Training Counselling Supervisors: Strategies, Methods, and Techniques (Counselling supervision)

Table of contents :
Table of Contents
Introduction
1 - A Framework for Supervision Training
2 - Training in the Tasks of Supervision
3 - Training Supervisors to Contract in Supervision
4 - Training in Reflective Processes in Supervision
5 - Training in Group and Team Supervision
6 - Training for Multi-Cultural Supervision
7 - Training for Supervision Evaluation
8 - Training Supervisees to Use Supervision
9 - The Portfolio: A Method of Reflective Development
Index

Citation preview

TRAINING COUNSELLING SUPERVISORS

Counselling Supervision The Counselling Supervision series, edited by Michael Carroll and Elizabeth Holloway, has a clearly defined focus on counselling supervision issues and emphasizes the actual practice of counsel­ ling supervision, drawing on up-to-date models of supervision to assist, inform and update trainee and practising counsellors, counselling psychologists and psychotherapists. Titles in the series include:

Counselling Supervision in Context edited by Michael Carroll and Elizabeth Holloway

Training Counselling Supervisors: Strategies, Models and Methods edited by Elizabeth Holloway and Michael Carroll

T RAINING COUNSELLING SUPERVISORS

Strategies, M ethods and Techniques

Edited by Elizabeth Holloway and Michael Carroll

London

SAGE Publications • Thousand Oaks • New Delhi

Editorial selection and introduction © Elizabeth Holloway and Michael Carroll 1999 Chapter 1 © Elizabeth Hollowav 1 999 Chapter 2 © Michael Carroll 1 999 Chapter 3 © Julie Hewson 1 999 Chapter 4 © Susan Neufeldt 1 999 Chapter 5 © Willem Lammers 1 99isioll: Theory, Rcs('Ilrcit illld Pmctice. New York: Wi lev. H inde, R.A. ( 1 979) TcJll'tlrd, Ul1dcrslillldiliS Rclatioll5ltip5. New York: Academi,' Press. Holloway, E.L. ( 1 984) Outwll1e evaluation in supervision reseilrch. The COIlIISe/iI1S P:'lic!/Ologisl, 1 2, 4, 1 67-74. Holillway, E.L. 0'192) Superv ision: a way of teaching and learning. In S.D. Brown and R . W. Lent (cds), fialldbook "f COll!lsclillg Psychology (pp. 1 77-2 1 4) . New York: Wiley.

42

TRAINING COUNSELLING SUPERVISORS

Holloway, E . L. ( 1 995) CliniCilI Supervision: A Systems Approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Holloway, E.L., and Poulin, K. (994) Discourse in supervision. In J. Siegfried (ed.) Therapeutic and everyday discourse as behaviour change: Towards a micro-analysis in

Norwood, NJ.: Ablex. Holloway, E.L. and Neufeldt, S.A. ( 1 995) Supervision: contributors to treatment efficacy. Journal of Consulting Gnd Clinical Psychology, 63(2): 207-13. Holloway, E.L. and RoehIke, H.J. ( 1 987) Internship: the applied training of a counseling psychologist, The Counseling Psychologist, 2: 205-60. Inskipp, F. and Proctor, B. (1 989) Skills for Supervising and Being Supervised. Principles of Counselling audiotape series. St Leonards-on-Sea: Alexia Publica­ tions. Jones, E.E. and Pittman, TS. (1982) Toward a general theory of strategic self­ presentation. In J. Suls (ed.), Psychological Perspectives on the Self. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Leary, T (1 957) Interpersolwl Diagnosis of Persollality: A Theory and a Methodology for Persollality Evaluatioll. New York: Ronald Press. Loevinger, J. ( 1 976) Ego Development: Conceptions and Theories. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Loganbill, c., Hardy, E. and Delworth, U. ( 1 982) Supervision: a conceptual model. psychotherapy process research.

The Counseling Psychologist, 10 ( l ) : 3-42.

