The changing face of telesupervision and digital training in response to COVID-19

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly changed the ways in which marriage and family therapists (MFTs)/couple and family therapists (CFTs) engage in clinical supervision. Traditional face-to-face supervisory relationships have transitioned to telesupervision, which refers to supervisors using the internet as a training medium for their supervisees. Supervisors and supervisees alike are necessarily adapting to telesupervision relationships in an evolving world. As emergency protocols begin to give way to more routine procedures, it is important for supervisors to engage in meaningful conversations around the benefits, the challenges, and the future of telesupervision. This article discusses the various facets of telesupervision, including ethical implications, supervision modalities, the virtual supervisory alliance, the impact of telesupervision upon self-of-the-therapist work, and the potential benefits of telesupervision.

Practitioner points

• Establishing effective telesupervision requires increased intentionality on part of the supervisor. Authenticity and transparency become more critical in establishing connections and trust with supervisees in an online format.
• Supervisors should collaborate with supervisees to establish processes for the times technology-related problems occur.
• Supervisors must also understand the unique ethical issues that are presented with providing supervision through an online format.