Psychodynamic Supervision and Exploration of Transference & Countertransference

There are numerous models of clinical supervision. With over thirty years of supervision and practice, Dr. Roach considers himself to be a psychodynamic practitioner and will be presenting one view of clinical supervision from a psychodynamic perspective. He will discuss the importance of detailed “process notes,” as well as encouraging trainees to “begin” a session from the moment they observe a patient in the lobby to the emotions that the session brought up in the trainee afterward. Psychodynamic training emphasizes how every patient deserves attention and supervision requires teaching trainees how to see a patient wholistically rather than focusing on “deficits.”  The benefits of psychodynamically oriented therapy is that it can be applied to everyone no matter the diagnosis or the circumstances of an individual’s life.  Dr. Roach will bring a robust discussion of experience and observation from decades of supervision. An emphasis will be placed on teaching supervisors on how to help trainees conceptualize patients, answering the questions: What does conceptualizing a patient mean? How does it occur during the supervision hour?  What are the contributions of the supervisor, the contributions of the supervisee and what is the role of the unconscious in this process? How is this co-creation used by the supervisee in the process of therapy? 

Objectives

• Participants will be able to describe the preparations before supervision and the work done after supervision for a psychodynamic supervisor. 

• Participants will be able to describe the concept of “neutrality” in supervision and whether this can ever be achieved.  

• Participants will be able to describe the process of “conceptualizing” a patient.  

• Participants will be able to be able to define what a “process note” is and how is it used in the supervision hour.  

About the Presenter

Christopher Roach, Psy.D.  provides clinical supervision at PAI. Coming from Baylor Universities’ PsyD program, he completed an internship and post-doc at the Detroit Psychiatric Institute where the focus was on psychoanalytically informed psychotherapy for children and adults. Following graduation from Baylor, he has predominately worked with forensic patients at Atascadero State Hospital, Napa State Hospital, and San Quentin State Prison. Additionally, he spent two years at the UCSF/San Francisco General Hospital Trauma Recovery Center where he provided clinical supervision for therapists working with victims of violent crime including California families connected to the 9-11 attack on the World Trade Center. He has served in the American Red Cross Disaster Mental Health responses to hurricanes and wildfires. Dr Roach is a United States Marine Corps veteran. Some of Dr. Roach’s work can be found published in Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry and in the Journal of Peace Studies. 

PAI is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.

PAI maintains responsibility for this program and its content.