The utilization of a one-way mirror, a wireless microphone for the supervisor, and a “bug-in-the-ear” earpiece for the supervisee constitutes, in the author’s opinion, an excellent alternative method of supervision. It allows the supervisor to be able to unobtrusively observe the therapist and patient, gives the supervisor a chance to help a learning therapist “on the spot,” so to speak, and to positively reinforce and shape meaningful, empathic, therapeutic responses. This method of supervision has been used over a period of years with residents, medical students, social workers, nurses, psychology interns, etc. Most commonly, supervisees initially feel threatened by the “bug-in-the-ear,” which can be minimized by following some “do’s” and “don’ts.” The literature about supervision and some of the methods employed by other investigators are briefly reviewed.

The Hidden in Clinical Supervision: A Method to Know and Affect What’s Going on in There

For seven years, first year residents in psychiatry have been followed in their initial teaching effort. In the most recent group studied, five residents who taught psychology of adolescence to undergraduate education majors initially experienced considerable anxiety, followed by immediate relief, a progressive sense of mastery and enthusiasm, and a reluctance to end the elective. At the conclusion, all reported that the experience was extremely worthwhile and wished to continue teaching to try out new ideas. All of twenty undergraduate students who responded to an anonymous questionnaire rated their resident-instructor “above average” in comparison with previous instructors in high school and college, and 45 percent rated him “one of the best.” The faculty documented the residents' learning by behavioral changes over the observational period.In our experience, brief but active involvement in teaching has proven to be the best starting point. Educators as supervisors help the resident bypass threatening i...

Robert P. Tufo

Papers

The first experience in teaching psychiatry.