Beyond the dyad: Broadening the APA supervision guidelines to include group supervision.

Group supervision is an extensively used format across many training agencies, yet it has been largely disregarded in theory and research within the supervision literature. In fact, the Guidelines for Clinical Supervision in Health Service Psychology (American Psychological Association, 2015a) mentions group supervision only one time, despite the fact that supervision within a group context includes competencies and considerations that are both unique and essential to the effective and ethical practice of group supervision. Because supervision conducted with multiple supervisees is multilayered and-as a result-more complex, group supervisors need to develop special skills that go beyond the supervision dyad. This article looks to the literature on supervision-both individual and group modalities-and on group psychotherapy to highlight the practices and processes that set group supervision apart. Building upon the seven supervision competencies outlined by the American Psychological Association (Supervisor Competence; Diversity; Supervisory Relationship; Professionalism; Assessment/Evaluation/Feedback; Professional Competence Problems; and Ethical, Legal and Regulatory Considerations), which currently concentrate exclusively on individual supervision, we extend each area to include distinct features of group supervision. We include recommendations for supervisor training and for the application of effective group supervision practices, as well as ideas on how best to approach the formal adoption of group supervision guidelines for psychotherapists. Our hope is that, either in a revision of the Guidelines for Clinical Supervision in Health Service Psychology or in a freestanding supplement to the Guidelines, guidance for group supervision will be more explicitly included. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

A solution in search of a problem: Commentary on O'Donohue and Fisher (2022).

O'Donohue and Fisher (2022) make some good arguments about how free speech has been jeopardized in recent years, but few if any of those arguments concern psychologists directly. Furthermore, because free speech is codified in the First Amendment, it is unclear why or how its inclusion in the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (American Psychological Association, 2017), would add anything meaningful. The arguments posed by O'Donohue and Fisher are far ranging but seldom specific to the work of psychologists. While the additional language on free speech might be well suited for the Ethics Code's aspirational principles, the proposed amendment is neither suitable nor necessary within the enforceable standards. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Psychotherapy in the #MeToo era: Ethical issues.

The #MeToo movement has heightened awareness of sexual assault and harassment, causing victims, perpetrators, observers, and loved ones to reflect on what constitutes sexual coercion and what signifies consent. These new conversations have had powerful effects: Survivors who were once silent have raised their voices; hundreds of men in powerful positions across the United States have been dismissed from their jobs; and societal norms related to sex and gender are being reconsidered. It is no wonder that the "national reckoning" enters the world of psychotherapy. This article explores three vignettes that consider therapeutic facilitation of apologies/reconciliations, psychotherapist values and advocacy, and men and #MeToo using the American Psychological Association Ethics Code as the basis to understand coercion and consent in this new cultural zeitgeist. The ethical, legal, and clinical ramifications inherent in these vignettes are highlighted as a way to assist psychotherapists in beginning to deal with #MeToo as it presents in psychotherapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Psychotherapists in danger: The ethics of responding to client threats, stalking, and harassment.

The ethics issues involved when clients threaten, stalk, or harass their psychotherapists have generally been neglected in the literature, leaving few psychologists prepared to manage such challenging situations. This article presents 3 clinical vignettes and recommendations resulting from a recent conference in Colorado on this important topic. In essence, the article seeks to address ways psychotherapists can balance the ethical challenges of simultaneously protecting clients and themselves. Each vignette is considered from ethical, clinical, and legal perspectives. Suggestions for the individual practitioner include reference to the principles and standards in the American Psychological Association's Ethics Code, professional consultation, and an increased emphasis on self-care. Recommendations for the profession involve ideas for the American Psychological Association's Ethics Code Task Force as well as a call for further research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Supervision of couples cases.

Supervision is invaluable to a psychotherapist-in-training, aiding the developing clinician in consolidating skills, thinking ethically, and developing autonomy. Although many supervisory duties can be applied across treatment modality, there are specific variations of these duties that supervisors of couples therapy cases must consider. These include assuring trainees' understanding of ethical issues of fidelity and confidentiality related to both partners in the client dyad; evaluating trainees' competence to treat two clients simultaneously and to utilize couples-specific interventions; assessing how trainees' personal beliefs such as those related to religion, reproduction, and culture may influence views of norms within a romantic relationship; and tailoring supervisory techniques and processes to best address couples treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).