Supervision. A Method of Teaching Psychoanalysis

Toward a research-informed, evidence-based psychoanalytic supervision

“…Now half a century old (Fleming & Benedek, 1964), the learning or supervisory alliance has long been recognized in theory and practice as the very heart and soul of supervision (cf. Bordin, 1983;Fleming & Benedek, 1966) -the sine qua non supervisor -supervisee relational construction that has the power to make or break the very process of supervision and its eventual outcome (Watkins, 2014a).…”

“…[both supervisor and supervisee] for the purposes of fostering the therapeutic skill and potential of the supervisee and fostering the growth and development of the patient' (Watkins, 2011c, p. 562). As Fleming and Benedek (1964) first proposed 50 years ago, current supervisory thought still seems to loudly and clearly reflect the fundamental reality that: Psychoanalytic supervision effectiveness is largely a function of the strength of the working alliance between supervisor and supervisee (Driver & Martin, 2002, 2005Frawley-O'Dea & Sarnat, 2001;Lane, 1990;Rock, 1997;Wallerstein, 1981).…”

The competent psychoanalytic supervisor: Some thoughts about supervision competences for accountable practice and training

“…Just as analysts need to be trained to analyze, supervisors need to be trained to supervise. The five competences in Area I give voice to the distinctive and specialized nature of psychoanalytic supervision, reflecting its particular definition, supervisor functions and interventions, supervision models, and relational foundation (see Berman, 1997;DeBell, 1981;Filho & Pires, 2010;Filho, Pires, Berlim, Hartke, & Lewkowicz, 2007;Fleming & Benedek, 1964, 1966Fosshage, 1997;Hyman, 2008;Rubenstein, 2007;Watkins, 2011;Zachrisson, 2011). Becoming a competent supervisor requires becoming grounded in the conceptual foundations that undergird the totality of the psychoanalytic supervision endeavor itself.…”

The wonder of our complex enterprise: Steps enabled by attachment and the effects of relationships on relationships

“…Moreover, an appreciation of meaning unfolds in some ways we have not mentioned. Clinical meaning is established in the context of a relationship, through empathy not just with one individual, but with many-with systems sensitivity and responsiveness, as Fleming and Benedek (1966) put it. Meaning is also established through the appreciation of patterns and syndromes.…”