Evidence of systemic thinking

As a systemic therapist, I know issues aren’t contained within an isolated point, but an integration of an interdependence of different parts.  Ludwig von Bertalanffy defined a system as “a set of elements standing in inter-relations” (1969, p. 55).  This means, as a systems supervisor, I’ll help trainees focus not only on the identified problem, but will include an examination of relationships, history, and contextual environment.  Even for individuals, I will help them see their actual client is the relationships in which the client is embedded in (Lee & Nelson, 2022, p. 19).  This will include how the therapist is relating to the client from their own experience and social location, and joins the client system. When we explore a case together, we’ll systemically examine how cultural and societal barriers including racism, homophobia, prejudice, bias, and differing perspectives each person holds affects the issue.  

My supervision will look at the process more than content. I’ll be paying attention to interaction patterns in relation to systemic issues. How my supervisee and I interact in supervision and the possible influences we are bringing in to the therapeutic process will be an essential focus for a systems perspective in both supervision and therapy. 

I intend to be guided by maintaining clarity in purpose and goals in the supervision setting.  The main goal I have is to help trainees be independent ethical therapists to make wise decisions, and provide good therapy on their own.  As the book states, it’s important for trainees to learn to think for themselves (Lee & Nelson, p. 25).  One of the ways I can do this is by not giving direct solutions to their problems, or to come in as “fixing” their clients problems.  I want to focus more on trainees being aware of the therapeutic process in their sessions rather than focusing on content (p. 31).  We can practice this within the supervision setting by also conceptualizing isomorphic issues that can come up within our supervision as we practice being observers of self and identify interaction patterns of supervision.  All of this can only happen when the supervision process is a safe place for supervisees to be vulnerable to see their mistakes, and be open to growth into their own therapeutic role.

Beyond issues of safety, ethics/legality, the most important part of supervision is the relationship between supervisor and supervisee. I’ll create a safe space so the trainee can bring up mistakes, vulnerabilities, fears and needs. Supervision is more about helping the trainee to grow rather than telling them what to do in therapy (Lee & Nelson, p. 4). I’ll provide frequent check ins, ask for feedback, and model safety in exploring vulnerability. Though I acknowledge a hierarchy in our roles, I’ll ensure there is room for collaboration and that the trainee knows we can learn with and from each other (p. 27).  I value their uniqueness and will push them to become their own best self as therapists rather than versions of me. We will collaboratively create long and short-term goals every semester and update them.   

I am aware that I cannot be a therapist to one of my students or trainees and that it’s important to recognize issues of power and influence within my role as a supervisor (see Code of Ethics 4.1 and 4.2).  As such, it is important to me to treat this role with care and honor to maintain appropriate boundaries and power dynamics including avoiding dual relationships, being trustworthy, and building trust.  By calling supervisees “in” rather than calling them “out”, I can help trainees be honest and open to address difficult issues that come up.  

I’m aware of the importance of a documentation package for supervision.  I will include secure supervision notes, being especially thorough in cases of safety issues (Lee & Nelson, p. 47), a tracking sheet, the Code of Ethics and AAMFT Supervision Handbook and a supervision contract.   We will review the core competencies, set goals—both long and short term, and I will provide both formal and informal evaluations.  At the beginning of supervision we will establish how evaluation will occur depending on any university or clinical requirements, including formal/informal and formative/summative ways to be given feedback. A written evaluation will be provided at least every 6 months due to the importance of having a paper trail of the supervision process that includes recommendations for improvement (Lee & Nelson, p. 59).  I will also ask for feedback from the supervisee on how supervision is going for a systemic perspective.  

I will include in my contract things such as emergency contact, safety, legal, and ethical reporting and consultation.  I will list roles and relationships of both supervisee and supervisor, logistics, and complaint procedures.  I will cite the handbook and the Code of Ethics.  

I know the importance of Self of the Therapist and Self of the Supervisor.  I plan to pay attention to this throughout supervision, particularly through checking in with trainees on their experience when uncomfortable or difficult situations arise in the session.  I want to help them feel capable of recognizing issues in themselves and seeking consultation with others when any of their own issues come up. Our supervision relationship will be put as a top priority over anything else in the process (Lee & Nelson, p. 168). I will also be asking for feedback on how our supervisory interactions are and if there are any concerns related to that.  I realize that my own personal and professional experiences impact supervision and therapy conceptualization so I will ensure I am always a part of a consult group so I can be more aware of my biases and countertransference (p. 169).  I will prioritize self care and look for signs of burnout and compassion fatigue in my trainees and myself.  Participation in personal therapy for both myself and trainees will be encouraged. 

My supervision model will be guided by many things including the trainee’s developmental phase, Internal Family Systems, and examining social contexts through a feminist lens.  I will focus on diversity and oppression to bring in contextual issues explicitly into the room with attention to power and privilege (Lee & Nelson, p. 91).  As an Internal Family Systems therapist, I believe that supervisees have the capacity to find their own solutions in their struggles in therapy when their protective parts and exiles can be attended to while acknowledging external systems of oppression that impact the person (Schwartz & Sneezy, 2020, p. 23).  A large focus will be helping trainees in their Self of Therapist work through accessing the qualities of SELF (compassion, kindness, curiosity, etc) with clients and in supervision.  This can allow the therapist to feel safe in supervision to bring up issues and learn where there is a lack of knowledge and skill, and to reduce countertransference within the therapy room.  Though this supervision style, I will support trainees within their own preferred method of therapy.

