Transforming the Schema Therapy Supervisor and Supervisee Relationship

Practical strategies to foster collaborative, experiential schema therapy supervision that empowers autonomous schema therapists

Have you ever felt like supervision wasn’t going the way you hoped? Like there was an elephant in the room, or your supervisee just wasn’t quite getting it? If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Supervision can be tricky business.

As schema therapy supervisors, we take on a significant role. Our guidance shapes the next generation of therapists. We want our supervisees to thrive and grow into confident, competent practitioners. But let’s be honest – it doesn’t always go smoothly.

Supervision comes with its fair share of speed bumps and roadblocks. Your supervisee might seem reticent or avoidant. They may struggle to find their voice or assert their style. Worst of all, problems can arise that jeopardize the entire supervisory relationship if left unaddressed.

When supervision gets rocky, it feels like you’re white-knuckling it down a dead-end street. Time for a detour! Before you drive yourself crazy, it’s time to take the wheel and steer things in a better direction.

As a schema therapy supervisor and trainer, I’ve navigated my fair share of supervision challenges. I’ve been down muddy backroads and hit a few potholes along the way. But with the proper techniques, you can bypass obstacles and get supervision humming along smoothly toward optimal mental health.

The Schema Therapy Road Ahead

In this blog article, I want to share some schema therapy clinical supervision techniques that can help transform even the most challenging supervision experience into a rewarding journey following principles from our training program.

Here’s what I’ll cover:

– Why supervision can be so challenging in the first place. Let’s dive into common schema-related pitfalls.

– Key strategies you can use to address problems head-on. I’ll share hands-on tips to improve the relationship and empower your supervisee, similar to treatment planning with patients. I’ll also cover how the supervisor can navigate ethical considerations in a sensitive manner.

– The incredible benefits that come from tackling supervision challenges and self-care. This stuff can be life-changing!

By the end of this article, you’ll have a roadmap to avoid dead ends, circumvent hazards, and create an open highway toward supervision success. Buckle up – this is going to be one smooth, rewarding ride!

Why Clinical Supervision Can Hit Roadblocks

I thought I was ready for the open road when I got my driver’s license. I breezed through the written test and nailed my driving exam. But the first time I merged onto the highway, I gripped the wheel in terror. Cars were whizzing by, trucks barreling ahead – it was nothing like my quiet drives around the neighborhood!

Similarly, many therapists feel ready to take the wheel when they finish grad school. But soon, the open highway of private practice looms ahead. Without warning, they’ve been tossed the keys to a high-speed vehicle – their caseload, without enough self-care and skills to support their tasks for professional improvement.

The separations and rejections in our histories can leave us cringing at the first signs of trouble on the road. Like clinging to the slow lane, avoiding supervision challenges that raise these deep fears is natural.

Many supervisees grapple with core schemas of mistrust, emotional inhibition, and abandonment. When these schemas get triggered in supervision, even simple exchanges can feel like unsafe performances in training:

– Voicing a different opinion might lead to rejection. Better stay quiet.

– Interrupting feels rude, so I won’t ask for feedback. I don’t want to upset my supervisor.

– What if I bring up a problem and my supervisor feels responsible and abandons me?

Rather than risk getting sideswiped by confrontation, we avoid problems entirely, deferring responsibilities as “managers.” Supervisees lean into schema avoidance at the first sign of trouble, glossing over issues in the relationship and training.

I’ll often notice supervisees shutting down when our opinions diverge. Or they’ll minimize concerns by saying everything is fine – when it’s not. Roadblock! Now we’re stuck circling a dead-end street.

In my early days as a supervisor, I skirted problems too. When my supervisee avoided conflict, I let it slide rather than risk a crack-up. But this leads to gridlock. All forward momentum halts when avoidance drives supervision.

The hazards only increase when left unflagged. Resentment and enmeshment build silently over time. Before you know it, if we’re not taking care of these divergences, that festering unspoken tension ignites into a fiery wreck. Now the damage is harder to repair.

As schema therapists, we know the modes that originally protected us from harm can seriously inhibit our learning and wellness. The same goes for supervision during training. As “managers,” we examine and transform avoidance from a coping strategy into a roadsign for more profound work.

Next time you notice avoidance creeping in, use it as a signal to pursue in training. Hit the brakes, check the rearview mirror, and get curious. Then slowly restart down the road of self-reflection:

– What schemas might be getting triggered here, and what modes are present?

– How is this reminiscent of my and my supervisee’s past relationships?

