The state of psychotherapy supervision: Recommendations for future training

Abstract

This paper reviews the current state of psychotherapy supervision in psychiatric training programmes. A focused literature search was carried out that examined three questions concerning the content, process and outcome of psychotherapy supervision. Results indicate that although requirements for training have broadened somewhat, methods of instruction in supervision have remained the same for many decades. In addition, there is a lack of discussion on what supervision outcomes should be assessed. This paper explores these areas and provides some suggestions for the future of psychotherapy supervision that are evidence-based and generalizable to an international audience. It is time to arrive at an international consensus about guidelines for psychotherapy supervision in psychiatry training programmes. This paper attempts to provide a starting place for psychotherapy supervisors and educators so that we can advance the field forward.

Declaration of interest: The author receives royalties from PTeR: which is a commercialized psychotherapy website. The author alone is responsible for the content and writing of the paper.