Supervision in systemic family therapy: looking and seeing and seeing and looking again.

Abstract

The following is a review of the central aspects of the supervision in the Eco-systemic family therapy, especially developing the experiential character of the therapist' s participation with the consulting family and the use of the theater' s metaphor in the understanding the therapeutic system evolution.

This implies the importance of the visual concept in the planning of the supervision activity, the application of the unidirectional mirror vision technology and the video recording in the usage optimization of this perceptual channel what among others makes possible that the therapist can be observed in interaction with the family.

The used modalities of supervision are described doing emphasis in the importance of the organization of the observer's community that makes possible the dialogue and the multi diversity experience, insisting on the necessity of proper power exercise within the supervision system, along with conciliating the differences in this dimension between supervisors and supervised.

Through commenting the exposition of diverse authors of family therapy, the person of the therapist subject as a central element is approached to consider in the supervision and the different modalities from its inclusion, as well as its state oflegitimation in the formation programs offamiliar therapists.

It is alluded to the differentiated supervisee's needs according to the stage of his vital cycle as therapists, postulating the necessity of the permanent supervision and the convenience of therapist group-work, with the double intention to optimize the therapy and to protect to the therapists from the burn-out syndrome and the professional desertion.

On this way, a perspective is developed in which family, therapists, supervisors, institution · and social context, are seen like parts in progressive inclusion that is necessary to consider in the supervision activity.