The IPscope: Applications to Couple and Family Therapy Supervision

ABSTRACT

The IPscope (IP signifying Interpersonal Patterns), developed at the Calgary Family Therapy Center by Karl Tomm and colleagues, provides a way of understanding behavior in context. Building on our work using the IPscope to conceptualize the functioning of families, we have also used the IPscope to bring a relational ethos to CFT supervision. After describing the development of the IPscope and its use at the CFTC, we describe specific applications of the IPscope to several key foci of clinical supervision: cross-cultural issues; the supervisory working alliance, with specific reference to supervisee nondisclosure and informal supervision; supporting supervisees to develop case conceptualization skills with the IPscopic reflectogram; dealing with impasses in therapy or supervision, usually labeled intrapsychically as countertransference, and a practical approach to isomorphism. Finally, we address limitations and critique of the IPscope.

KEYWORDS:

• Clinical supervision
• family therapy supervision
• supervisory working alliance
• cross-cultural issues in clinical supervision
• countertransference in clinical supervision
• isomorphism

Disclosure statement

No potential competing interest was reported by the authors

Notes

¹ In this paper, we use the terms “couple and family therapist” and “couple and family therapy” (both abbreviated as “CFT”). Although the terms “marriage and family therapist” and “marriage and family therapy” (both abbreviated as “MFT”) are in common use, we consider “CFT” more inclusive given that not all couples are married. We retain the use of “MFT” when referring to specific organizations or a licensure status

² All clients and therapists are identified by pseudonyms. The authors have used their own names.