Can , Mentoring, Leadership... SUPERvision 'Borrow' from Therapy? : Stages of Development

“There is divine beauty in learning. . . . To learn means to accept the postulate that life did not begin at my birth. Others have been here before me, and I walk in their footsteps.”

—Eli Wiesel

Hawkins and Shohet refer to the following stages of development:

0 Self-centered

0 Client-centred

0 Process-centred

0 Process-in-content centred.

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Ronnestad and Skovholt developed a model of SUPERvision based on interviews with 100 therapists. Their model is unique in that it focuses on development throughout the life span of a career:

• Phase 1: The Lay-Helper Phase—although individuals in this stage have had some experience helping others (e.g., friends and family), they are prone to boundary problems and becoming overly involved.
• Phase 2: The Beginning-Student Phase—SUPERvisees feel anxious and dependent and value their SUPERvisors’ support and encouragement. They typically are looking for models and role models to emulate.
• Phase 3: The Advanced-Student Phase—SUPERvisees at the advanced-practicum or internship stage feel pressure to operate at a level of professional competence. SUPERvision helps SUPERvisees feel confirmed in their skill-attainment level and helps to consolidate learning.
• Phase 4: The Novice-Professional Phase—new therapists typically begin integrating their personalities more into treatment and feel more comfortable in their professional roles.
• Phase 5: The Experienced-Professional Phase—the challenge is to find a style that feels authentic and congruent with their values and identity.
• Phase 6: The Senior-Professional Phase—they have more than 20 years of experience. Therapists at this stage of practice often become more modest about their impact on clients. Loss can become a theme at this stage (looking ahead to their own retirements, loss of their professional elders, etc.).

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“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The SUPERior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”

—William Arthur Ward

Taibbi refers to:

+ Teacher

+ Guider

+ Gate Keeper

+ Consultant.

SUPERvision vs. Teaching

Similarities:

Both impart new skills and knowledge and have an evaluative function.

Differences:

Teaching is driven by the need to meet the learning objectives of the curriculum for the entire class, whereas SUPERvision is highly individualized and guided by the needs of the SUPERvisee and the SUPERvisee’s clients.

SUPERvision vs. Counseling or Therapy

Similarities:

Both can address the recipient’s problematic behaviors, thoughts, or feelings.

Differences:

SUPERvision is evaluative, counseling is not. Clients typically have more choice of therapists than SUPERvisees have of their SUPERvisors. Any therapeutic work done with a SUPERvisee must only be to increase his or her effectiveness with clients, and only with careful attention to the potential for boundary concerns.

SUPERvsion vs. Consultation

Similarities:

Both are concerned with helping the recipient work more effectively as a professional. For more advanced trainees, the overlap between SUPERvision and consultation becomes greater.

Differences:

Consultation is a relationship between equals (and, in fact, the recipient usually can fire the consultant), whereas the SUPERvisory relationship is hierarchical, and as with teaching, SUPERvision is evaluative, whereas consultation is not.

Can coaching, mentoring, leadership... SUPERvision 'borrow' from therapy?

What are your thoughts? Do they above make sense?

“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.”

—Plutarch

There are commonalities regarding a variety of areas to which SUPERvisors are to attend during SUPERvision. These include the following responsibilities:

• Needs of the individual SUPERvisee
• Needs of the specific client
• Profession or field as a whole—maintaining standards and protecting the public

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Hess defined a four-stage sequence to provide a helpful understanding of the common developmental sequence:

1. Inception Stage—SUPERvisees tend to feel insecure and value basic skill building, role definitions, and boundary setting. The demystification of therapy is important at this stage.
2. Skill Development Stage—SUPERvisees become more adept at identifying clients’ particular needs and selecting appropriate strategies. SUPERvisees begin to identify with a system of therapy and a philosophy of human nature. This stage involves a shift to the apprenticeship model, with SUPERvisees developing greater autonomy.
3. Consolidation Stage—SUPERvisees (and others) begin to recognize individual skills and talents. The previously acquired building blocks are integrated. The role of the therapist’s personality emerges, and skill refinement and competence more fully emerge.
4. Mutuality Stage—the SUPERvisee role in SUPERvision becomes more of an autonomous professional seeking consultation, similar to peer consultation. The SUPERvisee becomes more comfortable and proficient problem solving and creating solutions. (Morgan and Sprenkle)

