Family Therapy Supervision Research Articles

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

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...

Countering the Isomorphic Study of Isomorphism: Coercive, Mimetic, and Normative Isomorphic Trends in the Training, Supervision, and Industry of Marriage and Family Therapy

This theoretical piece explores the ways in which the study of isomorphism by the marriage and family therapy (MFT) field has taken on a narrow or isomorphic form. It also outlines discussion points for addressing isomorphic structures in clinical supervision from an interdisciplinary perspective. This study examines the MFT field as an industry and draws upon sociological theory to explore three differing types of isomorphic structures in the MFT field: coercive, mimetic, and normative isomorphism. The author outlines his supervisory experience employing the three forms of isomorphic trends during supervision of 65 practicum/field placement students over a seven-year period (2000–2007).

Confronting Anxiety in Couple and Family Therapy Supervision: A Developmental Supervisory Model Based on Attachment Theory

Referencing relevant supervisory literature and attachment theory, this article presents a developmental couple and family therapy supervisory model that emphasises the efficacy of the supervisory relationship. Issues concerning anxiety, cognition and learning theory are addressed and phases in the supervisory process are identified and described. Cognitive, emotional and social development are linked to attachment theory and discussed in the supervisory context.

Raising Critical Consciousness in Family Therapy Supervision

Although family therapy literature reflects an increased consideration of cultural and contextual issues, there is little guidance on how to address intersecting forms of oppression and privilege within the supervisory system. In this article, we show the importance of critical consciousness in addressing these issues. Additionally, we provide concrete suggestions and tools for developing critical consciousness through supervision. The practices and tools we provide resulted from ongoing and deliberate discussions of an inquiry group that consisted of supervisor candidates and supervisors of supervision. Our goal in writing this article is to describe the strategies that we have found to be crucial in becoming more competent supervisors and therapists.

Clinical Mentorship: One More Aspect of Feminist Supervision

ABSTRACT There has been very little written about clinical mentorship from within the field of family therapy, let alone within the feminist family therapy training literature. Prior to this study, research was too sparse to know whether mentoring relationships were indeed a part of feminist-informed clinical training relationships within family therapy. However, this study's participants reported that mentorship was indeed important and described three facets: providing guidance, managing power within the relationship, and empowering therapists to professionally self-define. Because of the lack of writing about mentorship in family therapy training, the authors decided it important to immerse themselves within the literature of sister disciplines, using several feminist-informed mentorship models. As they have done so, the discussion of the results, and the feminist family therapy supervision literature in general, have provided a wider context and are enlivened and enriched by these sister disciplines' ideas about mentorship.

Towards Multi-positioned Live Supervision in Family Therapy: Combining Treatment and Observation Teams with First- and Second-order Perspectives

This article describes a process of live supervision that has been designed to encourage trainees to experience competing theoretical perspectives. It involves the use of separate T (treatment) and O (observation) teams who conceptualise the same case from two broadly defined theoretical perspectives, variously called first and second order, modern and postmodern, or family systems and social constructionist. The process requires trainees to adopt multiple positions rather than identify with one perspective, and provides a basis for comparing and potentially integrating them. We provide examples of the approach, discuss important contextual issues for supervisors to consider when implementing it, and examine ways of adapting it to a wide range of training contexts.

Authors, Artists, and Social Constructionism: A Case Study of Narrative Supervision

Many family therapists have incorporated social constructionist and narrative ideas into their work with clients. These ideas emphasize postmodern tenets of collaboration, non-directiveness, and multiple perspectives. Although these approaches have become common in therapy, they are also useful in supervision. This article discusses how social constructionism can be applied in supervision, both as content to be taught and as a philosophy to be applied. A case study is presented that offers examples of using social constructionist philosophy and techniques in family therapy supervision. Suggestions for supervisors and therapists are offered.

Communication flow and change theory within a family therapy supervision model

This article portrays a model of family therapy clinical supervision using change theory that is most appropriate for use with the videotape, audiotape, case presentation and debriefing from the live session. The most powerful tool during this process is that of communication and assessment of change theory’s tools of confidence and conviction. The concepts presented are meant to add an additional dimension to family therapy supervision in cooperation of other theories, not as an end in themselves.

A Preliminary Instrument to Evaluate Multicultural Issues in Marriage and Family Therapy Supervision

Marriage and family therapists have, in recent years, increased their awareness and interest in multicultural issues in clinical practice (Falicov, 1995; McGoldrick, 1998). The Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) field has made great progress in this respect, but, in spite of the increased attention in books on multicultural family therapy, multicultural supervision has been a relatively neglected area in the literature. It follows that inadequate attention has been paid to the development of instruments to evaluate multicultural issues in supervision. Supervision, in itself, is a very complex process that requires a multi-faceted approach. When diversity is added, especially with issues of culture, education, gender, ethnic background, religion, and language, the field requires that more and more supervisors and trainers be prepared to understand and evaluate diverse personnel and clients. This paper describes an instrument that is called “Evaluating Multicultural Issues in Supervision.” It was designed to help supervisors and supervisees reflect and evaluate their own knowledge of multicultural competence.

Interventions to improve adherence to antiretroviral therapy.

Recent research has shown that very high levels of adherence are required to obtain the maximum benefit of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). This situation justifies the importance of developing efficient strategies to improve adherence to drugs against HIV. A comprehensive range of factors are the targets of the most effective interventions to improve adherence, including cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and social aspects. The authors describe three theoretical models that can help identify barriers and guide interventions. Most of the interventions are complex and may include more convenient care, provision of information, counseling, reminders, reinforcement, self-monitoring, family therapy, or additional supervision or attention. The authors suggest aspects that should be included in interventions to promote adherence based on a review of the literature and clinical experience. Limited evidence suggests that interventions to enhance adherence to antiretroviral therapy in people with HIV are most likely to be successful when they are comprehensive, longitudinal, and tailored to the person.

