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Psychotherapy Supervisor Training

Differences Between Psychiatry and Other Mental Health Disciplines

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Abstract

Supervisors and residents spend a significant amount of time and effort in psychotherapy supervision, yet receive little or no training in how to supervise. No specific requirements for supervision training exist in psychiatry or social work programs. Accredited graduate programs in professional psychology are required to expose students to supervision. The field of psychoanalysis has some requirements for being a supervisor, but not any specific training for supervisors. In contrast, the American Association of Marital and Family Therapy (AAMFT) requires extensive training for its supervisors, which is described. The authors explore the reasons for the absence of requirements in psychiatry. Regardless of the number of requirements, all disciplines show a striking paucity of empirically-based research in supervision training. Authors discuss the deleterious consequences of the lack of both research and supervisory training requirements and propose critical elements for supervision training and research.

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Correspondence to Sarah M. Whitman M.D..

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Whitman, S.M., Ryan, B. & Rubenstein, D.F. Psychotherapy Supervisor Training. Acad Psychiatry 25, 156–161 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ap.25.3.156

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