THE SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF SUPERVISION GROUPS FOR NOVICE PSYCHOLOGISTS

Abstract

This article highlights the socio-psychological aspects of supervision groups organised for psychologists who are just starting their practical activities, based on the analysis of the methodological framework of supervision in a group. Supervision is seen as a counselling form aimed at improving the quality of communication and cooperation in the professional sphere, as a form of professional support, primarily in the areas of helping professions - psychology, psychotherapy, social work, as well as in management. In the last twenty years, the interest in supervision has been associated with the rapid growth of consultative and therapeutic services, due to wider use of the biopsychosocial approach and the model of "community care". The European model of supervision, which focuses on the integrative approach to supervision, has become relevant to these new demands of increased practice. In this article, we proceed from the idea that the modern methodology for supervision, relevant to the complex and multi-level tasks of modern practice, is based on the vision and principles of the integrative approach. The integrative approach used in groups and organizational supervision involves a combination of the capabilities of the systemic, humanistic, cognitive, behavioral, psychodynamic directions with the principles of inter-subjective interaction, where the focus is on relationships between a supervisor and a supervisee. We also point out the expediency principle for choosing an approach used by a supervisor in a specific situation, depending on a subject, a supervision request and the supervisor’s focus at a certain stage of work. In this case, the main procedural model of practical work is the seven-dimensional model of supervision. A supervisor’s activity is implemented on the basis of the system of methodological principles given in the article. The central subject of our research was group dynamics under supervision, since it was proven that group supervision work was largely based on a supervisor’s understanding and conscious use of the resources of group dynamics. The effectiveness of this work largely depended on taking into account the regularities of stages, processes and phenomena of group dynamics.