Martinez, R. and Holloway, E . L. ( 1 997) The supervision relationship in multi­ cultural training. In D. Pope-Davis and H. Coleman (eds) Multicultural Counsel­ ing Competencies: Assessmfrlt, Education, and Supervision. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Miller, F.E. and Rogers, L.E. (1 987) Relational dimensions of interpersonal dynam­ ics. In M.E. Roloff and G.R. Miller (eds) Interpersonal processes: New directiolls in communication research. Beverly Hills: Sage. Miller, G.R. ( 1 976) Explorations in lnterpersollal Communication. Newbury Park, CA: Sage. Morton, T, Alexander, C. and Altman, I. (1 976) Communication and relationship definition. In G. Miller (ed.), Explorations in Interpersonal Comll1unication (pp. 1 05-25). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage. Mueller, W.J. and Kelt, B.L. ( 1 972) Copillg witll COllf/ict: Supt'rvising Counselors and Psychotherapists. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Nelson, M.L. and Holloway, E.L. (1 990) Relation of gender to power and involve­ ment in supervision. Joumal of Coullsf/ing Psychology, 37: 473-8 1 . Nelson, M . L . and Holloway, E . L . ( 1 9i:"-l1-vis the organization (as supervisor / counsellor) in order to be most effective? Experiential learning

Set up a counselling programme within an organization (medical, industrial, educationaD with a supervision system as part of it. Set up a role-play of an organizational setting in which members of the organization (shareholder, union representative, manager, head of personnel, an employee) give feedback on how they view the counselling and supervisory arrangements. Practising the task

Review, in supervision, a client issue that has organizational implications. Set up a supervisory session in which the counsellor is being pressurized to be more involved in the organization in ways which could conflict with the counselling role. Look, with a supervisee, at how you might help him/ her keep records of their work and present a report to the organization.

Conclusions

Research has pointed out that supervisors often ad here to a few of these roles/ tasks rather than develop a portfolio or range of options that cover all seven (Carroll, 1995). I am arguing here for the ability to utilize any of the seven tasks when appropriate for the learning of supervisees. Flexibility in supervisors creates more learning opportunities for supervisees. Training in the seven generic tasks of supervision allows supervisors to choose which task is most appropriate for this supervisee, with this learning style, at this stage in their development, working with these clients, in this context. Overall training in the seven tasks helps aspiring and experienced supervisors review which tasks they do well and which they tend to ignore or do poorly. By knowing this they can then concentrate and contract to build their skills in areas in which they are weak. This not only helps them as supervisors, but models for supervisees and others that learning is truly life­ long.

TRAINING IN THE TASKS OF SUPERVISION

65

References

Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (1 993) Ethical Guidelilles for Counseling Supervisors. Alexandria, VA: ACES. BAC (British Association for Counselling) ( 1 988, 1 995) Code of Ethics al1d Practice for Supervisors. Rugby: British Association for Counselling. BAC (British Association for Counselling) ( ] 992) Code of Ethics and Practice for Cnullsellors. Rugby: British Association for Counselling. Bee, H.L. and Mitchell, S.K. ( 1984) The Deve/opil1g Persol1 (2nd edn). San Francisco: Harper & Row. Bernard, J. (1 979) Supervision training: a discrimination model. Coul1selor Education and Supervisioll, 19: 60-8. Bernard, J. ( 1 981) Inservice training for clinical supervisors, Professiollal DeC'elop­ mellt, 1 2: 740-8. Bernard, J.M. and Goodyear, R.K. (] 992) FU lldamel1tals of Clil1ical Supervisiol1. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Berne, E. (196 1 ) Transactiol1al Al1alysis il1 Psychotherapy. Guernsey: Souvenir Press. Bond, M. and Holland, S. ( 1 998) Skills of Clin ical Supervision for Nurses. Bucking­ ham: Open University Press. Borders, D. and Leddick, G. ( 1 987) The Hal1dbook of COUl1selil1g Supervisiol1. Alexan­ dria, VA: ACES. Bradley, L. (ed.) (1 989) Coul1selor Supervision: Approaches, Preparatiol1, Practice. Muncie, IN: Accelerated Development Inc. Burns, Cl. & Holloway, E.L. ( 1990) Therapy in Supervision: An Unresolved Issue. Clinical Supervisor, 7, 4, 47-60. Carroll, M. ( 1 995) The Generic Tasks of Supervision. Unpublished Ph.D. Dissertation: University of Surrey. Carroll, M. ( 1 996) Counselling Supervision: Theon], Skills al1d Practice. London: Cassell. Carroll, M. and Holloway, E. (eds) ( 1 999) Counselling Supervisioll in COlltext. London: Sage. Clarkson, P. ( 1 995) The Therapeutic Relatiol1ship. London: Whurr. Efstation, J.E, Patton, M.J. and Kardash, CM. ( 1 990) Measuring the working alliance in counselor supervision. Journal of Counselil1g Psychology, 37 (3): 322-9. Ekstein, R (1 964) Supervision of psychotherapy: Is it teaching? Is it administra­ tion? Or is it therapy? Psychotherapy: Theory, Research al1d Practice, 1 : 1 37-8. Ekstein, R and Wallerstein, RS. (1 972) The Teaching and Learning of Psychotherapy, New York: International. Gilbert, M. and Sills, C (1 999) Training for SuperVision evaluation. In E. Holloway and M. Carroll (eds), Trainillg Counsellillg Supervisors. London: Sage. Hawkins, P. and Shohet, R. (1989) Supervisiol1 ill the Helping Professicns. Milton Keynes: Open University Press. Hess, A.K. ( 1 980) Training models and the nature of psychotherapy supervision. In A.K. Hess (ed.), Psychotherapy Supervision: Theory, Research al1d Practice. New York: Wiley. Hess, A.K. ( 1987) Psychotherapy supervision: stages, Buber, and a theory of relationships. Professiol1al Psychology, 1 8 (3): 251-9. Holloway, E. ( 1984) Outcome evaluation in supervision research. Joumal of Coul1sel­ il1g Psychology, 1 2 (4): 1 67-74.

