Tag Archives: psychotherapy
Supervision
I have been supervising and training new psychotherapists since 1984, both in institutional settings and in my own private practice. Good clinical supervision involves many of the same skills as good psychotherapy: it is important for the supervisor to be open to, and not harshly judgmental of, the student’s work, while at the same time being clear about ways in which the student’s assumptions, beliefs, and distortions can block the progress of the work they do as a psychotherapist. This work is important, because new therapists need to see how their skills, personal histories, and current life situations both help and hinder their work. Their personal sensitivities can function as powerful assets in understanding and helping their patients, but they also need to gain awareness of how their own reflexive ways of being with their patients interact with the patient’s personal issues, and can lead to blind spots and subtle forms of collusion. The goal of my supervision is to help new therapists achieve professional excellence while working in ways that are compatible with their own beliefs and personal styles.
Although there are important areas of overlap, the role of a supervisor is not the same as the role of a psychotherapist. A supervisor must be clinically sensitive in understanding the complexity of the patient’s issues, as well as understanding the struggles of the therapist. He must be able to listen as a therapist and speak as a teacher. While helping the therapist address his own impediments to doing the best possible work, the well-being of the patient remains the central concern of supervision.
The theoretical orientation of the supervisor may be important if the new therapist is wedded to a theory which is entirely incompatible with the supervisor’s point of view, but in general, orientation need not be a factor. As long as the supervision includes a focus on the interaction between the therapist and patient, the same supervisor can be effective across a wide range of theoretical or technical approaches to psychotherapy.
Codependency Articles
Codependency: Being dependent on others’ dependency by Marc Handelman, PhD
There may not be a simple test, or a clear marker, but if you consistently put someone else’s needs first, to the detriment of your own, you may be codependent. What is the boundary around codependency and how do you work through it? Continue reading–>
Expect the unexpected: Living with alcoholics or dysfunctional families by Marc Handelman, PhD
Dysfunctional families teach you a lot: don’t tell; don’t have friends over; keep a close watch for signs of an explosion; try not to be noticed; be ready to fix everything. Life is chaotic, unpredictable, and violent. Many people need psychotherapy. Many people find comfort and support from self-help and recovery groups such as ACOA, Al-Anon, and CODA. Continue reading–>
Trauma and dissociation by Marc Handelman, PhD
Dissociation is not just related to the external world, it is also fundamentally a disconnection from oneself. It is an important task of psychotherapy to help the traumatized individual integrate these disconnected aspects of self. Addressing what may have felt unbearable can be painful, and the work must not push too hard or the person is at risk of being retraumatized or finding themselves stuck, once again, in an overwhelming and intolerable place. Continue reading–>
Therapy and the 12 steps by Marc Handelman, PhD
Twelve-step programs and psychotherapy are not mutually exclusive. Rather, they can reinforce each other and provide help for you as a whole person. While there is some overlap, and there are some differences between the two, the differences are not in conflict. In fact, they can provide synergy to promote your overall welfare spiritually, emotionally, socially, and physically. Continue reading–>
Trauma and memory by Marc Handelman, PhD
For people who have experienced a trauma, the issue of memory — and trusting memory — is particularly difficult, and carries an incredible weight and importance. When a traumatic event happens, the experience can be dissociated. When the events were happening in the past, people may have told you that they were not happening. Continue reading–>