Critical Events in Psychotherapy Supervision

The critical events model of supervision is a transtheoretical approach that explores the interrelationship between supervision process and outcome, and therapy process and outcome.

This model addresses issues common to all supervisory relationships such as ambiguity about roles, misunderstandings related to cultural background and gender, skill deficits, and countertransference. In addition to addressing these issues, the model also fosters a constructive environment so that elements of a fruitful supervisory session — such as developing the working alliance, self-disclosures, and multicultural and ethics training — can commence.

In this program, Dr. Nicholas Ladany and his supervisee engage in a supervisory session, and host Dr. Hanna Levenson interviews them about their work together, exploring the constructs of this model as they discuss highlights from the demonstration session.

The critical events model of supervision, developed by Drs. Nicholas Ladany, Myrna L. Friedlander, and Mary Lee Nelson is a research-based, transtheoretical approach that takes into account what happens in the supervision proper, rather than applying a therapy model to supervision.

A critical event can take place within a session or across a session, and allows both the supervisor and supervisee to understand what may happen in a period of time by examining relatively discreet events, through a process that may involve changing one's self-awareness or professional growth. Typically, there are about 10–15 types critical events that captures most of what happens in supervision.

While the critical events model isn't a manualized approach, it is a conceptual model that provides guidance on implementing interventions for events that could take place, whether sequential or not.

Nicholas Ladany, PhD, is dean of the School of Education and Counseling Psychology at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California. He previously served as director of the counseling program at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California, program coordinator and director of doctoral training of the counseling psychology program and chair of the department of education and human services at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He received his PhD at the University at Albany, State University of New York, in 1992.

He has published numerous articles and presented nationally and internationally in the area of counseling and psychotherapy supervision and training. His primary research interest and activity include the interrelationships between supervision process and outcome, and counseling and psychotherapy process and outcome, including such issues as the working alliance, self-disclosures and nondisclosures, multicultural training, ethics, and social justice.

He has served as an Associate Editor of Psychotherapy, has served on the editorial board of the Journal of Counseling Psychology, The Counseling Psychologist, and Counselor Education and Supervision. He has published five books including Practicing Counseling and Psychotherapy: Insights From Trainees, Clients, and Supervisors, Critical Events in Psychotherapy Supervision: An Interpersonal Approach, and Counselor Supervision (4th edition).

• Kaduvettoor, A., O'Shaughnessy, T., Mori, Y., Beverly, C., Weatherford, R. D., & Ladany, N. (2009). Helpful and hindering multicultural events in group supervision: Climate and multicultural competence. The Counseling Psychologist, 37(6), 786–820. doi: 10.1177/0011000009333984
• Klinger, R. S., Ladany, N., & Kulp, L. E. (2012). It's too late to apologize: Therapist embarrassment and shame. The Counseling Psychologist, 40(4), 554–574. doi:10.1177/0011000011416372
• Ladany, N. (2014). The ingredients of supervisor failure. Journal of Clinical Psychology: In Session. 70(11), 1–10. doi: 10.1002/jclp.22130
• Ladany, N., & Bradley, L. J. (Eds.). (2010). Counselor supervision (4th ed.). New York: Routledge.
• Ladany, N., & Friedlander, M. L. (2014). Sex and gender in professional psychology education and training. In W. B. Johnson & N. J. Kaslow (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of education and training in professional psychology (pp. 419–436). New York: Oxford University Press.
• Ladany, N., & Inman, A. G. (2012). Training and supervision. In E. M. Altmaier & Hansen, J. C. (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of counseling psychology (pp. 179–207). New York: Oxford University Press.
• Ladany, N., Mori, Y., & Mehr, K. E. (2013). Effective and ineffective supervision. The Counseling Psychologist, 41(1), 28–47. doi:10.1177/0011000012442648
• Ladany, N., Walker, J. A., Pate-Carolan, L., & Gray Evans, L. (2008). Practicing counseling and psychotherapy: Insights from trainees, clients, and supervisors. New York: Routledge.
• Mehr, K. E., Ladany, N., & Caskie, G. L. (2014). Factors influencing trainee willingness to disclose in supervision. Training and Education in Professional Psychology. doi:10.1037/tep0000028
• Rarick, S. L., & Ladany, N. (2013). The relationship of supervisor and trainee gender match and gender attitude match to supervisory style and the supervisory working alliance. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 13(2), 138–144. doi:10.1080/14733145.2012.732592

APA Videos

• Competency-Based Supervision
  Carol A. Falender and Edward P. Shafranske
• Existential–Humanistic Psychotherapy Supervision
  Kirk J. Schneider
• Feminist Therapy Supervision
  Laura S. Brown
• The Integrative Developmental Model of Supervision
  Brian McNeill
• Relational Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Supervision
  Joan E. Sarnat
• Systems Approach to Psychotherapy Supervision
  Elizabeth L. Holloway

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 Critical Events in Psychotherapy Supervision Model
  Nicholas Ladany
• 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

• Supervision Essentials for the Critical Events in Psychotherapy Supervision Model
  

  This book offers a blueprint for helping supervisors navigate and overcome the most challenging conflicts that arise in supervision, and help trainees achieve lasting success.