Systems Approach to Psychotherapy Supervision

The systems approach to supervision (SAS) provides a heuristic framework designed from empirical, conceptual and practice knowledge to guide supervisory work. The SAS model can assist in the systematic assessment of supervisees' learning needs and supervisors' teaching interventions while providing a common language to describe supervisory process that is relevant across different theoretical perspectives.

In this video, Dr. Elizabeth L. Holloway and her supervisee engage in a supervisory session demonstrating the systems approach, and host Dr. Arpana G. Inman interviews Dr. Holloway and her supervisee about their work together, exploring the constructs of this model as they emerge in this supervisory session.

Although the systems approach to supervision (SAS) model is distinguished as a social role approach to supervision, first and foremost it honors a relational approach to teaching the highly complex skills of therapeutic practice.

Supervision is an intense and demanding relationship that requires both participants to be fully engaged while traversing the boundaries of their respective roles. SAS relationship is theoretically grounded in concepts of symbolic interactionism, social role theory, and relational cultural theory (RCT). As such it honors the principles of these theories while integrating them into a pragmatic heuristic with the intent of guiding practice.

Symbolic interactionism is made up of three interdependent constructs:

• the self
• the world (as represented by others
• social action

The self creates meaning through social interaction with the world as represented by other humans and events. Critical to creating a "sense of self" is the dynamic interplay between the "I" as reflector of action and the "me" as the object of self-reflection.

The elevation of a reflective, dynamic, and interactive self with others and through social engagement is the essence of the learning alliance in supervision. As the supervisor engages in the teaching of therapeutic skills, the supervisee is further empowered by gaining knowledge through experiencing, reflecting, and articulating social processes that emerge in the counseling and supervisory relationship. The relationship becomes the central vehicle to understand social processes within the complex systems of organizational work, client needs, and supervisory actions.

Honoring the principles of RCT, the supervisor must consider the client and the counseling relationship as well as the emotional conditions of the supervisor and the supervisory relationship. In SAS supervision a strong base of mutual connection in the relationship provides an opportunity for positive professional growth, reflection, knowledge, skills, and resiliency through the judicious use of relational roles consistent with relational cultural theory.

The purpose of the systems approach to supervision is to guide supervision teaching and practice by providing a framework based on empirical, conceptual, and practice wisdom. The SAS model can be used as a heuristic framework for an individual practitioner to think through a dilemma, for case consultation of supervision, or for training in supervision.

It provides a strategy for systematically using a "case method" approach that encompasses the presentation of client and supervisee histories, accompanied at times with examples of the supervision interaction, and followed with a conceptualization of the supervision situation and suggestions for interventions.

It is an effort to understand supervision by offering a common language that is relevant to supervisors and educators across different theoretical points of view. The model is meant to raise questions about what each of us does as a supervisor rather than to tell a supervisor what to think and what to do.

Dr. Holloway is a full professor in the Doctoral Program in Leadership and Change at Antioch University. She is a Fellow in Counseling Psychology of APA and a Diplomate of the American Board of Professional Psychology.

During her academic career she has conducted training workshops on her model of supervisory practice and the systems approach to respectful engagement, nationally and internationally in fields of professional psychology, healthcare, government, and business.

Throughout her career, Dr. Holloway has been deeply invested in the research and practice of clinical supervision and has published extensively on this subject. Three books that she has authored or coedited on supervision reflect her committed involvement in supervision teaching and practice.

Her latest interests are in system approaches to creating cultures of respect in healthcare and relational practice of teaching and mentoring.

• Carroll, M., & Holloway, E. L. (Eds). (1999). Supervision in context. London, England: Sage.
• Fuertes, J., Spokane, A., & Holloway, E. (2014). Professional competencies in counseling psychology. London: Oxford Press.
• Holloway, E. L. (1995). Clinical supervision: A systems approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. (also translated into German and Chinese).
• Holloway, E. L. (2014). Supervisory roles within systems of practice. In C. Watkins Jr. & D. L. Milne (Eds.). The international handbook of clinical supervision (pp. 598–621). West Sussex, UK: Wiley Blackwell.
• Holloway, E. L., & Carroll, M. (Eds). (1999). Training counseling supervisors. London, England: Sage.

APA Videos

• Feminist Therapy Supervision
  Laura S. Brown
• The Integrative Developmental Model of Supervision
  Brian McNeill
• Relational Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Supervision
  Joan E. Sarnat

APA Books

• Supervision Essentials for a Systems Approach to Supervision
  Elizabeth L. Holloway
• Supervision Essentials for Psychodynamic Psychotherapies
  Joan E. Sarnat
• Supervision Essentials for the Feminist Psychotherapy Model of Supervision
  Laura S. Brown
• Supervision Essentials for the Integrative Developmental Model
  Brian W. McNeill and Cal D. Stoltenberg