– What supports do we need to feel safe addressing problems openly and inviting feedback about performance and skills?

With time, this road of discovery leads to a more fulfilling destination than any shortcut ever could.

Key Strategies for Personal Development

Now that we’ve unpacked why supervision hits roadblocks, let’s focus on filling our tank with some surefire strategies to smooth the ride.

When tensions start brewing, it’s time for active maneuvers – not just coasting along as managers. As supervisors, we are responsible for using an arsenal of techniques to disarm hot buttons and navigate around schema potholes.

First, go straight to the source with some schema exploration. Like guiding clients into their chairwork, use experiential tools in your management of the relationship to zoom in on the schemas beneath your supervisee’s avoidance.

I often use imagery to evoke and re-experience schemas firsthand. Let’s say my supervisee fears expressing their opinion will lead to rejection. I’ll have them focus on a scenario where they interrupt me, and I angrily abandon them. As they describe it, their schema bubbles to the surface, along with their modes.

Now we can address that schema and mode directly. I empathically explore the feelings and focus on validating them. “You dread losing me as a supervisor, just like with your critical father.” This alone brings relief.

Next, we can re-script the imagery to develop a healthier response to practice. “If you interrupted me, I’d be surprised but quickly realize you must have something important to say. Thank you for speaking up and asking you to tell me more.”

This experiential work defuses those visceral schema and mode reactions over time. Eventually, in my management of the supervision and responsibilities, my supervisee learned to assert their needs without dreading catastrophe. We’ve driven out of the dead-end and back onto the open road.

Keep Roles Crystal Clear in the Supervisory Relationship

Another vital strategy is keeping our roles as supervisor “managers” crystal clear. The supervisory relationship can quickly become entangled with schemas from our past. I might inadvertently slip into the role of a demanding parent or authoritarian boss.

To avoid this confusion, I’m transparent about the power dynamics. I’m in charge of evaluating their skills and practice but not directing their every move. We’re collaborators, not actors and directors – both essential to the creative process.

When supervisees defer to my authority as a supervisor manager, I clarify they have full permission to disagree. I explicitly encourage them to evaluate their situations, support them in voicing concerns, and collaborate on skills, tasks, and solutions that feel right for them.

Through role clarity, they improve their ability to evaluate and gain professional confidence in their tasks, skills, and tools to manage and steer their clinical work without just parroting my advice. Our journey becomes one of professional discovery to enhance their work rather than rule-following.

Discuss the Relationship Openly

This ties into discussing the relationship openly. Like therapy clients, the professional relationship where the supervisor is a manager must become an object of reflection to manage and enhance progress while providing helpful feedback.

I check in about our rapport frequently, asking for direct feedback. “How have you felt about our work together lately? Have you felt heard and understood?” This makes it safer to reveal struggles versus bottling them up.

When problems emerge, I welcome feedback for improving progress. “It seems we’re out of sync lately. Let’s discuss what we need to get back on track.” I may also encourage them to explore their experiences in their own psychotherapy.

Addressing ruptures early prevents massive pileups and makes it easier to maintain progress. If the fit isn’t there, it’s better to exit gracefully before a collision.

Empower Their Unique Style in Mental Health

I stay laser-focused on empowering my supervisees to maintain and develop their style in psychotherapy. I don’t aim to clone myself but rather nurture their professional therapist within.

I offer ample suggestions to assess and encourage discarding ideas that don’t resonate. They learn which clinical techniques and professional methods have importance for them and fit organically through trial and error.

Ultimately, the solutions must come from within, not just imposed by the supervisors. Like a driving coach, I provide guidance but try never to grab the wheel or take away their responsibilities to learn and grow in their psychotherapy journey. With the right resources, feedback, and management, including their psychotherapy, the reward is seeing supervisees blossom into skilled therapists in their own right.

With these strategies, supervision transforms from a white-knuckled journey to becoming a manager of a growth journey. Problem spots become opportunities for self-discovery and finding supportive resources in science to enhance motivation and performance. Obstacles turn into openings.

So, don’t fear when tensions emerge – view it as a fork in the road. Stay calm, reflect, and let self-knowledge guide you onto the smoothest path forward.

The Benefits of Facing Challenges

We’ve explored the science, methods, and techniques to bypass roadblocks in the counselors’ life. Now let’s zoom in on the positive benefits of addressing challenges head-on in our meetings.

