Supervised psychoanalysis

A supervised psychoanalysis or psychoanalysis under supervision is a form of psychoanalytic treatment in which the psychoanalyst afterwards discusses the psychological content of the treatment, both manifest and latent, with a senior, more experienced colleague.^[1]

The analyst who provides the supervision is called a supervising analyst (or less frequently supervisory analyst).

Training

Since 1925, supervised analyses have been a mandatory part of an aspiring analyst's psychoanalytic training within the International Psychoanalytical Association; and most training institutes ascribe great value to the experience of such an individual relationship about an analytic relationship.^[2]

A similar system was adopted after 1948 by the Society of Analytical Psychology.^[3]

The danger of uncritically applying insights drawn from the supervision directly to the analysis is however also recognised; and some would stress the importance of developing one's own internal supervisor, as opposed to merely reproducing someone else's thinking in the session.^[4]

Length

The term "supervised analysis" is flexible. It can be applied to such treatment lasting over several years or to a single session; while even practicing analysts will sometimes seek supervision and discuss a challenging case with a senior colleague,^[5] or resort to ongoing supervision at times of analytic difficulty.^[6]

See also

• Countertransference
• Little Hans
• Training analysis

Notes

1. Roger Perron, Supervised analysis
2. Janet Malcolm, Psychoanalysis; The Impossible Profession (1988) p. 54
3. J. Weiner et al, Supervising and being Supervised (2003) p. 83
4. Patrick Casement, Further Learning from the Patient (1990) p. 9
5. Perron
6. Casement, p. 124

Further reading

• Caligor, Leopold; Bromberg, Philip M.; Meltzer, James D., eds. (1984), Clinical perspectives on the supervision of psychoanalysis and psychotherapy, Springer. Pp. 281, ISBN 0-306-41403-1
• Fleming, Joan; Benedek, Therese (1966), Psychoanalytic Supervision: A Method of Clinical Teaching, International Universities Press. Pp. 252, ISBN 0-8236-5041-3
• Frawley-O'Dea, Mary Gail; Sarnat, Joan E. (2000), The Supervisory Relationship: A Contemporary Psychodynamic Approach, Guilford Press. Pp. 247, ISBN 1-57230-621-1
• Lane, Robert C., ed. (1990), Psychoanalytic approaches to supervision, Psychology Press. Pp. 223, ISBN 0-87630-603-2
• Wiener, Jan; Mizen, Richard; Duckham, Jenny, eds. (2003), Supervising and being supervised: a practice in search of a theory, Palgrave Macmillan. Pp. 245, ISBN 0-333-96269-9

External links

Supervised Clinical Training

Training of the Psychoanalyst