The affect-graph as a supervisory technique: theoretical foundations, procedures, and applications

ABSTRACT

The nature of client and therapist affect displayed during psychotherapy has always been of interest within supervision, although systematic measurement of affect-appraisal has been surprisingly limited. The current article describes an innovative supervisory technique, the Affect Graph, designed to chart the nature and intensity of affect and to study (i) within-rater appraisal differences across affect types and over time, (ii) affect-appraisal variability across gender and cultural diversity, (iii) between-rater (e.g., supervisor-supervisee) appraisal differences, and (iv) the identification of appraisal ratings that consistently deviate from peer/expert-based consensus. The Affect Graph’s scoring system and its application in three case-scenarios are illustrated.

KEYWORDS:

• professional supervision
• supervisory technique
• affect appraisal
• competency
• reflective practice

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Craig J. Gonsalvez

Craig Gonsalvez is a clinical psychologist and professor of clinical psychology at Western Sydney University, Australia. Over several years he has been deeply interested and committed to the scholarship and research in practitioner training, competence assessment and clinical supervision. His other research interests and contributions are in clinical psychophysiology.

Fiona L. Calvert

Fiona Calvert is a Clinical Psychologist and Board-Approved Supervisor and Training Provider. Fiona works in private clinical practice and lectures in the Clinical Master’s program at the Australian Catholic University. She is actively engaged in research, with a particular interest in supervisory techniques and mentoring in psychology training.