In a Different Light: An Environmental Metaphor of Counselor Supervision

Abstract

In counselor supervision, the acquisition of skills or development of therapeutic techniques is stressed and evaluated. In the present conceptualization, the intrapsychic/interpersonal dynamics of the supervisee's subjective experiences in supervision are examined. Utilizing the natural environment as a metaphor, the sun, moon and atmosphere are used to illustrate the roles of both the supervisor and supervisee. In addition, layers of the atmosphere (ionosphere, stratosphere and troposphere) symbolically illustrate how unconscious events from one's past slowly come to awareness. These metaphorical layers are used to explain and highlight the influences of the supervisee's past evaluative experiences and the impact of these experiences on the supervision process.