#48 Dr. Lawrence Shulman on Parallel Process in Social Work Supervision
10/12/20 • 51 min
Dr. Lawrence Shulman is Professor Emeritus and former Dean of the University at Buffalo’s School of Social Work. As a social work practitioner-educator for more than 40 years, Dr. Shulman has done extensive research on the core helping skills that are used in social work practice, child welfare, school violence and supervision best practices. Dr. Shulman is the co-founder and co-chair of the International and Interdisciplinary Conference on Clinical Supervision sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the Haworth Press. Recognized for his dedication to excellence in scholarship and research, pedagogy and curriculum development, and organizational leadership, Dr. Shulman is a recipient of the 2014 Significant Lifetime Achievement in Social Work Education Award, conferred on him by the Council on Social Work Education. Dr. Shulman has published numerous journal articles on the topic of direct practice and is the author of many books including the Enhanced Eighth Edition of the Empowerment Series: The Skills of Helping Individuals, Families, Groups, and Communities, the Dynamics and Skills of Group Counseling and the fourth edition of the seminal book Interactional Supervision.
Parallel Process makes clear that the role of the supervisor and the purpose of supervision are quite different from counseling and therapy. However, there are striking parallels in the dynamics and skills. The core dynamics and skills of the supervisor-practitioner working relationship which include rapport, trust, and caring are similar to those skills used to develop a working alliance in psychotherapy.
There are also four phases in the supervisory relationship which include the preliminary, beginning, middle and ending/transition phase, which shape the supervisory relationship over time. The use of certain communication, relationship and problem-solving skills by the supervisor can influence the development of a positive working relationship with the supervisee, and that this working relationship is the medium through which the supervisor influences the practitioner.
Dr. Shulman puts emphasis on the word “influence” because a central assumption of this approach is that both supervision and direct practice are interactional in nature and that the supervisor and the supervisee each play a part in the process. The outcome of supervision is the result of how well each contributes to the process. Dr. Shulman’s suggests that “more is caught than taught” and that our supervisees watch their supervisors very closely. Whether we like it or not, whether we are aware of it or not, our supervisees learn more about practice from the way we work with them than from what we say about their actual practice. Supervision is not therapy, and, in fact, Dr. Shulman believes that supervisors who are seduced into a therapeutic relationship with their supervisees actually model poor practice, since they lose sight of the true purpose of clinical supervision and their role in the process.
TherapyShow.com/Supervision-Best-Practices
Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is not a substitute for getting help from a mental health professional.
Dr. Lawrence Shulman is Professor Emeritus and former Dean of the University at Buffalo’s School of Social Work. As a social work practitioner-educator for more than 40 years, Dr. Shulman has done extensive research on the core helping skills that are used in social work practice, child welfare, school violence and supervision best practices. Dr. Shulman is the co-founder and co-chair of the International and Interdisciplinary Conference on Clinical Supervision sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the Haworth Press. Recognized for his dedication to excellence in scholarship and research, pedagogy and curriculum development, and organizational leadership, Dr. Shulman is a recipient of the 2014 Significant Lifetime Achievement in Social Work Education Award, conferred on him by the Council on Social Work Education. Dr. Shulman has published numerous journal articles on the topic of direct practice and is the author of many books including the Enhanced Eighth Edition of the Empowerment Series: The Skills of Helping Individuals, Families, Groups, and Communities, the Dynamics and Skills of Group Counseling and the fourth edition of the seminal book Interactional Supervision.
Parallel Process makes clear that the role of the supervisor and the purpose of supervision are quite different from counseling and therapy. However, there are striking parallels in the dynamics and skills. The core dynamics and skills of the supervisor-practitioner working relationship which include rapport, trust, and caring are similar to those skills used to develop a working alliance in psychotherapy.
There are also four phases in the supervisory relationship which include the preliminary, beginning, middle and ending/transition phase, which shape the supervisory relationship over time. The use of certain communication, relationship and problem-solving skills by the supervisor can influence the development of a positive working relationship with the supervisee, and that this working relationship is the medium through which the supervisor influences the practitioner.
