IJSP Number 3, 2021

99 In what follows, I will first explain the merits of the one-way mirror supervision method. Then, I will delve into the materials, defenses and dynamics that this method instigated in patients and therapists separately. The importance of the supervisory relationship in dealing with these issues is also elaborated. Finally, I will talk about the benefits of this supervision method for observing graduate students. 2. ADVANTAGES One-way mirror supervision is a kind of live supervision and has many advantages over the classic post hoc supervision method. In the live supervision, the supervisor observes the therapy session and provides a guide, while at the same time, the therapist practices psychotherapy [9]. The most apparent advantage of live supervision over post-hoc supervision is that the supervisor directly observes the sessions and gets an unedited picture of the running therapy sessions. This allows the supervisor to offer more timely and immediate feedbacks [9, 10]. In contrast, verbal reports of trainees in the post hoc supervision method might deliver a distorted view of the sessions to the supervisors because supervisees’ memories of the sessions might be imprecise or distorted under the influence of their subjective perspective [8]. Live supervision increases the likelihood of positive therapeutic outcomes due to the direct influence of the supervisor’s experience and skills on the sessions [1]. This kind of supervision is also beneficial when the therapist is at the beginner level, the risk of treatment failure is high, and the patient needs more protection. In such situations, supervisors’ precise picture of the sessions can reduce the risks of treatment failure and provides more protection for the patient [1]. Finally, because of the creation of a team-like atmosphere between the supervisees and supervisors, live supervision benefits the supervisory working alliance. The working alliance has been shown to be compared more with videotape and case presentation from live supervision [11, 12]. 3. PATIENTS Despite having many advantages both for trainees and patients, the one-way mirror supervision method brings about certain materials, defenses and dynamics for patients, which should be addressed and analyzed; otherwise, the process of the dynamic therapy will be disturbed. As I explained earlier, in our school’s psychotherapy clinic, before beginning the therapy sessions, the therapist explains to the patients that since our