Supervisor-supervisee Relationship Research Articles

Clinical Supervision and Logotherapy: Discovering Meaning in the Supervisory Relationship

Upon review of the clinical supervision literature, the case is made for implementation of logotherapeutic principles within the context of the supervisory relationship. Logotherapy is a meaning-centered approach that may enhance existing supervision styles and models, especially their tendency to de-emphasize the supervisor-supervisee relationship and the inner experiencing factor of what occurs during the process of supervision. The utility of incorporating elements of logotherapy in clinical supervision is presented within the context of supervisor roles (i.e., mentor, teacher, and evaluator), as well as the content and process of effective supervision (e.g., enhancing knowledge, skills, attitudes, and interpersonal ability of supervisees). The importance of supervisor and supervisee personally meaningful values to the supervision process is then discussed, followed by specific avenues for research. Recommendations for incorporating logotherapy into supervision are offered.

Broadening the “Ports of Entry” for Speech-Language Pathologists: A Relational and Reflective Model for Clinical Supervision

To offer a framework for clinical supervision in speech-language pathology that embeds a mental health perspective within the study of communication sciences and disorders. Key mental health constructs are examined as to how they are applied in traditional versus relational and reflective supervision models. Comparisons between traditional and relational and reflective approaches are outlined, with reference to each mental health construct and the developmental level of the supervisee. Three stages of supervisee development are proposed based on research from various disciplines, including nursing, psychology, speech-language pathology, social work, and education. Each developmental stage is characterized by shifts or changes in the supervisee's underlying assumptions, beliefs, and patterns of behavior. This article makes the case that both the cognitive and affective dimensions of the supervisor-supervisee relationship need to be addressed without minimizing the necessary development of discipline-specific expertise. The developmental stages outlined in this paradigm can be used to understand supervisees' patterns of change and growth over time, as well as to create optimal learning environments that match their developmental level and knowledge base.

Transformational and Transactional Leadership: Association With Attitudes Toward Evidence-Based Practice

Leadership in organizations is important in shaping workers' perceptions, responses to organizational change, and acceptance of innovations, such as evidence-based practices. Transformational leadership inspires and motivates followers, whereas transactional leadership is based more on reinforcement and exchanges. Studies have shown that in youth and family service organizations, mental health providers' attitudes toward adopting an evidence-based practice are associated with organizational context and individual provider differences. The purpose of this study was to expand these findings by examining the association between leadership and mental health providers' attitudes toward adopting evidence-based practice. Participants were 303 public-sector mental health service clinicians and case managers from 49 programs who were providing mental health services to children, adolescents, and their families. Data were gathered on providers' characteristics, attitudes toward evidence-based practices, and perceptions of their supervisors' leadership behaviors. Zero-order correlations and multilevel regression analyses were conducted that controlled for effects of service providers' characteristics. Both transformational and transactional leadership were positively associated with providers' having more positive attitudes toward adoption of evidence-based practice, and transformational leadership was negatively associated with providers' perception of difference between the providers' current practice and evidence-based practice. Mental health service organizations may benefit from improving transformational and transactional supervisory leadership skills in preparation for implementing evidence-based practices.

The Use of Supervisory Authority in Chinese Cultural Context

ABSTRACT This qualitative study explores supervisory authority in the relationship between social work supervisors and frontline social workers in Hong Kong. Forty in-depth interviews and seven focus groups were conducted with supervisors, supervisees, and local experts. The findings reflect that the supervisors dominate the decision-making process and that their authority is apparent in the supervisor-supervisee relationship. The results reveal that in issues related to policy or administration, or when there is an urgent need for timely decision-making, supervisors would give clear instructions and adopt a straightforward decision-making strategy. Discussion among staff is allowed and encouraged, but it focuses on issues related to professional practice or service delivery. Supervisees tend to use supervision to ensure that the supervisor is responsible for decision-making, and they often become frustrated when no clear instructions are given. The Chinese attitude towards hierarchical relationship and practice of subordination to authority are obvious in the supervisor-supervisee relationship. Most supervisors interviewed tend to adopt a “consensus by consultation and consent” approach in their supervisory practice. This approach reduces staff participation and sense of belonging. Supervisors are advised to achieve referent power and expert power by using a competence model of supervision to replace culturally ascribed authority.

Clinical Supervision in Rural Settings: A Telehealth Model.

