The ethics of supervision: Reciprocity,emergence and prefiguration

Abstract

The paper asks: what makes for an ethical supervision? It begins by looking at the differing ethical requirements in situations of persons and things (science), and in situations of persons and persons. It is argued that if psychotherapy (and consequently supervision) is thought to be a scientific activity, then it will require the supervisor to subscribe to the ethics akin to those of the natural scientist. However, if psychotherapy and supervision are intersubjective relational activities, then the ethical requirements will be those of reciprocity and mutuality. Also necessary will be notions of prefiguration and emergence.

Keywords

ethics science supervision prefiguration emergence reciprocity mutuality relational

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