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The culture of psychotherapy supervision
Author(s) -
West William
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
counselling and psychotherapy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.38
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 1746-1405
pISSN - 1473-3145
DOI - 10.1080/14733140312331384492
Subject(s) - secrecy , clinical supervision , perspective (graphical) , spirituality , psychology , power (physics) , psychotherapist , control (management) , engineering ethics , medicine , political science , management , alternative medicine , law , physics , pathology , quantum mechanics , artificial intelligence , computer science , engineering , economics
Psychotherapists in training and beyond are expected to receive regular clinical supervision. In Britain many practitioners are required to have life long supervision. This paper draws on recent research into supervision, and highlights a number of areas that have been identified as problematic, including: power and control, spirituality, touch, ethical issues and secrecy. It is suggested that a professional culture of supervision has been constructed that may not reflect the best interests of either clients or practitioners. The implications of this perspective are explored.