what is therapy supervision?

This was the title of a thoughtful and entertaining presentation by Jay Haley at an early Ericksonian Congress. The short version was “Supervision is therapy”.

This flies in the face of the supposed need for specialised training programmes to be completed before anyone can be a clinical supervisor.

We can help a client who is having trouble with their partner, without the partner being present.

There is a seamless translation of this process when a therapist is having trouble with a client, without the client being present.

At the completion of a training programme I like to offer the possibility that anyone who has completed this programme is in a perfect position to offer supervision.

This possibility is yet another opportunity for us to “Step down from the throne” of being the expert, having qualifications and experience, and interacting with another human being, client or supervisee, to connect with more of who they are and what they can do to create a preferred future.