Dr. Shulman puts emphasis on the word “influence” because a central assumption of this approach is that both supervision and direct practice are interactional in nature and that the supervisor and the supervisee each play a part in the process. The outcome of supervision is the result of how well each contributes to the process. Dr. Shulman’s suggests that “more is caught than taught” and that our supervisees watch their supervisors very closely. Whether we like it or not, whether we are aware of it or not, our supervisees learn more about practice from the way we work with them than from what we say about their actual practice. Supervision is not therapy, and, in fact, Dr. Shulman believes that supervisors who are seduced into a therapeutic relationship with their supervisees actually model poor practice, since they lose sight of the true purpose of clinical supervision and their role in the process.
TherapyShow.com/Supervision-Best-Practices
Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is not a substitute for getting help from a mental health professional.
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#47 Dialectical Behavior Therapy: Why We Can All Use More Skills. Dr. Vibh Forsythe Cox Interview
Dr. Vibh Forsythe Cox is a consultant and trainer for Behavioral Tech, the training company founded by DBT treatment developer Dr. Marsha Linehan. Dr. Forsythe Cox is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in Washington State, and a DBT-Linehan board of certification certified clinician. She is the Training and Content Development Specialist at Behavioral Tech and was a primary content developer for Behavioral Tech’s Comprehensive Online Training which is an online training resource for therapists interested in being trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.
DBT aims to teach people how to live in the moment, cope healthily with stress, regulate emotions, and improve relationships with others. DBT provides individuals with new skills to process painful emotions and reduce conflict in their relationships. The term “dialectical” comes from the idea that bringing together two opposites in therapy—acceptance and change—can produce more positive results than either of these concepts alone. Clients can reach their goals when they work with a therapist to synthesize these two opposites.
What is the “D” in DBT?
The “D” means “dialectical.” A dialectic is a synthesis or integration of opposites. In DBT, dialectical strategies help both the therapist and the client get unstuck from extreme positions. In this video, learn how dialectical strategies keep the therapy in balance and help clients reach their ultimate goals as quickly as possible.
What is the “B” in DBT?
The “B” stands for “behavioral.” DBT requires a behavioral approach. This means that we assess the situations and target behaviors that are relevant to our clients’ goals in order to figure out how to solve the problems in their lives. Learn how DBT provides you a path to get the change that your clients so desperately need to see (BehavioralTech.org).
therapyshow.com/Dialectical-Behavioral-Therapy
Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is not a substitute for getting help from a mental health professional.
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#49 Dr. Patrick Corrigan on Why Understanding Stigma is Key to Mental Health
Dr. Patrick Corrigan is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the Illinois Institute of Technology and a leading expert on the topic of Stigma. Dr. Corrigan has written more than 400 peer-reviewed journal articles, is Editor Emeritus of the American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation, and Editor of Stigma and Health, a new journal published by the American Psychological Association. Dr. Corrigan is the author of many books, including The Stigma Effect: Unintended Consequences of Mental Health Campaigns, The Stigma of Disease and Disability: Understanding Causes and Overcoming Injustices, and is part of the team that developed the Honest, Open, Proud series which aims to reduce the stigma of mental illness.
The lives of people with mental illness are worsened by stigma, thus leading to public prejudice, loss of self-worth, and negative implications for mental health and well-being. Stigma and discrimination can also worsen someone's mental health problems, and delay or impede their getting help which can impact their recovery. Social isolation, poor housing, unemployment and poverty are all linked to mental illness. Therefore, stigma and discrimination can exacerbate the cycle of mental illness.
The National Consortium on Stigma and Empowerment (NCSE) is a research group meant to promote recovery by understanding stigma and promoting empowerment. The Consortium is located at the Illinois Institute of Technology with a collection of researchers at Yale University, the University of Pennsylvania, Rutgers University, Temple University, the University of Wisconsin, Illinois State University, and the University of Chicago.
Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is not a substitute for getting help from a mental health professional.
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