were collected from employees and their supervisors in Pakistan-based organizations. The hypotheses were tested with hierarchical regression analysis.ResultsReligiousness relates positively to helping behavior, and this relationship is stronger when employees experience abusive supervision, possibly because their religiousness motivates them to protect their colleagues against the hardships created by such a resource-draining leadership style. Although collectivism does not have a direct significant relationship with helping behavior overall, abusive supervision invigorates this relationship.ConclusionFor organizations seeking to increase voluntary work behaviors, the results show that religiousness and collectivism are two personal resources that can enhance an organizational culture that promotes collegiality and mutual support, particularly when employees believe that their supervisors are hostile to followers and abuse their leadership positions.     

Computer Monitor Supervision: A Clinical Note

Live supervision requires communication while the supervisor is guiding the trainee therapist through the one-way mirror. With the use of computer technology, additional communication procedures that have been developed are briefly presented adding new possibilities to live supervision. Using the computer as a supervision tool, therapy can be influenced by the supervisor while minimizing disruption. Successes and pitfalls in a master's level practicum course in family therapy are presented.     

Photo-synthesis: Facilitating Goal Setting in Supervision Using Images and Creativity

ABSTRACT

One of the most important aspects of clinical supervision is goal-setting. In the early stages of supervision, supervisees may find it difficult to connect authentically with their supervisors due to the inherent power differential in supervision. Difficulty connecting may be exacerbated when students are attempting to set goals regarding their areas for growth. Based on literature reviewed on the counselor-client relationship, the authors posit that using images may increase vulnerability between supervisors and supervisees. Additionally, the authors introduce relational-cultural theory as a framework for connecting authentically through creative images. The authors present examples of using images in individual and group supervision, specifically employing The Coaching Game made by Points of You.     

Goal Commitment Buffers the Negative Effects of Perceived Abusive Supervision

Abstract

The effects of abusive supervision may be more intricate than what reason would suggest. To examine why individuals may respond differently to perceptions of supervisor abusive, this study relies on goal-setting theory to present a model that accounts for the influence of abusive supervision on job performance and organizational deviance. To be precise, motivation control and self-defeating cognition are proposed to mediate the interaction of perceived abusive supervision with goal commitment in predicting organizational deviance and job performance. In particular, the extent to which goal commitment alleviates the deleterious effects of abusive supervision is examined such that when goal commitment is high, the indirect effects of perceived abusive supervision on job performance and organizational deviance via motivation control and self-defeating cognition were predicted to be weaker. The proposed model was supported by multisource and multiwave data. The understanding of when the deleterious effects of supervisor abuse as perceived by followers are likely might help the human resource personnel to adopt measures that buffer against such outcomes.     

Training and Supervising Lay Providers in Kenya: Strategies and Mixed-Methods Outcomes☆☆☆

ObjectiveTraining lay providers to deliver mental health interventions is both effective and cost-effective. However, more research is needed to document training and supervision procedures and to collect lay providers’ feedback.MethodsThis study documents training and supervision from a randomized controlled trial of the Shamiri intervention, a four-session, school-based intervention that significantly reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression in Kenyan adolescents. We delivered a 10-hour training to 13 lay providers, M (SD)_age = 21.00 (1.95), %_female = 61.54. We also hosted 30-minute supervision meetings twice weekly. Training and supervision were delivered primarily by undergraduates. Independent raters coded session recordings for fidelity and quality of services, and we collected quantitative and qualitative feedback from lay providers.ResultsReliability and mean ratings for all six of our fidelity and quality measures (delivering required content, adhering to specified details, thoroughness, skillfulness, clarity, and purity) were very good to excellent. Lay provider quantitative ratings of training were also overwhelmingly positive, with an overall satisfaction rating of 6.46/7.00. We identified central qualitative themes in lay provider comments: Generally, comments about training style, content, and personal interactions were overwhelmingly positive, and many lay providers reported personal growth. Comments about timing and location of training were mixed.ConclusionsThis study provides preliminary evidence that a very brief training delivered primarily by undergraduates can teach high school-graduate lay providers to deliver effective mental health interventions. Additionally, we discuss lessons learned and implications for future research, including the importance of considering local context when planning and of continuously collecting and addressing lay provider feedback.     

