APPLYING THE PYRAMID OF SUPERVISION TO CONCEPTS OF RELATIONALLY-FOCUSED INTEGRATIVE PSYCHOTHERAPY

Abstract

The Supervision Pyramid provides an effective supervision tool that attends to the supervisee, the client, and the supervisor. It is divided into four levels: identifying the problem; exploring and elaborating on what is learned; experimentation and consolidation; and solving the problem with the goal of the supervisee’s increased capacity to identify solutions and to embrace professional challenges. This article proposes that the core factors of psychotherapy supervision are accomplished through the incorporation of Erskine’s “Keyhole Model”, which spotlights the significance of eight relational needs; the importance of the psychotherapist’s inquiry, attunement, and involvement; the effective use of acknowledgement, validation, normalization and presence; as well as a necessary sensitivity to the client’s nascent affects, rhythm, style of cognition, and level of development.