Teaching the Use of Self Through the Process of Clinical Supervision

Abstract

In their efforts to learn the skills involved in the use of self, clinical social work supervisees are faced with the daunting task of integrating information coming not only from the patient but also from their own complex set of responses. The clinical supervisor serves a key role in guiding the trainee through this process. Grounded in contemporary psychodynamic theory, this paper discusses an approach to helping the supervisor model the use of self in the context of the supervisory relationship. A supervisory case example is used to illustrate.

A Phenomenological Study of Felt Sense among Beginning Counselors

“…Based on the current findings, it also seems important that counselors-in-training have space to explore their inner process in clinical supervision sessions (McTighe, 2011). Counselors in the beginning phases of their development are often impacted by clients but may not realize or have the opportunity to explore their embodied reactions further unless prompted by a supervisor.…”

“…Felt sense, how counselors experience inner thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations and use the information during counseling sessions, has been the subject of some debate among counselor educators (Coll, Doumas, Trotter, & Freeman, 2013;Fauth & Williams, 2005;Howard, Inman, & Altman, 2006;McTighe, 2011). Prominent theories of counselor development often view beginning counselors as having limited self-awareness and high anxiety; they are expected to arrive at complex thinking and selfawareness after a period of dependency on supervisors and focus on external factors (Loganbill, Hardy, & Delworth, 1982;Skovholt & Ronnestad, 1992;Stoltenberg, 1981).…”

A Conceptual Framework for Felt‐Sense Awareness in Counselor Preparation

“…McTighe () discussed the importance of supervisors facilitating beginning counselors’ use of the felt sense by modeling a stance of nonjudgmental, reflective attention to the supervisors’ own internal process and conveying this to the supervisees. From the supervisor, supervisees learn openness and transparency regarding their own internal process and develop a better understanding of their felt‐sense experiences.…”

“…Most counseling theories explore the counselor's use of self, articulating how counselors process thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations and use these internal resources to guide their work with clients. The ways in which counselors use their inner experiences or bodily sensations are referred to in the literature as somatic awareness, felt sense, or felt information (Coll, Doumas, Trotter, & Freeman, ; Fauth & Williams, ; Howard, Inman, & Altman, ; McTighe, ; Melton, Nofzinger‐Collins, Wynne, & Susman, ). Basic to these theoretically distinctive concepts is a focus on how counselors understand their experiences holistically and use their inner resources to cultivate a therapeutic alliance and guide their decision making (Omylinska‐Thurston & James, ).…”

The Therapeutic Use of Humor With Clients Who Have Schizophrenia

“…Toward the goal of developing constructive relationships with clients, practitioners tend to engage in the use of self , which refers to capitalizing on their personal strengths in relating to clients (Arnd-Caddigan & Pozzuto, 2008;McTighe, 2011). Still, because psychotherapy has a long tradition of being a "sober" profession, it is possible that practitioners are reluctant to display their lighter sides with clients.…”