Methods of supervision in marriage and family therapist training: A brief report

Although didactic supervision is convenient, direct observational supervision (e.g., audio- and video-tapes) is viewed as optimal. This study examined the types of supervision utilized by trainees in Marital and Family Therapy in the state of California. Results indicated that 38.9% of the sample used audio-tapes in supervision and 57.4% utilized video-tapes. These results are positive in that more opportunities for attending to the complexities and blind spots of therapy can be afforded using these methods. However, in light of the fact that the observational approach is a more powerful training modality than most others, the results indicating that 43% of the sample did not participate in observational practices can also be viewed as disappointing. Future research involving larger sample sizes, multiple domains of supervisory relationships (e.g., academic, non-academic) and across other US regions is needed to generalize these findings.