Constructions and their Amendments in the Supervisory Process

Abstract

Similarly to therapists' interpretations, supervisors' constructions of their supervisees' therapeutic narratives emanate initially from complex internal processes which, during and after their articulation, undergo a sequence of amendments. These amendments occur in supervision when supervisors respond to validating responses of both the supervisees and the absent–present patients. Ogden (2005; International Journal of Psychoanalysis 86(5): 1265–80) recommends that supervisors develop tolerance toward ambiguity and doubts about the meaning of their supervisees' therapeutic narratives. I suggest that, in parallel, they need to develop tolerance toward ambiguity and doubts about formulating their constructions before and while articulating them. Such tolerance helps supervisors to bring their constructions closer to the supervisees' self‐experiences and to strengthen the sense of partnership with their supervisees in their struggle to understand patients' experiences and therapeutic processes.