On the Use of Reflection in Supervision

Hanoch Yerushalmi

doi:10.4172/2161-0487.1000109

Abstract

Analytic supervision may be described as a space in which two types of reflection upon clinical-analytic material are made possible for the supervisee: reflection-after-action and reflection-in-action. The latter is increasingly employed in supervision by psychodynamic therapists, since there is now a greater understanding of the importance of non-verbal and action oriented authentic communications in the analytical interaction. These communications require immediate, in the moment consideration, reflection and authentic response by analytic therapists. This reflection is claimed to conceptually combine the authentic-human and the planned and weighed analytic-clinical

Highlights

Literature on psychodynamic supervision explains how, in the relational space between supervisor and supervisee, new insights and meanings may be found to help supervisees work analytically in complex therapeutic situations with patients suffering from various kinds of distress
In the present paper I wish to introduce the concept of ‘reflectionin-action’ [10,11,12] which may enrich the understanding of analytic supervision as an encounter facilitating the entwinement of the personalauthentic and professional-analytic among both supervisees and their patients
How is the personal-human-authentic to be combined with the professional-conceptual, expressing therapists’ expertise? The present paper suggests that the mental activity of reflection-in-action constitutes one answer to this question

Summary

Introduction

Literature on psychodynamic supervision explains how, in the relational space between supervisor and supervisee, new insights and meanings may be found to help supervisees work analytically in complex therapeutic situations with patients suffering from various kinds of distress. In the present paper I wish to introduce the concept of ‘reflectionin-action’ [10,11,12] which may enrich the understanding of analytic supervision as an encounter facilitating the entwinement of the personalauthentic and professional-analytic among both supervisees and their patients This concept of reflection-in-action essentially integrates the need to authentically and humanely react to patients and the demand to react professionally-analytically. It is the ability to theoretically conceptualize the interaction with patients that may afford the attainment of essential clinical aims It may turn analytic therapists’ interventions to professional ones, expressing expertise as well as analytic values and ethics and clinical knowledge accumulated over the years. To this concept termed ‘reflection in action’ or ‘knowing in action’ already in the literature [19]

Two Forms of Reflection

Illustration of Types of Reflection

Discussion