The task of providing supervisory services to clinical interns, trainees, and new psychologists in rural settings is often complicated by a host of environmental and economic constraints. Given the re-emergence of telecommunication applications as a means of transcending similar obstacles in service delivery, the authors discuss the use of telecommunication technology as a means of enabling the traditional supervisor-supervisee relationship in settings in which face-to-face contact is difficult if not impossible. The evolution of telesupervision is discussed, followed by an outline of an integrated model of telesupervision and the goals, benefits, and challenges associated with the use of telecommunications technology in clinical supervision.

Up close and personal: Reflections on our experience of supervising research candidates who are using personal reflective techniques

This paper describes some of our learnings about supervising research candidates who are using methods that require them to rigorously reflect on their professional practice as part of their research. We go on to discuss some of the supervisor-supervisee relationship issues that have arisen for us when working with these candidates. These include managing existing and developing friendships with candidates, being aware and working with the knowledge that the research work impacts not just on the individual but also her/his organisation and working with strong emotions such as anger, frustration and sadness. We conclude by discussing some of the strategies we have used to help us manage these issues such as engaging in professional supervision around our own practice, discussions with like-minded colleagues and setting boundaries.

The Supervisory Relationship of Chinese Social Workers in Hong Kong

This qualitative study explores the supervisory relationship of social workers in the Chinese cultural context of Hong Kong. Seven focus group sessions and 40 in-depth interviews were conducted. It was found that the supervisory relationship in Hong Kong is a complicated mix of hierarchical, collegial, and familial relationships. The supervisor-supervisee relationship is not only organizational and professional but also cultural and personal. Supervisors view the supervisory relationship from a practical viewpoint but supervisees have a greater emotional investment. In Chinese culture, qing, yuan, and face enhance mutual tolerance, acceptance, and respect. The reciprocity of interpersonal relationships is the basis of the supervisory relationship of Chinese social workers in Hong Kong. Cultural sensitivity is not only crucial to cross-cultural supervision but also essential to effective supervisory practice in various societies.

The Learning Relationship: Working Through Disjunctions in the Classroom

This paper advances a relational perspective to teaching social work practice. The reflective use of this relationship aids the instructor in conceptualizing interactions with students in ways that further the students' understanding of social work practice. We argue that students learn first-hand about social work through the instructor-student relationship. Inevitably, parallel to clinical practice and the client-worker relationship, disjunctions in the learning relationship occur. Drawing on the literature pertaining to the client-worker relationship and to the supervisor-supervisee relationship, this paper explores the use of this relationship to address ruptures in the learning process and to enhance students' professional development.

The Intersubjective Approach in Supervision

The supervisory process develops within a professional and cultural reality that is much more open to multiplicity of opinions and less solid and certain than ever before. While the resulting expanse of possibilities may freeze or disable supervisees, it also has enormous potential for fostering growth through shared and unique creativity. We propose important developments in the theory and practice of supervision: (a) Emphasizing the supervisor's subjectivity and personal contribution to the supervisory process, (b) Concentrating on conceptualizing the supervisor-supervisee's relationship in the context of the wider network such as the training program, (c) Advocating the development of adequate language for describing the supervisory relationship from the perspective of “two-person psychology,” and (d) Shifting the conception of supervision from a parental model to one of mutual development through relationship.

A Comparison of Student and Supervisor Perceptions of Effective Practicum Supervision

Using student and faculty interviews as a source of data, the current investigation identifies key issues of practicum supervision. Findings suggest that the supervisor-supervisee relationship is of particular importance to the development of future psychotherapists. Additionally, the issues of evaluation, ethics, and adaptability emerged as prominent features of the supervisory experience. It is recommended that the relationship between supervisor and supervisee be considered when assessing the quality and effect of practicum supervision, and that feedback be viewed as a key issue for future research concerning psychotherapy training.

The Take Over of Parent-Child Dynamics in a Supervisory Relationship: Identifying the Role Transformation

The literature on supervision discusses processes occurring in the supervisor-supervisee relationship that are similar to, and have parallels in, a parent-child relationship. This slipping from the one type of relationship into the other can interfere with the process of supervision. This shift to the supervisee feeling like a child and the supervisor like a parent is liable to be the natural outcome of transference and counter-transference. The aim of this paper is to examine the pseudo-parental role of the supervisor, in order to make supervisors more aware of, and alert to, the possibility that their supervision of young workers may slip into a parent-child mode, to identify critical points where parental feelings may intrude on supervision, and to suggest a useful support model that can help prevent this intrusion.

Truth and trustworthiness in research.

