A Constructive Approach to Counseling and Psychotherapy Supervision

Abstract

Clinical supervision is central to the successful training and ongoing professional development of counselors and psychotherapists. Although clinical supervision shares much in common with psychotherapy, it is a distinct activity from psychotherapy that requires its own distinct theories and techniques (Bernard & Goodyear, 2014). In this article, an approach to clinical supervision (which I refer to as constructive clinical supervision) that is grounded in constructivist principles of learning, growth, and development is presented. In addition to outlining the key constructivist principles that have influenced this approach, I also provide supervision strategies that can be used to facilitate critical self-reflection in supervisees, which includes establishing a solid relationship, asking reflective questions, and implementing reflective-based activities. Additionally, guidelines for conducting supervisee assessment and evaluation in ways consistent with constructivist thinking are described.

Notes

¹See Guiffrida (2015) for a detailed description of problematic “known questions” in supervision and strategies for avoiding them.

²For a detailed review and critique of potential assessment instruments, readers are referred to Ellis, D’Iuso, and Ladany (2008).