On this growth journey, supervisors and supervisees are seeking positive attitudes to reap the positive rewards in their career when engaging collaboratively through struggles. This process cultivates vital skills.

Stronger Alliances

First and foremost, it forges a solid supervisory alliance built on mutual trust, respect, and authenticity – the secure base that anchors the training experience.

By expressing themselves freely, supervisees feel valued. This encourages them to take more initiative in shaping the supervision process.

Meanwhile, as a supervisor, I gain deeper insight into their needs and resources and encourage positive areas for growth in their performance and career in psychotherapy. As a “manager,” I can fine-tune my approach to nurture their development and performance.

With openness, the relationship evolves organically, not forced into some rigid mold. We move forward as true partners on the adventure of training.

Confidence and Competence

From this strong alliance blossoms the supervisee’s clinical confidence. They learn to trust their instincts and handle challenges independently.

As they stop second-guessing themselves, their natural therapeutic abilities are unleashed. They grow more daring in interventions, venturing into uncharted waters.

By conquering fears of rejection, they become more attuned to client ruptures. They address strains directly rather than avoiding them.

This confidence empowers them to take bold career steps, advocating for themselves professionally.

With skills to handle conflict and autonomy, they start confidently pursuing their goals. The sky’s the limit!

Better Client Outcomes

Of course, the biggest beneficiaries are the clients. Clients feel safe being vulnerable and doing difficult work with self-assured yet humble therapists.

The clients themselves learn to take risks, face fears, and work through ruptures. Therapy becomes a courageous transformative journey for all involved.

Avoiding Stagnation

When supervision avoids growing pains, the casualties multiply. Like cruising with the parking brake on, a lack of trust and openness virtually guarantees stagnation.

At best, the supervisee mimics techniques without actual command of the work. Their development remains superficial, never transcending the basics.

Worse, without addressing problems, resentments silently snowball. The supervisee disengages, just going through the motions.

Eventually, they may veer off course into unethical behavior or burnout in worst-case scenarios. Now we’ve lost a talented therapist and future mentor.

Yes, facing challenges requires bravery and effort from both parties. But the payoff makes it infinitely worthwhile.

Too often, we shrink from discomfort, not realizing it promises undiscovered growth. Don’t let fear cheat you of this gift.

The open road beckons.

Conclusion: Rev Up for the Journey

Our voyage through supervision is one of the most profound journeys a therapist can experience. When embraced fully, it uniquely stretches us to reach new heights.

Yet without diligence, supervision can stagnate – or worse, veer off course. Both parties need to work to navigate challenges thoughtfully to extract the full potential from this special relationship.

As schema therapy supervisors, we hold great responsibility for setting the tone. Rather than dictating the route, we guide supervisees to find their way.

The strategies explored allow us to transform supervision into a collaborative journey:

– Address schemas and modes openly through experiential work

– Define roles clearly

– Discuss the relationship explicitly

– Empower supervisees to develop their authentic style

Integrating these strategies can help convert even rocky supervision into joyful discovery. Potholes become springboards for growth.

Both parties gain an unshakable foundation of mutual trust, respect, and confidence. Supervisees can blossom into autonomous therapists, ready to train others.

Of course, cultivating this relationship requires courage and vulnerability. But the rewards make it profoundly worthwhile.

So where does your journey stand today? Are you cruising comfortably or stuck spinning wheels? It may be time to finally tune-up that struggling relationship.

Whatever road you’re on, I hope these reflections provide signposts to guide your way forward. Keep an open mind, stay committed to growth, and savor each bend in the road.

Because this amazing profession offers limitless paths to explore. The only limits are those we place on ourselves.

Buckle up and take the wheel on the adventure of a lifetime. What heights can you reach on the wide-open road ahead?

References

Young, J.E., Klosko, J.S. & Weishaar, M.E. (2003). Schema Therapy: A Practitioner’s Guide. New York: Guilford Press.

Kellogg, S.H. (2014). Schema Therapy for the Supervisory Relationship. In M. van Vreeswijk, J. Broersen and M. Nadort (Eds.), The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Schema Therapy: Theory, Research, and Practice. Wiley Blackwell.

Bernard, J.M. & Goodyear, R.K. (2019). Fundamentals of Clinical Supervision. Pearson.

Sarnat, J.E. (2010). Key competencies of the psychodynamic psychotherapy supervisor. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 47(3), 383–387.

Watkins, C.E., Jr. (2014). The supervisory alliance: A half-century of theory, practice, and research in critical perspective. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 68, 19 –55.