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Until recently in the history of our field, psychologists were thought to be proficient as supervisors if they had achieved licensure and were recognized as competent in their area(s) of practice or research. Specific training in supervision was not part of many curricula in graduate programs in clinical psychology. As part of postdoctoral training, some early career professionals supervised graduate students and then were supervised on the supervision they provided. However, theoretical frameworks for supervision were not fully articulated, and supervision was not recognized as a core competency. Psychologists were doing a lot of supervision but were not necessarily being very thoughtful about it. Novice supervisors were unsure how to supervise, and new supervisees were unsure what to expect from supervision. New supervisors understandably relied on what was modeled for them. Both positive and problematic supervisory relationships were internalized, and these identifications influenced how succeeding generations of psychologists supervised trainees.
In recent decades, more attention has been paid to the development of supervisory skills. A large part of the reason for this is a greater appreciation of the impact of the supervisory relationship on patients, which Jane Campbell articulates in her 2006 book Essentials of Clinical Supervision, part of the popular Essentials series:
In order to practice ethically as a clinical supervisor, it is crucial to recognize the multifaceted and interactive nature of the supervisory relationship and the impact of this relationship on clients [emphasis added], and, as a result, place the relationship with supervisees at the center of their preferred supervision model. In doing so, supervisors recognize the needs of supervisees for safety and support; they understand the reciprocal nature of supervision and the need to promote mutuality of fairness and respect; they are able to take into account the developmental nature of supervisi