Providing Marriage and Family Therapy Supervision in a Multidisciplinary Psychiatric Setting: Contextual Sensitivity as a Cornerstone of Supervision

Abstract

Supervision is a complex activity. The role of the supervisor will be influenced both by the relationship that exists between the supervisor and the therapist, and by the clinical context where supervision takes place. Supervisors must simultaneously attend to variables in the following three categories: the supervisor-supervisee relationship, the therapist-client relationship, and the clinical context. The purpose of this article is to highlight a few of the contextual variables that a supervisor might encounter when marriage and family supervision activities occur in a psychiatric treatment setting. Four characteristics are identified as important to recognize and analyze when supervising in psychiatric contexts; namely, the role of supervision within the clinic, the existence of multiple problem definitions, the organizational structure, and the influence of power. A clinical example is provided to highlight the impact of these variables on the supervision process. The authors conclude by offering a fe...