The development of the psychodynamic psychotherapist in supervision

Abstract

Supervision is a fundamental component of every clinical training program that teaches psychodynamic psychotherapy. However, the development of the psychodynamic therapist in supervision has been a relatively unexplored area. This article identifies nine areas of development of the psychodynamic psychotherapist in supervision, with an emphasis on the beginning trainee. The areas explored include aspects of the therapist's understanding of the patient and aspects of the therapist's use of himself or herself in the psychotherapy. Consideration of the trainee in each of these areas helps the supervisor better understand the specific strengths and weaknesses that the trainee brings to their work together and enables the supervisor to be more skillful in the difficult business of psychotherapy supervision.