Trainee Practitioners’ Experiences of the Psychodynamic Supervisory Relationship and Supervision: A Thematic Analysis

Abstract

The objective of this research was to explore trainee practitioners’ experiences of the psychodynamic supervisory relationship and supervision. Eleven trainees were recruited and data were analyzed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Most of the trainees described strong supervisory relationships that enhanced their therapeutic practice and their accounts depicted features of the real relationship in supervision (Watkins, 2011, 2012). However, some of the participants discussed the consequences of challenging supervisor-supervisee dynamics. Future researchers studying negative supervisory relationships could explore if and how the absence of the real relationship in supervision contributes to problematic supervisory dynamics.

Keywords::

• supervisory relationship
• psychodynamic supervision

Funding

This research was partially funded by the Strategic Educational Pathways Scholarship (Malta). The scholarship was part-financed by the European Union–European Social Fund (ESF) under Operational Programme II–Cohesion Policy 2007–2013, “Empowering People for More Jobs and a Better Quality of Life.”