Table Of ContentThe Contemporary Relational
Supervisor
The Contemporary Relational Supervisor, 2nd edition, is an empirically based, acade-
mically sophisticated, and learner-friendly text on the cutting edge of couple and
family therapy supervision.
This extensively revised second edition provides emerging supervisors with the
conceptual and pragmatic tools to engage a new wave of therapists, helping them
move forward together into a world of highly systemic, empirically derived, rela-
tional,developmental,andintegrativesupervisionandclinicalpractice.Theauthors
discuss major supervision models and approaches, evaluation, ethical and legal
issues,andtherapistdevelopment.Theypresentmethodsthathelptailorandextend
supervisionpracticestomeettheclinical,institutional,economic,andculturalreali-
ties that CFT therapists navigate. Filled with discussions and exercises to engage
readersthroughout,aswellasupdatessurroundingtelehealthandsocialjustice,this
practicaltexthelps emergingtherapistsfeelmoregrounded intheirknowledge and
developtheirownpersonalvoice.
The book is intended for developing and experienced clinicians and supervisors
intent on acquiring up-to-date and forward-looking, systemic, CFT supervisory
mastery.
Robert E. Lee is a senior family science researcher and couple and family clin-
ician who has shaped major academic CFT training programs and served on
organizational and governmental panels and boards.
Thorana S. Nelson is a couple and family therapist, supervisor, and educator.
She developed and has taught in the AAMFT Foundations of Family Therapy
Supervision online course.
The Contemporary
Relational Supervisor
Second Edition
Robert E. Lee and Thorana S. Nelson
Secondeditionpublished2022
byRoutledge
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andbyRoutledge
2ParkSquare,MiltonPark,Abingdon,OxonOX144RN
RoutledgeisanimprintoftheTaylor&FrancisGroup,aninformabusiness
©2022RobertE.LeeandThoranaS.Nelson
TherightofRobertE.LeeandThoranaS.Nelsontobeidentifiedasauthors
ofthisworkhasbeenassertedbytheminaccordancewithsections77and78of
theCopyright,DesignsandPatentsAct1988.
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereprintedorreproducedor
utilisedinanyformorbyanyelectronic,mechanical,orothermeans,now
knownorhereafterinvented,includingphotocopyingandrecording,orinany
informationstorageorretrievalsystem,withoutpermissioninwritingfromthe
publishers.
Trademarknotice:Productorcorporatenamesmaybetrademarksorregistered
trademarks,andareusedonlyforidentificationandexplanationwithoutintent
toinfringe.
Firsteditionpublished2014byRoutledge
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Acatalogrecordhasbeenrequestedforthisbook
ISBN:978-0-367-56898-6(hbk)
ISBN:978-0-367-56896-2(pbk)
ISBN:978-1-003-09983-3(ebk)
DOI:10.4324/9781003099833
TypesetinBaskerville
byTaylor&FrancisBooks
Contents
About the Authors x
Foreword xii
Preface xv
PART1
Understanding the Supervisory Process 1
1 Basic Ingredients in the Supervisory Process 3
Getting the Training Process Started 6
Interdependent Fundamentals of Supervision of Relational Therapies 10
A Safe Place to Be and to Learn 10
Supervision Must Cultivate Awareness of Individual and Contextual
Differences 15
Theory and Transparency Form the Core of Responsible Training and
Therapy 17
Supervision Must Be Focused and Relational 19
Exercises 23
2 Systemic Supervisory Relationships, Roles, and Goals 24
Supervisory Relationships in a Training System 24
Other Important Supervisory Roles 29
Pragmatics of Navigating Supervision Roles 30
Supervision Goals 30
Exercises 36
3 Getting Started: Readiness and Procedures 38
Education, Training, and Experience 38
Participant Diversity 38
Developmental Aspects of Supervision 39
vi Contents
Education and Training Requirements 40
Pragmatics of Getting Started 43