Coming from an education background, I love ZPD:

The developmental psychologist Lev Vygotsky shared that SUPERvisors should provide tools and models designed through carefully “scaffolding” their SUPERvisees’ training experiences to meet their developmental needs. He coined the term “zone of proximal development” (ZPD) which is the difference between what learners can do on their own and what they can do with assistance. Development occurs though the use of scaffolding offered by someone with more knowledge and experience who provides increasingly challenging experiences as the learner acquires greater mastery. We find the metaphor lands really well. The SUPERvisor helps to elicit and clarify what the SUPERvisee already knows, building upon strengths and drawing out the SUPERvisee’s understanding. Milne sees the scaffolding process as a metaphor of taking a journey with a guide. The SUPERvisee exerts effort and take some chances as they contribute to what is undertaken and achieved. That said, the process works best with a SUPERvisor in 'experienced guide' energy and process, who can draw on the experience of already having traveled the path.

Loganbill, Hardy and Delworth share three repeating stages of development they identify are:

• Stagnation—“stuckness” or blind spots for experienced clinicians; unawareness of difficulties for beginning SUPERvisees. This stage is characterized by simple black-and-white thinking and lack of insight.
• Confusion—this stage is characterized by instability, disorganization, confusion, and conflict. During this stage, the SUPERvisee realizes that the answers will not come from the SUPERvisor, which can be disconcerting.
• Integration—this stage is characterized by calmness, new understanding, and flexibility, and the SUPERvisee takes more responsibility for the SUPERvision process and meaningful use of the SUPERvision time.

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Are SUPERvisors all of this and more?

• Coach—involves an emphasis on clinical competence at the idiosyncratic level, with the SUPERvisor assisting the SUPERvisee’s direct work with the SUPERvisee’s clients, helping the SUPERvisee apply and refine clinical skills. This includes activities such as helping SUPERvisees attend to the therapeutic relationship, applying assessment skills, developing case conceptualizations, and offering feedback on the SUPERvisee’s clinical work.
• Teacher—emphasizes clinical competence as well, but at a more general level. The SUPERvisor encourages the acquisition of broadly applicable knowledge and information about clinical work, such as general skills and theories.
• Mentor—focuses on the personal development of the SUPERvisee as a growing professional, including helping the SUPERvisee identify and address his or her own contribution to the therapeutic alliance, recognizing personal strengths and limitations, and helping the SUPERvisee to develop a role as a practicing member of the professional community.
• Administrator—focuses on the broad professional, ethical, legal, and other standards that guide clinical practice. The SUPERvisor ensures that the SUPERvisee meets minimum standards, thus protecting clients. This role involves evaluation and feedback.

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At core, enabling a leader, mentor, coach be they scared or overtly confident beginners to consummate professionals, sometimes even overconfident or not aware of what they don't know (understand, who they are being...), effective SUPERvisory skills, applied creatively as one size definitely doesn't fit all in this work, is key. It's the relationship between SUPERvisor and SUPERvisee that's the key.

• Reflect on some of your best experiences being SUPERvised. What was present?
• What did your SUPERvisor do to make the SUPERvision experience work so well? What did you experience?
• Reflect on some of the times that you were at your best as a SUPERvisor. What helped to make this happen? What specifically were?you?doing to make it such a good experience? Who were you being?
• What do you notice enables development or SUPERvisors (SUPERvisees)?
• What are your thoughts on 'borrowing' from therapy whilst the body of research knowledge on coaching, mentoring aqnd leadership SUPERvision is still growing?