Assimilating problematic life script themes in clinical supervision: The case of Adam

ABSTRACT

In transactional analysis theory, life script themes are archaic patterns of experience and interaction, which can emerge during clinical work and impact practice. This study examined whether a newly qualified therapist’s problematic life script themes were detectable in supervision, how they were addressed, and whether addressing them led to assimilation of these themes. Seven consecutive supervision sessions with a recently-qualified male therapist (pseudonym Adam) were transcribed and analyzed using a qualitative theory-building approach. The assimilation of problematic experiences sequence (APES) was used to track changes in Adam’s life script themes. Life script themes were evident in all seven supervision sessions. They centered on two interconnected themes of abuse and rejection. Discussions of these themes in supervision focused on over-identification, protectiveness, and self-disclosure. The supervisor’s interventions included didactic work appropriate for a beginning clinician and facilitative work in supporting development of assimilation of problematic themes. Reflective supervision including exploration of the therapist’s personal process when it is triggered can enhance practice development, and be an important part of the supervision process, providing it respect teach/treat boundary. Comparisons with previous research suggested that script themes emerged differently in supervision of relatively inexperienced supervisees as opposed to experienced ones.

KEYWORDS:

• Clinical supervision
• case study research
• assimilation
• transactional analysis
• theory building research

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Biljana Van Rijn

Biljana van Rijn, DPsych is a TSTA (Psychotherapy), UKCP Registered Psychotherapist and HCPC Registered Counselling Psychologist. Biljana is a Faculty Head of Research and Doctoral Programmes at Metanoia Institute and is involved in the development of research both as a Chair of the EATA Theory Development and Research committee, and research committees within Metanoia Institute. She is currently a Chair elect of the SPR UK Chapter. As well as teaching TA psychotherapy for many years, Biljana has developed a research clinic at Metanoia Institute and engaged in projects with research partners from other universities, and organisations within the UK and internationally. She has published many research papers, as well as chapters and books on reflective practice, clinical assessment and formulation. She is involved with many journals as a reviewer and has served on editorial boards. Biljana is also a recipient of the 2019 ITAA research award for her contributions to research in Transactional Analysis.

James Agar

James Agar, MSc, STA(P), MBACP Snr. Accred. Supervisor, is a UKCP registered psychotherapist and clinical supervisor who works in full time private practice in the South West of England. He has also practiced as a counsellor, psychotherapist and supervisor since 1988 with organisations in higher education, social services, residential addiction rehab, trauma services and eating disorders. He has a keen interest in the centrality of shame in human experience and the value of earned and learned secure attachment and wisdom across the life span.

Charlotte Sills

Charlotte Sills is a psychotherapist, supervisor, trainer and consultant in private practice in West London. She is also a member of faculty at Metanoia Institute, London, where for many years she was Head of the Transactional Analysis (TA) Department and now contributes as visiting tutor to the MSc programmes in TA, Humanistic and Gestalt psychotherapies. As Professor of Coaching at Ashridge Business School, UK she also teaches on the Masters in Executive Coaching and the Organisational Supervision Programmes. She is the author or co-author of a number of publications in the field including Skills in Gestalt with Phil Joyce (Sage 4th ed. 2018) An Introduction to Transactional Analysis with Phil Lapworth (Sage 2011), Transactional Analysis - a Relational Perspective by Hargaden and Sills (Routledge 2002) and with Erik de Haan (Eds), Coaching Relationships (Libri 2012).

William B. Stiles

William B. Stiles, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA, Faculty Affiliate at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, USA, and Senior Research Fellow at Metanoia Institute, London, UK. He lives in Glendale Springs, North Carolina, USA. He was previously at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and he has held visiting positions at the Universities of Sheffield, University of Leeds, and York St John University in the United Kingdom, at Massey University in New Zealand, at the University of Joensuu in Finland, and at the University of Maia in Portugal. He received his Ph.D. from UCLA in 1972 (Clinical Psychology). He has been President of the Society for Psychotherapy Research and of Division 29 of the American Psychological Association (the Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy). He has served as Editor of Psychotherapy Research and of Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapies. He has published more than 350 journal articles and book chapters, most dealing with psychotherapy, verbal interaction, and research methods.