Starting Supervision

Abstract

In this chapter we are having a communication perspective as a point of departure in the clarification and the start of supervision. It is evident that there can be many questions to explore on several levels and in different areas. Taking time at the beginning to explore these relevant areas for clarification will often be time well spent, and we will present some of the relevant questions. In the following, we will look more closely at some aspects that can be useful to consider in the process of starting a supervision group. There can be several shared distinctive features between different types of supervision, and we will look at themes that can be of interest for the start of supervision more generally. We will first consider the request the supervisor receives, and then look more closely at the different questions that can be explored at a “clarification meeting” or in the clarification process. The first supervision meeting will be given attention because we there often establish ways of working and relations that can dominate the supervision. Questions about beginners and experienced therapists in supervision will also be touched upon. Finally, we will look at voluntary or mandatory participation in supervision, and dilemmas that can arise in connection to this issue.