We have recently reached a watershed in the research community’s consideration of the ethics of research. The way is now open for a more nuanced discussion than the one of the last decade in which attention to legal and quasi-legal procedures for handling misconduct dominated. The new discussion of ethical issues focused on trustworthiness takes us beyond consideration of conduct that is straightforwardly permitted, forbidden or required, to consideration of criteria for responsible behavior. This paper develops an overview of the subject of trustworthiness among researchers. It illustrates and discusses various types of betrayal and defections in research conduct, and locates these in relation to many of the situations discussed elsewhere in this issue. Beginning with the breaches of trust that constitute major wrongdoing in research (“research misconduct”), I argue that these are more often examples of negligence or recklessness than they are of “fraud.” Acts of negligence and recklessness figure not only in misconduct, narrowly defined, but in many lesser betrayals and defections that undermine trust. The presence or absence of an intentional deception is not a reliable indicator of the seriousness of some moral lapse. Such a lapse, where it does occur, may be simply a particularly poor response to perennially difficult research responsibility. Finally, I consider trust and trustworthiness among collaborating researchers and a range of intentional and unintentional behaviors that influence the character of these trust relationships. The supervisor-supervisee relationship is of particular significance because it is both a difficult area of responsibility for the supervisor and because this relationship is formative for a new researcher’s subsequent expectations and behavior.

Ethical considerations in the supervision of applied sport psychology graduate students

Abstract Some of the most important relationships that a sport psychologist experiences in his or her career are between the supervisor and supervisee in applied practica and internships. These relationships may become models for future professional and ethical behavior with colleagues, students, and clients, and thus deserve careful examination. Ethics form a foundation for practice, and while classroom discussions of ethical issues help educate graduate students, the supervisor-supervisee relationship may provide a hands-on experience of ethical dilemmas and ethical problem solving. Ethics in supervisor-supervisee relationships cover at least two broad areas. First, there is the supervisor's monitoring and mentoring of ethical considerations in the supervisee's relationship with the athlete-client. Second, ethical questions arise in the relationship between the supervisor and the supervisee. The present paper includes discussion of general supervisory issues (e.g., modeling ethical behavior, helping dev...

Liability Issues in Social Work Supervision

Supervision is recognized widely as a number of legal or liability issues related central role in social work practice, to supervision. Beginning with the work of the Charity Organization Societies in the nineteenth „ , . . r . , T, ceitary, supervision has been the prinProfesional Liability cipal means for transmitting profesUntil recently, a lawsuit against a sional knowledge and skill from the mental health professional was rela experienced to the inexperienced, from tively rare. The average neurosurgeon the trained to the untrained, and from is sued about once every 2 years of field instructor to student (Miller, 1987). practice; the average psychiatrist is Over time, social workers have genersued once every 50 to 100 years of ated a substantial pool of knowledge practice (Cohen & Mariano, 1982). The and conventional wisdom about the purrisk of incurring professional liability poses and methods of supervision. was even lower for psychologists, social To date, the profession's literature on workers, and other mental health pro supervision has concentrated almost exfessionals who do not administer clusively on pedagogical and technical medication (Cohen & Mariano, 1982). aspects of supervision, particularly However, because of a variety of fac issues related to professional accounttors—namely, increasingly complex and ability (Slavin, 1982); role strain inintrusive treatment technology, increas volved in shifting from practitioner to ing criticism of professional authority, supervisor (Patti, 1983); administrative changing legal attitudes toward profes and managerial tasks of the supervisor sional negligence, and vague regu (Kadushin, 1976); leadership in superlations—liability suits are increasing vision (Austin, 1981); the quasi-psycho(Cohen & Mariano, 1982; Sandor, therapeutic function of supervision 1957). As Besharov (1985) has noted: (Munson, 1983); and the relationship between organizational dynamics and Social worker liability is a relatively new supervision (Miller, 1987). Broad ethical phenomenon. As recently as ten years ago, issues related to match supervisors and there were almost no lawsuits, let alone supervisees, contracting, informing successful ones, against social workers. r . r • , • i 7 Since then, though, a number of changes, clients of supervisors involvement, some in ?e law\nd some in the evaluating supervisees, and providing work profession, have combined to in feedback to supervisees also have been crease the likelihood of lawsuits greatly, addressed (Cohen, 1987; Levy, 1973). (p. 13) Although social workers have learned significantly more about pedagogical Ordinarily, professional malpractice is and technical aspects of supervision in defined as a form of negligence on recent years, one important aspect of the part of practitioners, who are re the supervisory role has been neglected: quired to perform in a manner that is liability risks faced by the social work consistent with the way an ordinary, supervisor. As the domain of social reasonable, and prudent professional work supervision has expanded, so have would act under the same or similar the liability risks that accompany the circumstances in their profession supervisor-supervisee relationship. (Bernstein, 1981; Cohen & Mariano, Thus, it is important for social workers 1982; Levine, 1976). To support a mal to be informed about the growing practice action, the courts typically will require that four essential elements are present: 1. at the time of the alleged malprac tice, a legal duty existed between the practitioner and the injured party; 2. the practitioner was derelict in that duty, either through an action that should have occurred or through an omission; 3. the client suffered some harm or

Clinical supervision: An intensive case study.

