Co-Presented with Jan Praško & Ilona Krone

The parallel process is a psychosocial phenomenon where the relationship dynamics between the therapist and the client are repeated in the supervisory relationship between the therapist and the supervisor. The concept of the parallel process can be a useful tool for understanding and solving problems in therapy. However, it can induce supervision drift or block the supervision process.

Objective:

This lecture aims to familiarize the reader with parallel processes in schema therapy supervision and discuss how to manage this phenomenon in supervision.

Method:

The lecture provides an overview of theoretical constructions and empirical studies related to the parallel process. Case vignettes were collected from trainees, training leaders and supervisors to provide real-life examples of how self-reflection and self-experience can enhance the understanding of parallel process in schema therapy training, practice, and supervision.

Results:

Interventions focused on the parallel process within supervision can help understand what is happening in the client-therapist relationship and can help focus on therapeutic and supervisory practices. Schema therapy interventions such as guided discovery, psychoeducation, imagery rescripting, cognitive techniques, role-playing, dialogue of modes, and chairwork might reveal and elaborate the parallel process.

Conclusion:

Supervisors and supervisees should acknowledge and be vigilant about the diverse manifestations of parallel processes and leverage their potential for supervision and therapeutic interventions.