IJSP Number 8, 2026

International Journal of Supervision in Psychotherapy, Number 8, 2026 Page | 25 LIVE SUPERVISION IN PSYCHOTHERAPY TRAINING BÖHM Angelika 1 , LINDORFER Bernadette 1 STERNEK Katharina 1 1 Austrian Association for Gestalt Theoretical Psychotherapy (AAGTP), International Society for Gestalt Theory and its Applications (GTA) Email : angelika.boehm@oeagp.at bernadette.lindorfer@oeagp.at katharina.sternek@oeagp.at Abstract: In the field of psychotherapy training, live supervision offers specific learning opportunities that extend beyond traditional forms of post-session discussion. By directly observing the therapeutic interaction, supervisory interventions can be more precisely attuned to concrete clinical situations, implicit decision-making processes can be rendered visible, and alternative courses of action can be collaboratively explored. At the same time, the use of live supervision raises methodological, ethical, and structural questions, for example, regarding experiences of evaluative pressure, the therapeutic relationship, or the protection of patients. Against this background, the present article aims to systematically examine experiences with live supervision within psychotherapy training. In addition to a conceptual clarification, didactic potentials as well as key challenges and contextual conditions are outlined. The goal is to contribute a differentiated perspective to the ongoing discussion on the role and significance of live supervision in contemporary psychotherapy training. Key words: supervision, live-supervision, Gestalt Theoretical Psychotherapy, psychotherapy training 1. INTRODUCTION Psychotherapy training emphasizes the development of professional competence as an integrated interplay of personal qualities, reflective knowledge, and practical therapeutic skills. Supervision plays an important, albeit varying, role in the individual training institutions. From the outset, psychoanalytic methods have considered supervision of one's own treatment cases to be an indispensable component [1]. In some behavioral therapy schools, however, the focus is less on reflecting on one's own actions and experiences and more on checking whether the still inexperienced psychotherapist is applying the disorder-specific manual correctly [2]. Systemic family therapies have introduced and further developed the use of one-way mirrors in the context of supervision. Here, therapy sessions can be observed live by the supervisor, who can even intervene