Feedback in psychotherapy and in training

Abstract

Significant for the maintenance of psychotherapeutic work is the ability of the therapist to appreciate and understand how the patient experiences him according to the patients internalized structures and how this is enacted in the transference. Interpretative work can take place within «transmutative situations» in which the therapist can help the patient to see and recognize simultaneously the «reality» and the «transference» in the therapeutic relationship. The therapist has to become aware of and understand his own distortions of the patient and their interaction due to his unconscious fantasies and countertransference reactions. This can be done during supervision, where the primary task is to provide optimal conditions for the trainee-therapist to integrate his experiences, theoretical knowledge and personality for the skilful performance of psychotherapeutic work.

Training and supervision is conducted within organizations and is dynamically influenced by other conflicting and/or complementing tasks and activities. A model of this as well as methods to study the learning process during training and supervision is outlined, with references given to specific research projects.

Key Words:

• psychotherapy
• training
• supervision
• learning process
• research