My supervision philosophy is centered on the provision of an open and supportive supervisory environment for student therapists who can then recreate the same type of atmosphere in their delivery of therapy to their clients. As described by Emerson's (1996) concept of the "parallel processes" (p. 396), I will adopt the supervisory processes that can be emulated by students therapists who will in turn utilize them in their interactions with their clients. Therefore, to provide an integrated supervisory approach that will bring together my personal perspectives and therapy style, I have chosen to adopt a model of solution-focused supervision that is derived from the solution-focused therapy (Marek, Sandifer, Beach, Coward & Protinsky, 1994) and narrative therapy.
More specifically, I will celebrate the strengths and resources of my supervisees by guiding them to take the initiative in searching for their own solutions. By creating an open environment in which my supervisees are able to explore alternative solutions and experiment with new techniques, I can help them develop self-confidence and autonomy as therapists. Throughout this process, I have to be willing to suspend my authority and my privileged position as the supervisor. I will treat them respectfully as my equals as we engage in a collaborative endeavor to determine how we can improve the supervisees' work with their clients (Anderson, Schlossberg, & Rigazio-DiGilio, 2000).
This approach means that I will not impose my way of thinking and practices on my supervisees. Furthermore, I will not judge or evaluate their performance based on a set of rigid and pre-established set of criteria. My supervisees should not be treating their clients in a fashion, which is designed to cohere with my expectations and therapeutic practices. Rather, they need to be developing strategies and approaches that are true to their perceptions of the situation. Thus, I need to exhibit t...