IJSP Number 5, 2023

7 REFLECTIONS ON SUPERVISION IN INTEGRATIVE PSYCHOTHERAPY ERSKINE Richard G. 1 1 Training Director, Institute for Integrative Psychotherapy; Professor of Psychology, Faculty of Health Science, Deusto University, Bilbao, Spain Email: info@IntegrativeTherapy.com Abstract Psychotherapy supervision is a distinct professional practice that adapts the style and content of the supervision to the supervisee’s phase of development. This article describes various phases of psychotherapy supervision. In the Skill Development phase, the initial focus is on the trainee's acquiring of information and techniques, as well as developing an ethical perspective; the Confidence Building phase focus is on the well-being of the supervisee; the Thinking Theoretically and Skill Refinement phase focuses on the supervisee exploring a variety of psychotherapy options; and, the Multi-theoretical phase emphasizes integrating various theoretical perspectives. The advantages and disadvantages of addressing countertransference and possibly providing some psychotherapy for the supervisee are discussed. The article concludes with eight guiding principles that are central in every phase of supervision. Key words: supervision, integrative psychotherapy, guiding principles, countertransference, theoretical integration, skill development, ethics. 1. INTRODUCTION In writing an article for a professional journal it is customary to include an appraisal of the relevant literature. However, in reviewing the articles on psychotherapy supervision published over the past four years in the International Journal of Supervision in Psychotherapy [1, 2, 3, 4], it does not seem necessary to make evaluative comments about this series of articles. Each article clearly defines the professional perspectives of the authors and each has been a valuable contribution to the field of supervision. Although the practice of supervision in psychotherapy and counselling has now become a professional discipline in and of itself, the need remains for psychotherapy supervisors to have a variety of approaches to assist psychotherapists and counsellors in developing professional competence. In this article I will simply use the term “psychotherapy supervision” but the ideas are relevant to other professions such as counselling, coaching, and human resources consultation. This article describes what I have learned in 50 years as a psychotherapy supervisor and how I currently practice supervision. I want to share with you a framework of supervision that I have found useful in organizing my approach to psychotherapy training, case consultation, and supervision according to the