Supervision Essentials for a Systems Approach to Supervision

Book excerpt: The heart of clinical supervision is the relationship between the supervisor and supervisee. Elizabeth Holloway's systems approach to supervision conceptualizes this all-important relationship as consisting of several key dimensions, or systems, which interact and together help create and maintain the supervisory relationship. These systems include the client, the trainee, the supervisor, the functions and learning tasks in supervision, and the institution in which the supervision process is taking place. As the author compellingly argues, for clients, trainees, and supervisors alike, our decision-making and actions are always consciously or tacitly embedded within these systems. Understanding the dynamic interplay of the interdependent components of each system is essential to building a strong and thriving supervisory relationship. With detailed case examples (including excerpts and analyses of real supervision sessions with real trainees, as demonstrated in the author's DVD Systems Approach to Psychotherapy Supervision, also available from APA Books), the author skillfully demonstrates the various roles supervisors play, from monitor and advisor, to role model, consultant, and mentor. The unique importance of supervisory competencies, including counseling skills, case conceptualization, ethical practice, intra and interpersonal awareness, and self-evaluation, are examined in full depth.