Context: Although psychotherapy supervision is accepted as acontinuing education activity by the RANZCP, and is recommendedin many Practice Guidelines, few mental health professionals-including psychiatrists-engage in such an activity.Objectives: To explain and clarify the role of psychotherapysupervision in enhancing continuing education and practice expertise.To further the appreciation of both the presence of and theeffects of psychodynamics in all interactions with patients, teamsand other mental health care providers. To encourage the acquisitionof further knowledge of psychodynamics and psychotherapiesby practitioners.Key messages: The role of supervision in clinical practice will behighlighted, as will overcoming barriers to obtaining supervision.As well, the different modalities of psychotherapy supervision aredescribed. Sexual orientation, race, and body peculiarities amongstother issues are often overlooked or unrecognized as affectingtreatment; supervision can elucidate these factors and thus improvetreatment. Individual, group or peer group supervision can bebeneficial, and experiences of each type of supervision and how toobtain them will be discussed. Becoming a supervisor is oftenresisted by individual psychiatrists, and discussion of the experiencesof supervisors both novice and long-term will clarify, andhopefully, affirm the process.Conclusion: Psychotherapy supervision is an invaluable aspect ofclinical practice and continuing education. It enhances knowledgeand treatment skills beyond what is learned in training, and thusalso assists in the avoidance of b.