Fundamental Processes of Supervision 47
A Minimalist Way to Begin Cases 50
Exercises 51
4 Screening, Contracts, Core Competencies, Evaluation, and
Feedback-Centered Supervision 52
Screening 52
Contracts 54
Core Competencies 55
Evaluation 56
Evaluation of Supervision 59
Feedback-Centered Supervision 59
Concluding Thoughts 62
Exercises 63
PART2
Relational Supervision Practices 65
An Overview 65
5 A Closer Look at Supervision Formats 67
Individual and Group Approaches: Advantages and Disadvantages 67
Live and Retrospective Approaches: Advantages and Disadvantages 73
Contemporary Variations: Novel Concerns 81
Exercises 87
6 Approaches to Supervision 88
Major Models of Therapy as Templates 89
Integrative Approaches 89
Developmental Approaches 90
Social-Role Approaches 90
Other Approaches: Skills and Feminist-Influenced 90
Common Factors in Supervision 91
In Conclusion, Supervision Maps 92
A Contemporary Illustration from the Field: The Contextual-Functional Meta-
Framework for Supervision (by Jeff Chang) 92
Exercises 95
Contents vii
7 Effective Supervision According to the Literature 96
An Evolutionary Look at Best Practices in Supervision: From Opinion to
Empiricism 96
Generic Family Therapy Skills 97
Professionalism 98
Content of Training 98
Supervisory Processes 99
The Advent of Surveys, Quantitative Analyses, and Qualitative Studies 99
Contemporary Research Initiatives 100
Exercises 102
8 Supervision Based on Core Competencies 103
The Need for a Standard 104
Core Competencies in CFT 105
Subdomains within CFT Core Competencies 105
Impaired Participants in Supervisory Systems 114
Exercises 115
9 Supervising Manual-Based Models 116
The Challenge of Executive-, Meta-, and Microskills 118
Guidelines for Ethical Practice 119
Increasing the Probability of Positive Results 120
Exercises 121
PART3
Contextual Considerations 123
10 Contextual Aspects of Supervision: Setting, Culture, and Self 125
Overview 125
Historical Context 126
Settings 127
“Culture” 131
The Developing Selves of Trainees 138
Selves of Supervisors 139
Supervisory Practices 139
Exercises 141
11 Legal Aspects of Relational Supervision 142
viii Contents
Organization of Laws and Regulations 142
Clinical Practice: Licensure 143
Other Laws 144
The Health Insurance Privacy and Accountability Act of 1996 149
Summary 152
Exercises 152
12 Ethical Considerations in Relational Supervision 154
Overview 154
Creating and Sustaining an Ethical Supervisory Climate 155
Helping Trainees Develop Personal Ethical Decision-Making Models 160
Topics for Educating CFT Trainees 162
Situations for Discussion 164
Exercises 164
13 Self of the Therapist, Self of the Supervisor 166
Addressing the Self of the Professional as a Primary Goal of Supervision 167
Activities to Raise Self-Awareness within the Immediate Training System 169
Activities to Raise Self-Awareness Outside of the Training System 170
Supervisors’ and Trainees’ Self-Care 170
Resiliency 171
Assessing Impairment 172
Cultural Lenses: Biased Expectations Based on Group Membership 172
Exercises 175
PART4
Troubleshooting and Writing a Personal Philosophy of
Supervision Paper 177
14 Troubleshooting and Pragmatics in the Relational Training System 179
Appreciating the Interpersonal Context of Training 179
“The Best Defense is a Good Offense” 181
Addressing Difficulties 184
Pragmatics: Facilitating Effective Supervision 188
Concluding Remarks 194
Exercises 194
15 Developing Your Personal Philosophy of Supervision Paper 195
Content Requirements 196
Contents ix
Process 197
Formats 198
Filling in the Details 198
Connecting Your Therapy and Supervision Approaches 200
Common Mistakes to Avoid 200
Final Words 201
Exercises 201
Appendix A Major Marriage and Family Therapy Models 202
Appendix B AAMFT Core Competencies 230
References 238
Subject Index 260
Author index 267
