Supervision Essentials for Existential-Humanistic Therapy

Existential-Humanistic (E-H) approaches have a long and rich tradition in psychotherapy. Grounded in a philosophical tradition that emphasises the transformation of objective experience into subjective meaning, E-H therapists offer an appreciation of the unique perspective we bring to our worlds, and try to identify and illuminate the protective patterns that both constrict and support our survival.

In this concise guide, authors Krug and Schneider show readers how to apply the principles of E-H therapy to the practice of clinical supervision. With the skilful use of case examples - including excerpts from Dr Schneider’s companion DVD, Existential-Humanistic Psychotherapy Supervision, also available from the American Psychological Association, the authors demonstrate how E-H supervisors can embody the key ingredients of the E-H therapeutic approach, including empathy, acceptance, and genuineness, in order to create safe, collaborative, and supportive relationships with clients.

E-H supervisors teach trainees how to enter their clients’ self-constructed worlds, using their own personal contexts to develop responsiveness to clients, while also cultivating the
presence
that enables genuine encounters and real therapeutic change.