From the institute to the ivory tower: The live supervision stage approach for teaching supervision in academic settings

Abstract

In this paper, we describe an experimental academic course on marriage and family therapy supervision. The course, an adapted version of an institute program, was taught in four stages, combined a seminar and a practicum, and culminated with live supervision of live supervision.     

The unwelcoming experience of abusive supervision and the impact of leader characteristics: turning employees into poor organizational citizens and future quitters

ABSTRACT

Over three studies (i.e., two 2 × 2 experiments and a multi-source field study), we examine the relationship between abusive supervision, leader characteristics, and organizational inclusion on employee outcomes. Drawing on the group value theory of organizational justice and multiple needs theory of organizational justice, we argue that abusive supervision is counterproductive to making employees feel welcome. Specifically, we demonstrate that abusive supervision demoralizes employees’ feelings of organizational inclusion. Additionally, we draw upon research that suggests that the display of hostility inherent in abusive supervision can be perceived differently when it comes from a strategic versus impulsive source. We build upon this reasoning to examine and explain how leader characteristics might alter the effect of abusive supervision on organizational inclusion. More specifically, we suggest that leader political skill (i.e., strategic source) and leader neuroticism (i.e., impulsive source) act as moderators of the relationship between abusive supervision and organizational inclusion. We integrate organizational justice and inclusion theories to demonstrate that abusive supervision can be interpreted as an unwelcoming experience that ultimately has the ability to turn employees into poor organizational citizens (i.e., decrease engagement of OCBs) and future quitters (i.e., increase of turnover intentions). Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

The effects of supervisory interruptions on therapists and clients

Abstract

The general acceptance of live supervision has not been without criticism, specifically that it is a disruptive intrusion into the therapeutic process. The present study attempted to determine what effect supervisory interruptions had on the participants in a therapy session. Using a within-subjects design, excerpts from a session were analyzed to determine differences between a no-interruption condition and conditions of supervisor-initiated, therapist-initiated, and telephone interruptions. While each of the participants were affected to varying degrees by the interruptions, there were no consistent effects. It was concluded that the act of interrupting a therapeutic session, in and of itself, is not sufficiently disruptive to negate it use. Implications for supervision and practice are discussed and recommendations are given for managing interruptions during supervision and daily clinical practice.     

Integrating Relational-Cultural Theory Concepts and Mask-Making in Group Supervision

ABSTRACT

Supervisees in the clinical phase of their counselor training may experience anxiety related to evaluation and competence. Recent literature has suggested that the integration of relational-cultural theory (RCT) concepts in supervision can be used to reframe supervisee anxiety and promote professional growth. Creative arts approaches have been employed in group supervision to increase supervisee self-awareness, improve case conceptualization skills, and foster group cohesion. To date, no research exists on the use of mask-making in RCT-based group supervision. In this article, the author proposes integrating RCT concepts with a mask-making intervention in group supervision to address supervisee anxiety. Limitations and implications for counselor educators and supervisors are discussed.     

The supervisory alliance: Comparison of measures and implications for a supervision toolkit

Background Clinical supervision lies at the core of the professional development of clinicians providing services within a range of service settings. The supervisory alliance is regarded as the most important construct in effective supervision which underlies the importance of metrics to assess this construct. Aims materials and Method A cross‐sectional self‐report questionnaire design was used to examine clinical supervision constructs. The study used two scales measuring the supervisory alliance (SRQ and SWAI‐T), a scale measuring supervision satisfaction (SSQ) and a scale measuring disclosure (TDS). The questionnaires were administered to 127 clinical psychology trainees who were undertaking a practicum placement. Results Both scales measuring the alliance were positively correlated with satisfaction with supervision and disclosure, with similar sizes of correlation for each alliance scale. There was also a large, positive correlation between the two scales of measuring the alliance. Discussion Both scales were designed for use in supervision and are related to supervision outcome measures in the expected directions. Conclusion The SRQ has some distinct advantages over the SWAI‐T that lend the SRQ to be potentially more useful in clinical and research settings.     