66

TRA I N I NG COUNSELLING SUPERVISORS

Holloway, R. Lent Wiley Holloway, Sage. Holloway,

E. ( 1 992) Supervision: a way of teaching and learning. In S. Brown and (eds), The Ih1l1dlJ(lok of Coui1seling PSl(clwlogy (2nd ed n ) . New York: E. ( 1 995) Clilliell! Supavisioll: A Systcl1ls Approach. Thousand Oaks, CA:

E. and Acker, M. ( 1 989) The E P ICS ( [lJgagemcllt alia P"iUCi' ill CllI/ieal ( U niversity llf Oregon; private publication). Inskipp, F. and Proctor, B. ( 1 993) The A rt, Crnft nlld Tnsks of C01l11sellillg Supervisioll. Part 1 : MakilJS thl' Most of SupaC'isiolJ. Twickenham: Cascade. Inskipp, F. and Proctor. B. ( 1 995) The A rt , Crnft 01111 Tasks of C'HII1,dlillg SupervisiO / : . Part 2: BccomillS a SlIpl'I'uisor. Twickenham: Cascade'. KJdushin, A . ( ] 98'i) SI'I't'rl'isioll ill Soei,li WlJrk (2nd ed n ) New York: Columbia University Press. Kagan, N. ( 1 980) 'Influencing Human inlt'ractlOn - 18 years with ! PR'. In A.K. Hess (ed . ) Psyclwthmlpy SupCYvisiolJ: Theo ry Research, tlnd Pmctict'. New York: Wiley. Kurpius, D.). and Baker. R.D. ( 1 977) The supervision process: analysis and synthe­ sis. In D.). Kurpius, RD. Bakl'r and l . D . Thomas (eds), SUl'cruisioll of Applied Training: A Co m ptl ra t i ue H.fl'iell'. Westport, CT: Greenwood . Lanning, W. ( 1 981) Development ot the supervisory rating form. COlll1se/or Educa­ Supervision) Modcl.

.

tIOn and Supervisiol/, 25: 1 91-6.

Littrell, ).M" Lee-Borden, N.A. and LorenL, j.R.A. ( 1 979) Developmental frame­ work for counseling supervision. Coullselor Educntioll tliid S u pen 1 is iOlI , 1 9: 1 29-36.

Onions, c.T. (ed . ) ( 1 968) The SllO r tcr Oxtell'll E I Iglisiz Dictiollary. Oxford: Oxford Clarendon Press.

3

Training Supervisors to Contract in Supervision Julie Hewson

Introduction

The supervisory questions that have intrigued me from the outset are: Why has some supervision, in which I have been supervisee, been so ineffective, destructive and arresting of confidence and development? Why has some supervision been beautifully pleas­ ant but bana l ? Why have other experiences of supervision been incredibly useful, invigorating, helpful and growth promoting? I need to know what has made the difference. And so, I begin this chapter with a series of questions: •

•

•

•

•

What are the ingredients of good supervision as opposed to bad? Can 1 begin to describe supervision in terms of good and bad? What were the key factors that helped make sense of the varying experiences of supervision for me? Is it possible to design a supervision training to take account of these matters? Where does contracting fit into the whole schema of super­ vision training and can supervisors be taught how to supervise?

