Psychotherapist use-of-self in clinical supervision: a qualitative investigation of supervisor experiences

ABSTRACT

We investigated the experiences of clinical supervisors working with therapists who presented issues related to their use-of-self in psychotherapy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve experienced clinical supervisors. Thematic analysis of these interviews revealed five main themes: (a) supervisee use-of-self issues encountered in supervision, (b) points of tension in supervision, (c) roadblocks to resolution, (d) points of pride in supervising use-of-self, and (e) approaches taken by supervisors in response to supervisee use-of-self issues. Recommendations for clinical supervision and further research are offered.

KEYWORDS:

• Supervision
• psychotherapy
• use-of-self
• thematic analysis
• counsellors
• supervisors

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Alex Vance

Alex Vance holds an M.A. in Counselling Psychology from the University of Ottawa, Canada. His research interests include post-traumatic growth, coping/resilience, self-compassion/well-being, as well as psychotherapy process/outcome. He is also interested in research on substance abuse and anxiety disorders.

Anne Thériault

Anne Thériault is an Associate Professor of Counselling Psychology at the University of Ottawa, Canada. She is a registered psychologist in Québec and Ontario and has over twenty years of clinical experience in private practice. Her research focuses on counsellor and supervisor development. Her work aims to contribute to the area of professional well-being, including self-doubts and self-confidence, identity, self-care, and meaningful supervision encounters from the perspective of supervisees and supervisors.

Nicola Gazzola

Nicola Gazzola is a Professor of Counselling Psychology at the University of Ottawa, Canada. He is a licensed psychologist (Quebec) and has over twenty years of clinical experience. His research interests are in the area of professional issues in psychotherapy and include professional identity, clinical supervision, and the experience of the therapist. His research team is currently investigating the therapist use-of-self in counselling and psychotherapy.