An Investigation of Abusive Supervision,Vicarious Abusive Supervision,and Their Joint Impacts

ABSTRACT

Recent work has begun to look at the impact of abusive supervision, a dysfunctional workplace behavior, on employee outcomes. This study extends this line of research by examining vicarious abusive supervision (abuse not directly experienced, but rumors about it or hearing about it, that is “experienced vicariously”). In particular, this research effort investigates whether vicarious abuse has effects above and beyond those accounted for by personally experienced abusive supervision on the outcomes of job frustration, coworker abuse, and perceived organizational support. Our sample is composed of 233 workers from a large variety of organizations. Results reveal that both personally experienced and vicarious abuse have negative impacts and these effects are heightened when both forms of abusive supervision are present. Practical and theoretical implications, as well as directions for future research, are offered.     

Supervision of supervision: Specialism or new profession?

Abstract

Consecutive BAC Codes of Ethics and Practice of the Supervision of Counsellors have emphasised the importance of supervisory consultations for supervisors, and the need of evaluating and monitoring supervision work. Supervision of supervision work has also been an integral part of the training of supervisors, in order for them to learn supervision by actually supervising and receiving feedback on their work. The paper attempts to define and conceptualise the task of the supervisor of supervision in comparison with and by contrast to ordinary supervision and covers such areas as function, format, focus, presentation.     

Convergence,commonality, and context in psychoanalytic supervision

ABSTRACT

What are the binding commonalities that demark and define any and all psychoanalytic supervision perspectives? What do we all do as psychoanalytic supervisors that practically matters? Furthermore, might there be a unifying model that anchors those binding commonalities together into a supervision meaning-making, explanatory framework? In this two-part paper, I take up those questions. In Part I, based on a century-spanning literature review, I identify 50 (non-exhaustive) common Support and Learning factors that appear present across the panoply of psychoanalytic supervision perspectives. Relational, educational, and interventional, these 50 factors reflect the very stuff of which psychoanalytic supervision is made. In Part II, I present and elaborate upon the Contextual Psychoanalytic Supervision Relationship Model (CPSRM) – a theoretically-grounded model that anchors and contextualizes those common Support and Learning factors. Because common factors can be seen as nothing more than atheoretical amalgamation (i.e., lists of desirable characteristics endlessly strung together), the CPSRM is proposed as a theoretically-based antidote. A supervisory extrapolation of Wampold’s contextual psychotherapy relationship model, the CPSRM accentuates relational connection, expectations/goals, and educational action as preeminently supervisee change inducing and learner affecting.     

A Constructive Approach to Counseling and Psychotherapy Supervision

Clinical supervision is central to the successful training and ongoing professional development of counselors and psychotherapists. Although clinical supervision shares much in common with psychotherapy, it is a distinct activity from psychotherapy that requires its own distinct theories and techniques (Bernard & Goodyear, 2014). In this article, an approach to clinical supervision (which I refer to as constructive clinical supervision) that is grounded in constructivist principles of learning, growth, and development is presented. In addition to outlining the key constructivist principles that have influenced this approach, I also provide supervision strategies that can be used to facilitate critical self-reflection in supervisees, which includes establishing a solid relationship, asking reflective questions, and implementing reflective-based activities. Additionally, guidelines for conducting supervisee assessment and evaluation in ways consistent with constructivist thinking are described.     

An Analysis of the Effect of the Test Situation upon the Rorschach Record: Formal Scoring Characteristics

Abstract

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Ulett, George. Rorschach Introductory Manual: A Primer for the Clinical Psychiatric Worker; With Interpretative Diagram to Permit Clinical Use While Learning the Ink-blot Technique; Beverly Hills: Western Psychological Services, 1955; Price: $3.50. Reviewed by Walter G. Klopfer, Ph.D.     

Book reviews

This paper reports findings from a study of the psychometric properties of a newly developed measure, the Spiritual Issues in Supervision Scale (SISS). The instrument was originally conceived in response to the growing need within the helping professions to understand the role of spirituality within clinical practice and supervision. While evidence supporting the internal consistency of the measure was obtained through a preliminary study, the present investigation provides a more detailed examination of the measure. Results reflect that the instrument in addition to being reliable, measures four dimensions of supervision that related to spirituality. Based on the findings of this study, conclusions are provided pertaining to the potential utility of the instrument.