Tweaking the Euro-American Perspective: Infusing Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity into the Supervision of Family Therapy

Psychotherapy theories have their foundation in the Euro-American perspective. The feminist movement and changing demographics require consideration of the impact of cultural diversity in couples and family therapy and the appropriateness of current theories for both therapy and supervision. The purpose of this article is to discuss briefly the Euro-American worldview in theory-based models of supervision. Suggestions for infusing cultural awareness and sensitivity into training and supervision are offered.

Experiencing Feminist Family Therapy Supervision

Although feminists have been writing about and practicing feminist family therapy for over twenty years, writing about feminist family therapy supervision has been limited to a few in-depth personal designs and Avis' (1986) Delphi study. This article reports on a portion of the findings of a larger study of feminist supervision. The sixteen participants described their therapist-supervisor relationship to be the heart of their supervision experience, the center point from which the supervision derived meaning. When asked if they thought they focused on anything that they would call feminist, supervisors and therapists described issues that fell into the following areas: gender, power, diversity and emotion. These results are reviewed within the context of the feminist family therapy supervision literature and with suggestions for their use.

The Weave of Gender and Culture in the Tapestry of a Family Therapy Training Program

Summary Family therapy training programs are being challenged to ensure that future generations of family therapists are proficient in addressing gender, culture, and social justice issues in their practice of therapy. To address this challenge, MFT program faculty must fully integrate the organizing principles of gender and culture throughout every aspect of the curricula. This article describes specific ways that the faculty members in a marriage and family therapy training program weave gender and culture throughout the tapestry of a training program. It provides specific, concrete, and transferable strategies, activities, ideas, and resources for integrating gender and culture in family therapy courses, supervision, research, service, and clinical environments.

GAPS BETWEEN MFT SUPERVISION ASUMPTIONS AND COMMON PRACTICE: SUGGESTED BEST PRACTICES

This article summarizes gaps between assumptions that appear in the literature, research, and accepted standards for marital and family therapy (MFT) supervision, and the common practice of supervisors. Issues that stem from these gaps are highlighted and recommendations are made for closing them. In an effort to refine the standard of practice for MFT supervision, best practice recommendations are offered for MFT supervision.

Methods of feminist family therapy supervision.

Although feminist family therapy has been studied and practiced for more than 20 years, writing about feminist supervision in family therapy has been limited. Three supervision methods emerged from a qualitative study of the experiences of feminist family therapy supervisors and the therapists they supervised: The supervision contract, collaborative methods, and hierarchical methods. In addition to a description of the participants' experiences of these methods, we discuss their fit with previous theoretical descriptions of feminist supervision and offer suggestions for future research.

The Discourse of Race and Culture in Family Therapy Supervision: A Conversation Analysis

Family therapy literature has emphasized the importance of examining contextual variables in supervision. This study explored how the talk of race, ethnicity, and culture is accomplished within the supervision session using conversation analysis. Conversation analysis is a naturalistic and descriptive methodology that examines patterns across naturally occurring conversations. The results indicated that the participants accomplished four domains of talk that involved the discourse of race, ethnicity, or culture. These domains included contextual markers, self of the therapist issues, cross cultural issues in the therapeutic relationship and cultural issues affecting the supervisory relationship. Implications for supervision and future directions are discussed.

Problem definition in marital and family therapy: A qualitative study

This paper describes findings from a grounded theory study on the process of constructing problem definitions by marital and family therapists. Coding of the observations and interviews resulted in two meta-problem definition processes. In the first meta-process clinicians kept their definitions internal to themselves during the therapy session. In contrast, the second meta-definition process involved clinicians bringing forth their internal problem definitions and incorporating them into the therapeutic conversation. Implications for existing conceptualizations and marital and family therapy practice and supervision are discussed, as well as suggestions for further consideration.

On Becoming a Supervisor in Family Therapy

The paper describes the first training course in Israel for family therapists who wish to become supervisors, with a special focus on the workshop entitled “Becoming a Supervisor.” This workshop dealt with pain and anger viewed as necessary and unavoidable elements of role transition. The training program lasted one academic year and was designed to train family and couple therapists as supervisors, emphasizing a career development perspective on one hand, and on the other stressing the unique elements of supervision in family therapy. Conclusions and recommendations will be offered regarding the training program and the workshop.

Teaching Creativity in Family Therapy Supervision: Looking Through an Improvisational Lens

Improvisation, the key to creativity, is prized by theorists and practitioners of family therapy. Yet the family therapy supervision literature offers little about how therapists learn to become creative in their work with clients. To explore improvisation in family therapy supervision, this research project turned first to the world of improvisational jazz to formulate a way of seeing. A search of the literature on improvisation and interviews with jazz improvisation teachers helped create a lens through which to look at how a supervisor creates a context that fosters learning to improvise. Using discourse analysis, the author then examined supervisor and student conversations that had been audiotaped during a semester-long family therapy practicum. The six categories to emerge from the analysis are presented: (1) orienting toward improvisation, (2) staying in conversation, (3) being noncentral, (4) avoiding pigeonholes, (5) tolerating uncertainty, and (6) finding freedom within limits. Conclusions are drawn from the analysis of the data, and implications for training family therapists are offered.

Integrating Primary Emotion into Family Therapy Supervision

Integrating Primary Emotion into Family Therapy Supervision