I wonder if the last of these questions, about contracting and the elements in contracting in supervision, is a key question overall. Background

My varied background, educational and experientially, says some­ thing about why contracting is of such importance to me. My first

68

TRAINING COUNSEL LING SUPERVISORS

degree was in Sociology and Psychology, I had specialized in history and literature at school, and was a painter and potter professionally for a time. That is already quite a bagful to keep together and keep integrated. Perhaps it was because I had studied the Renaissance period where it was not unusual for educated people to be fascinated by many things and competent in many (Elizabeth I, Leonardo da Vinci, and Sir Philip Sidney, for example) that I too saw myself as straddling professions and integrating skills from numerous professional backgrounds. In my book this could be a richness, not a problem. Later I taught in school, in community education, colleges, university and a college of management studies. I trained in psychotherapy, in social work and ran management training for local government agencies, the NHS and industry. I have supervised trainees, practitioners in counselling, psychotherapy, social work and management. I cur­ rently manage, with a team of staff, a training centre that I founded with my husband over twenty years ago and which currently offers four Master's degrees with a fifth, on supervision, in progress. To add spice and variety to my supervision questions it makes sense to tell you that I am qualified as a training and supervising Transactional Analyst and a BAC accredited supervisor and asses­ sor of supervisors. I work as a management consultant and trainer to the NHS, with teams in specialist areas such as cancer and leukaemia in children (CLIO, general managers of large direc­ torates with a multiplicity of staff and resource problems, accident and emergency units and special care baby unit staff. I have taught supervisory skills, methodology and concepts to nurses, doctors, osteopaths, social workers, teachers, managers, psycho­ therapists, counsellors and, more recently, lawyers. Is it any wonder, with such a background, that contracting, in whatever relationship I have with individuals or groups, becomes an essential ingredient of my work. Contracting and supervision issues cover a wide span of applicability, and with my back­ ground as a teacher, clinician, businesswoman, management con­ sultant, author and ordinary everyday person, I see the need for contracting most days - not just a need but a necessity if I am to be clear about my roles and responsibilities, if my clients, varied as they are, are not to build up unrealistic and unreal expectations and if our relationship is going to be well-negotiated and well­ structured while still being spontaneous and creative.

CONTRACTING I N SUPERVISION

6Y

Contracting: overt and covert

Contracting is an agreement between two parties, of lawful object, of mutual benefit undertaken with full agreement on both sides. This is the ouert process. Alongside this are all kinds of covert contracts and these, if not brought into conscious awareness from time to time, affect both psychotherapy process, counselling, management and supervision. However, the contractual method which derives from the process of contracting, has as its assump­ tion that everyone is personally responsible for the goals they are trying to achieve, and makes overt what each is willing to do to achieve this end . The supervisor decides whether he or she is willing to work with the supervisee to achieve their chosen goal, which may well be on-going professional development, case-load management, diagnostic accuracy or consultancy, and to under­ take to use the best of their professional skills in this venture. Part of the role of the contracting process is to minimize the risk of humiliation which is the transactional reinforcing relationship to the original existential experience of shame. The i mportance of teaching contracting needs to be set against a backdrop of under­ standing the pervasive nature of shame in many adult learners as well as in experienced practitioners. Contracting raises a number of questions and issues that need to be addressed . it affects tlze reLationship and poses many questions that we sometimes have to wrestle with, for example: •

What is tire contracted nature of the relationship? What are the parameters? Is there a dual role or responsibility? Does that help or hinder?

•

Is what the supervisee asks for, the contract, or does the supervisor, in the process of negotiating, discover 'what underlies the original request ?

•

Does the supervisee know what it is tlzey really want, a s they struggLe to make sense of a difficlllty or find a way through? Does the supervisory process include the process of the supervisor sometimes knowing 'best' and giving information, theory or strategy. Has this been agreed as part of the relationship?

•

What is the contmct 'wlzen the supervisee is stuck ill parallel process [(lith the supervisor as they have beell with their client?

70

TRAINING COUNSELLING SUPERVISORS

What do we as supervisors agree to when dealing with counter­ transference issues in supervision? Do we have a contract to do a piece of boundaried therapy, or does this fly in the face of the overall contract of supervision and breach the professional bound­ ary? Is the contract one of merely identifying the supervisee's personal issue? What happens if the supervisee is seeing the client in the next twenty-four hours and not seeing their therapist for two weeks? •

What is the contract on lI1atters of etizics alld professional practice? What are the agreements on confidentiaiity and responsibil ­ ity?

Each of these points w i ll be addressed during this chapter as a basis for on-going discussion.

Contract-making

This section of the chapter,