IJSP Number 8, 2026

International Journal of Supervision in Psychotherapy, Number 8, 2026 Page | 63 educational function and for articulating relationships among reflection, self-regulation, and professional identity. The proposed framework does not compete with existing supervision models but complements them through an explicit focus on self-regulatory and identity processes, insufficiently conceptualized outside clinical settings. By positioning reflective holding as a transversal educational function, the framework aligns with relational and trans- theoretical supervision models, such as CSRM, without duplicating them. While existing models explicate relationship and alliance dynamics, the present contribution adds a distinct educational emphasis clarifying how these dynamics support self-regulation and identity integration in professional training. At the same time, the article responds to an identified need in the literature: to formulate concepts enabling responsible use of psychotherapeutic paradigms in non- clinical contexts without role confusion or boundary violations. The proposed framework is theoretical and conceptual and is not currently supported by empirical data. It does not provide standardized procedures and is not intended as a prescriptive supervision model. Its application requires supervision competence, institutional clarity, and respect for professional boundaries. It is essential to emphasize that this framework does not replace clinical training, regulated professional supervision, or licensure for psychotherapy practice. It addresses exclusively non-clinical educational and psychosocial contexts. Concepts from integrative psychotherapy are used strictly at the level of theoretical paradigm and relational principles, without transferring therapeutic interventions or clinical competencies to professionals lacking corresponding qualifications and legal rights. This delimitation is not a limitation but an ethical strength, helping prevent role confusion, emotional over-involvement, and the risks associated with insufficiently bounded formative practices. Future research directions may include empirical exploration of reflective holding in educational supervision, analysis of relationships between reflective supervision and indicators of professional self-regulation, and development of instruments for assessing reflective and identity processes in training contexts. By formulating the concept of reflective holding and integrating it into a coherent conceptual framework, the paper offers an original and relevant contribution to supervision literature, supporting the reconceptualization of supervision as a pedagogy of sustainable professional development, ethically delimited and adapted to the complexity of contemporary educational and psychosocial professions. REFERENCES 1. Skovholt, T. M., & Rønnestad, M. H. (2003). Struggles of the novice counselor and therapist . Routledge. 2. Rønnestad, M. H., & Skovholt, T. M. (2013). The developing practitioner . Routledge. 3. Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control . W. H. Freeman. 4. Zimmerman, B. J. (2000). Attaining self-regulation: A social cognitive perspective. In M. Boekaerts, P. R. Pintrich, & M. Zeidner (Eds.), Handbook of self-regulation (pp. 13–39). Academic Press. 5. Orfali, C. H. (2024). How higher education teachers see their professional identity. Frontiers in Education, 9 , 1429847. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1429847