This paper presents a brief review of a relational approach to clinical supervision and argues for its application in social work settings. Although an integral and essential part of practice, clinical supervision is underrepresented in the practice literature. Given this paucity of writings on supervision, the recent book by Mary Gail Frawley-O'Dea and Joan Sarnat, The Supervisory Relationship: A Contemporary Psychodynamic Approach, stands out as a seminal contribution because the authors present a fully developed relational model of supervision that fills a major gap in the development of contemporary relational theory and practice. We selectively review the basic concepts and principles of Frawley-O'Dea and Sarnat's model and apply this supervisory approach to current social work practice. Our focus will be on exploring three controversial and much-debated topics: self-disclosure, regression, and the teach or treat dilemma. Case vignettes from two supervisory experiences will serve to illustrate how a relational approach enhances both the treatment and the supervisory relationship.KEY WORDS: relational supervision; self-disclosure; regression; teach or treat dilemma.For nearly two decades the relational approach to treatment has been gaining a stronghold in the development of contemporary psychodynamic practice. William Borden (2000) recently traced the roots of the relational model from Freud and Ferenczi throughout the history of psychoanalytic practice in an effort to locate the relational
This article outlines and elaborates on the main features of the authors' relational model: a reconceptualization of transference and countertransference, the role of enactments in the clinical setting, the importance of the use of self, and the worker's participation as a change agent. Use of this model will enhance clinical services, reduce failed treatments and therapeutic impasses, and diminish the incidence of boundary violations. This conceptual framework has been used successfully by the authors in residential settings with homeless individuals, persons with chronic mental illness and substance abuse, and ex-offenders. Additionally, the authors have found it useful in child welfare settings as well as in teaching and supervising students and clinical staff. Clinical examples are provided to illustrate the model.
This article explores the implications of a contemporary relational perspective on the use of self in social work practice. The author is responding to an article by Andrea Reupert, who interviewed social workers and reported they tended to see their concept of self as individualistic, autonomous, and only partially defined by others, even though social work practice focuses on personin-environment. In this article, the author expands the concept of self and argues that a contemporary view of the therapist's self is one that is dialogic, contextualized, decentered, and multiple. Additionally, the author suggests that this relational perspective has implications for teaching and supervision. Several clinical vignettes are provided to illustrate the concepts under discussion.
Literature, both fiction and autobiography, can be used by practitioners to understand clients' moral imperatives, constructions of meaning, and subjective dimensions of caregiving. Clients' stories contain conflicts, life histories, and family traditions that influence decisions and attitudes and are not easily perceived in empirical studies.
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