I’m aware of the importance of prioritizing contextual factors in working with different identities in the supervision and client relationship. I’ll emphasize conversations around implicit bias and creating a safe place for supervisees to explore their own assumptions, identities, and any countertransference that may occur.  It’s important that my supervisees are competent in working with anyone in a nonjudgemental and curious way to overcome assumptions.  It’s important to me that supervision be the place to work through prejudice in a safe and supportive place to grow instead of in interactions with clients.  I will ensure as a supervisor I am coming cultural knowledge and cultural humility rather than assumptions about the experiences of my supervisees, and be aware of particular issues that may come up around minoritized communities and identities (Cheng Feng, et al., 2017).  

The supervision setting is important to acknowledge as my trainees will be primarily university students at a beginning developmental phase. One way I intend to connect is to be authentic and vulnerable about some of the ways I have navigated my own identity in therapy (ChenFeng, et al, 2017).  As trainees learn and grow, I will be aware of their developmental stage and progressively “ween” them into transitioning to consult with colleagues post-supervision. The university setting has additional resources such as the ability to have live supervision and recorded sessions to use in supervision. It’s important that different contexts and identities are explicitly recognized and biases are checked in supervision.  This is a systems perspective to ensure that as systemic therapists and supervisors, we are using our power and position to create social justice and equity, and model how to make reparations for current or past mistakes with prevention and preparedness for the future. 

In Iowa, individual supervision consists of one or two trainees; group supervision can include up to 6 trainees.  Individual can allow supervisees more time to discuss specific needs they have with their clients, but group supervision gives a more diverse environment to understand and conceptualize cases as trainees can witness the varied skills and perspectives of other therapists and more cases than what they currently have.  As Lee & Nelson recommend, I will be using a mixture of dyadic/group and live/retrospective supervision formats (p. 68).

At my university, I’ll provide live supervision through a one-way mirror with case review afterwards for immediate feedback, support, and comfort (p. 74).  Within individual supervision in this setting, we’ll also use HIPAA compliant video recordings to case supervision.  Within the non-university setting I will primarily be supervising via verbal case presentations to provide additional room for discussion and the ability to present rationale in the process of therapy. 

I’ll review the Code of Ethics and Iowa legal standards with my supervisees to make sure they can understand and obey them.  I will invite supervisees to bring up ethical and legal issues immediately instead of waiting until we meet again. We’ll work toward prevention to make sure they are aware beforehand and then we will have interventions to maintain them and make appropriate repairs as needed. The Code of Ethics of MFT (2015) will be used especially in regards to confidentiality and informed consent.  As a therapist and supervisor I’ll maintain boundaries of my personal and professional life, avoiding dual relationships. In social media I’ll keep personal posts private and have separate accounts for professional use.  I’ll pay special attention to helping trainees in safety and reporting concerns. I’ll make sure to walk through the mandatory reporting process with clients and check in with them before and after dealing with reporting or safety concerns (Lee & Nelson, p. 146).  I am aware of my legal and ethical rules related to reporting, therapy with minors, HIPAA and confidentiality/privacy in therapy. In supervisory decision making, I will use principles from the feminist model to address issues of power between supervisor, trainee, and their clients (Hill et al., 1998) .

I’m familiar with requirements to complete AAMFT approved supervision designation.  As is described in the handbook (https://www.aamft.org/AAMFT/Membership/Approved_Supervisors/Supervision/Supervision.aspx?hkey=79f01af6-6412-4eb5-9d75-9909aca18b1a), I need to be continually a member of AAMFT, limited to 1-2 supervisor mentors throughout to total 36 hours of meta-supervision from, and will complete 180 hours of supervision to at least 2 supervisees. 

The Iowa regulations includes being an approved AAMFT supervisor, meeting 4 times a month with a supervisee, and 6 hours of a continuing education or masters’ level course in supervision, and providing training that’s appropriate to the needs of the supervisee within the scope of my practice (https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/iac/rule/12-07-2016.645.31.5.pdf).  I am aware that the requirements of AAMFT may differ from state requirements (Lee & Nelson, p. 143) and will be aware of how they impact supervision and therapy.  I will help trainees understand and be able to explain these rules and ethics to others as needed (p. 152).

           
References

 American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. (2015a). Code of ethics. Alexandria, VA. Retrieved from https://aamft.org/Legal_Ethics/Code_of_Ethics.aspx.

Hill, M., Glaser, K., & Harden, J. (1998). A feminist model for ethical decision making. Women & Therapy, 21(3), 101–121. (Published simultaneously in M. Hill et al (Eds.), "Learning from our Mistakes: Difficulties and Failures in Feminist Therapy," Haworth Press, Inc., 1998, pp. 101–121) https://doi.org/10.1300/J015v21n03_10

Lee, R. E., & Nelson, T. S. (2022). The contemporary Relational supervisor. Routledge.

Schwartz, R. C., & Sweezy, M. (2020). Internal Family Systems therapy. The Guilford Press.  

Von Bertalanffy, L. (1969). General system theory: Foundations, development, applications. New York: George Braziller.