Psychodynamic Supervision Theory and Practices

This book sets out a new model for psychodynamic supervision, designed around relational psychoanalytic theory and practice. It emphasizes the development of the self of the therapist and working directly with the emergent therapeutic relationship.

Building on Barsness’s seminal Core Competencies of Relational Psychoanalysis text, this book is grounded in those theoretical competencies. The author offers what he calls the MAMAL method of supervision―(M―muse; A―affect; M―metabolization; A―articulation; and L―learning), a method that privileges (1) affect over cognition, (2) the use of the therapist’s subjectivity as the primary portal to the patient’s internal and interpersonal world, (3) the immersion of the supervisor’s subjectivity in the supervisory process, and (4) viewing the patient as a muse rather than an object of assessment. The MAMAL method approach enriches the supervisory experience and enhances the therapeutic process, fostering a therapeutic climate where both therapist and patient can thrive. It is attention to our own humanity and woundedness that facilitates a deep connection to our patients and animates the progression of the therapeutic process and is at the core of this supervision model.

Drawing on clinical experience, this book is grounded in research and is a readable resource for psychoanalysts, psychotherapists, and mental health professionals, providing a clear guide to a relational model of supervision and a concise understanding of relational theory and practice.

Dr. Roy E. Barsness is the Founder and Executive Director of the Contemporary Psychodynamic Institute. He is the author of the text Core Competencies of Relational Psychoanalysis, and has served as Academic Dean and Professor at The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology, Professor and Clinical Director at Seattle Pacific University, and Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Washington, School of Psychiatry.