Within-session supervision communication in the training of clinical psychologists

Abstract

There is little research evaluating within-session supervision communication in the training of clinical psychologists. This study evaluated the perception of 37 interns and 49 patients regarding communication between supervisor and intern during the therapy session. Most supervisors used such communication infrequently. While some interns and patients viewed call-ins or walk-ins as intrusive and unhelpful, the majority did not. Indeed, some valued the feedback. No association was found between the use of call-ins or walk-ins and patient reports of therapist behaviours or intern reports of supervisory style. It is concluded that within-session communication is not deemed as necessary by most supervisors, who should remain cautious in their use of such communication, unless patient care is compromised.

Keywords:

• Clinical supervision
• communication within supervision sessions