We used a rigorous case study methodology to examine one supervisory dyad's work together during one semester. We used the best-worst strategy of several recent researchers, multiple sources of qualitative and quantitative process data, and the perspectives both of the participants and of observers. A number of findings provide hypotheses to guide future research. For example. Session 2 was identified as best by both participants. That it focused on relationship issues between the participants is consistent with other findings that the supervisor-supervisee relationship was a primary focus during the first several supervisory sessions. Despite its shortcomings, the science of counseling and psychotherapy rests on a solid empirical foundation. Yet the same is not true for the science of clinical supervision, which is still very much in its infancy. In commenting on this, Holloway and Hosford (1983) observed that scientific endeavor progresses through a series of stages, the first of which is observing a phenomenon in its natural environment. They maintained that observation should be the proper research emphasis at this particular stage of the science of supervision. At first glance, this prescription would seem inappropriate, for observational data are amply represented in the supervision literature. For example, Searles (1955) used case material to introduce a phenomenon that others since have called parallel processes; Markowitz (1958) presented a retrospective, comparative account of supervision that he received from each of several supervisors; and Mueller and Kell (1972) used observations of supervision for their rich formulations of supervisory processes. The supervision literature is replete with such examples.

Supervision in Two Dimensions: What Can Be Expected from the Supervisor-Supervisee Relationship?

Supervision in Two Dimensions: What Can Be Expected from the Supervisor-Supervisee Relationship?

The supervisor-supervisee relationship in psychotherapy training from the perspective of interpersonal attraction

The supervisor-supervisee relationship in psychotherapy training from the perspective of interpersonal attraction

Some Dynamics of Committee Interaction

The social work, profession has recently stimulation even though the program con become increasingly willing to re-evaluate tent included such diverse elements as case the conventional supervisory conference presentations, discussion of administrative and has suggested various patterns for the problems, summarization and discussion of supervisor-supervisee relationship. Possimaterial from professional journals, and bly the time has also arrived to look at addresses by guest speakers. Each succes other staff relationships. The focus here sive committee seemed to have an indi will be particularly on relationships opervidual quality and considerable original ating in that agency device, the staff comity, yet these did not find as much expres mittee, which is frequently composed of sion as one might expect. An attempt was caseworkers with a case supervisor or other made to look at the interaction taking superior as chairman. This is a tool emplace within the committee itself, and re ployed in social agencies for a variety of suited in the formulations presented here, purposes: to study recording methods, make recommendations for improved intime ELEMENT take procedures, revise mimeographed forms, and so forth. One point that emerged as discussions pro This paper proposes to examine some gressed was that the amount of time avail of the dynamics operating in such comable for committee meetings might serve mittees and their influence upon the comas a negative or positive dynamic. More mittee's work. The content is based on was accomplished in meetings when mem discussions taking place between members bers met with partially formulated ideas, of a committee set up to formulate a staff Prefabricated ideas, although economi development program. At the Baltimore cal of time, tended to be taken over whole Regional Office of the Veterans Adminis—apparently because other members of tration such a committee is chosen annuthe committee, being relatively unpre ally. The chairmanship has alternated pared, were at a disadvantage, each year between the supervisors of the A committee member who had not been two social service groups, and two addipresent during the gestation period of an tional members chosen by rotation, one idea might express only a vague reserva from the medical and one from the psychition, or none at all, about a proposal that atric group. Structurally, this would seem did not appeal to him. Being unable to to provide for the fostering of new program formulate his reservations in specific terms, ideas, yet the staff obviously felt a lack of he tended to go passively along with it. At —————— best his presence was hardly more effective MARY KENDREW, M.S.S., and EVELYN HOLSEY, , r . . , I ' . . . ' than absence might have been; at worst, M.S.W., are case supervisor and caseworker, respec. , , ' lively, at the Mental Hygiene Clinic, Veterans AdWas a subtle resistance that retarded ministration, Baltimore Regional Office, Baltimore, work of the committee. Maryland. Nathan NACKMAN, M.s.w., formerly During a discussion on the importance a caseworker at the same clinic, is director of social of ample time as an ingredient in com service, Patuxent Institution, Jessups, Maryland. mittee deliberation one member drew an