Working Relationally in Psychoanalytic Supervision
This course explores working relationally in psychodynamic supervision, a clinical supervision model based on relational psychoanalytic thinking. This model puts the supervisory relationship at the center of the process. Research from the psychoanalytic supervision literature, the counseling-psychology supervision literature, and the fields of psychotherapy, education, cognitive psychology, and neuroscience provide mounting evidence for the pedagogic effectiveness of affectively rich, experiential, relationship-focused modes of teaching like this approach. Supervisors working within this model offer the benefit of their knowledge and experience and help their supervisees develop the emotional/relational skills required of an effective psychotherapist. Supervisors do this while holding a view of their authority as a supervisor that generates a safe and ethical context for emotional/relational learning. A video of actual supervision conducted by the instructor will be viewed and analyzed, and vignettes from her recent book, related work, and other published material will be discussed.
NCSPP is aware that historically psychoanalysis has either excluded or pathologized groups outside of the dominant population in terms of age, race, ethnicity, nationality, language, gender, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, disability, and size. As an organization, we are committed to bringing awareness to matters of anti-oppression, inequity, inequality, diversity, and inclusion as they pertain to our educational offerings, our theoretical orientation, our community, and the broader world we all inhabit.
Presenter's Response:
The capacity to engage in conversations about difference is generally accepted as a central supervisor competency as well as a skill that supervisors need to develop in their supervisees. A relational psychodynamic approach is especially well-suited to cultivating this capacity since it emphasizes the supervisor’s responsibility for undertaking work with all relationship tensions that arise in supervision. This course will help supervisors learn to address the anxieties and co-created resistances that get in the way of engaging in such conversations in supervision, and will provide examples of how supervisors model courageous speech. We will also consider how supervisors can contribute to creating a relational environment in which such conversations become more possible.
Readings will include a chapter called “Working with Difference” from the instructor’s book. Lecture and discussion will refer to the recently published Report of the Holmes Commission on Racial Equality in American Psychoanalysis.
The overall objective of the course is to increase participants’ competence in supervising so that their supervisees may be more effective with their patients.
At the end of this course participants will be able to:
- Describe three ways a relational approach to psychodynamic supervision differs from patient-focused and supervisee-focused psychodynamic approaches.
- Identify instances of deepening supervisee involvement in an actual supervisory session and the supervisor interventions that precipitated that deepening.
- Cite three sources of evidence for the effectiveness of a relational supervisory approach.
- Apply principles from relational psychodynamic supervision to facilitate conversations about sociocultural differences.
- Describe how the relational supervisor’s understanding of her authority creates an environment that encourages supervisee openness as well as clear and ethical boundaries.
- Explain the usefulness of identifying parallel processes for resolving enactments in supervisory and clinical relationships.
- APA. (Producer). (2015). Relational psychodynamic psychotherapy supervision [DVD]. In Psychotherapy Supervision Video Series. Joan Sarnat. Washington, D.C.: APA.
- Sarnat, J. (2012). Supervising Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy: Present Knowledge, Pressing Needs, Future Possibilities. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy: 42, (3) 151-160.
- Sarnat, J. (2016). Supervision Essentials for the Psychodynamic Psychotherapies. Wash., DC: American Psychological Association. (Multiple chapters assigned).
- Sarnat, J. E. (2019). What’s New in Parallel Process? The Evolution of Supervision’s Signature Phenomenon. The American Journal of Psychoanalysis, 79(3), 304–328.
- Sarnat, J (2022). Review: Three Associating: Adventures in Relational Psychoanalytic Supervision, G. Straker, R. Burton, & A. Greeves. threeassociating.com fort da, 67-72.
Joan Sarnat, Ph.D., ABPP, is a personal and supervising analyst and member of the faculty at PINC. She co-authored, with Mary Gail Frawley-O’Dea, The Supervisory Relationship (Guilford Press, 2001) and authored Supervision Essentials for Psychodynamic Psychotherapies (APA, 2016). Dr. Sarnat is in clinical and supervisory practice in Berkeley.
This class is intended for all mental health clinicians who have supervised other clinicians or expect to do so in the near future. It is designed for clinicians with moderate to extensive experience in clinical work and supervision who have some background in the principles of psychoanalytic approaches.
LCSW/MFTs: Course meets the requirements for _ hours of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs and/or LEPS, as required by the CA Board of Behavioral Sciences. NCSPP is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (Provider Number 57020), to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCS, and/or LEPs. NCSPP maintains responsibility for this program /course and its content.
Psychologists: Division 39 is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Division 39 maintains responsibility for these programs and their content.
Enrollees who cancel at least SEVEN DAYS prior to the event date will receive a refund minus a $35 administrative charge. No refunds will be allowed after this time. Transfer of registrations are not allowed.
For program related questions contact Natasha Oxenburgh at noxenburgh@wi.edu or 925-202-9337.
For questions related to enrollment, locations, CE credit, special needs, course availability and other administrative issues contact Michele McGuinness by email or 415-496-9949.
Education Committee
The Education Committee is responsible for the development of a variety of courses and workshops given throughout the year in San Francisco and the East Bay.