Supervision in Transactional Analysis – Part 2
This post is a continuation of Marco Mazzettis’ article on ‘Supervision in Transactional Analysis’. If you’re just joining us, you might want to start at Part One.
After observing so many supervisors, I have come to believe that there are many features specific to supervision as it is done in transactional analysis. Unfortunately, little about them has been reported in the literature. I have, therefore, decided to present the operational model that I use, which is built on the checklist suggested by Clarkson (1992) in her book Transactional Analysis in Psychotherapy. She presented a six-point list designed to evaluate supervision or to provide professionals with a tool for self-evaluation. It is not designed as a model for intervention.
The six points are (Clarkson, 1992, p. 275):
1. Contract fulfilled
2. Key issues identified
3. Reduction of probability of harm
4. Increases developmental direction
5. Supervisor models process
6. Equal relationship
Transactional analysts appreciate the simplicity and efficacy of this list and have used it as the basis for the evaluation form of the supervision segment of the TSTA exam (European Association for Transactional Analysis Professional Training and Standards Committee, 2003). In professional practice, many colleagues use it as a frame of reference when they do supervision.
An operational model is, however, different from a checklist used for evaluation purposes. For the latter to become a model, some changes are required. I describe these changes in greater detail later in this article, but they can be summarized as follows:
1. Establish a clear and appropriate contract
2. Identify key issues
3. Establish effective emotional contact with the trainee
4. Make sure that the trainee and the client are both adequately protected
5. Increase developmental directions
6. Increase awareness and effective use of
parallel process
7. Develop an equal relationship
These seven points often overlap. For instance, an effective discussion about the contract may entail identifying key issues; careful attention to the trainee’s emotional experience may coincide with analysis of parallel process; and identifying promising developmental directions may be the best way to ensure protection for both members of the therapeutic relationship. Nevertheless, for teaching purposes, it is useful to maintain the subdivision.
The other theoretical reference I use in my operational model is the work published by Erskine (1982) on professional development in the supervision of psychotherapists. He identifies three stages in the development of the skills of a therapist, each of which represents specific characteristics and responds to specific training needs.
In the beginning stage of training, therapists have operational needs as they are developing professional skills, a sound theoretical reference system, and intervention techniques. They also have emotional needs: to feel comfortable in their professional role, to be reassured of their ability to do the work, and to feel adequate to act in this new undertaking.
During the intermediate stage of training, Erskine suggests that trainees need to reinforce their personal identity as therapists, learn to define the direction of treatment, and draw up a treatment plan. At the personal level, their goal is to integrate their sense of self and to work on their emotions in order to understand and solve any personal difficulties that might create obstacles to their contact with clients. According to Erskine, in this second phase, trainees’ personal therapy is of utmost importance.
During the advanced stage of training, trainees need to learn various approaches and to integrate theoretical frameworks, to recognize alternative interventions, and to choose among them so as to encourage flexibility. Trainees must also pursue self-supervision and learn to distinguish between observations of behavior and theorizing about observations.
As we shall see, the seven points of the model that I use are applied with different intensity depending on the stage of training as described by Erskine. For this reason, I find it useful to integrate the two perspectives. In the following sections, as I describe the seven points of my operational model, I emphasize the transactional analysis aspects to underscore my view that supervision in transactional analysis has specific characteristics.
