Supervisor Training - Couple Therapy for Depression

The NHS Talking Therapies Curriculum and Commissioning Guide lays down specifications for approved Supervisor training for Couple Therapy for Depression. As outlined there, applicants for the training are expected to be experienced supervisors already so the didactic part of the training is conducted over one day with emphasis placed on supervising within an NHS Talking Therapies context and on reinforcing CTfD practice, including the ability to assess practitioners’ competencies in the modality. The practice element of the training involves weekly peer-supervision sessions over 6 months with at least 2 Couple Therapy for Depression cases; plus fortnightly consultation on their supervision during this time with an approved training supervisor. Trainees will be required to make assessments of their peers against the practitioner competency scales and will have their own supervision assessed by the consultant.

Applicants for Couple Therapy for Depression Supervisor training should be approved Couple Therapy for Depression NHS Talking Therapies practitioners. They should have experience of providing supervision of individual or couple therapy and where possible have undertaken a recognised training programme in supervision. Ideally, they should be in an NHS Talking Therapies Service, or be able to access their clinical and supervisory work through an NHS Talking Therapies Service or through a non-NHS Talking Therapies commissioned service.

Each application must include the forms below:

• completed Applicant Details form
• a statement of support from your Couple Therapy for Depression training supervisor
• a statement of support from a current work-based supervisor, if different
• a statement of support from your line manager

Q I am a couple trained supervisor. Do I need to have completed the practitioner training before I apply for the supervisor training?

Yes, applicants should have successfully completed the practitioner training and be accredited Couple Therapy for Depression NHS Talking Therapies practitioners. The supervisor training is specific to this model.

Q I don’t have a formal qualification in supervision but I do have experience of supervising others. Am I eligible for this course?

You might be. We will consider applicants who have experience of providing supervision of couple therapy, but who do not hold a recognised qualification. You should have a minimum of two years supervisory practice. The core supervisor didactic part of the training is conducted over only one day with the greater emphasis placed on supervising within an NHS Talking Therapies context and on reinforcing couple therapy for depression practice, including the ability to assess other practitioners and score their competencies using the standardised Couple Therapy for Depression Competency Adherence Scale rating form. The course is not a generic couple therapy supervision training.

Q I have completed a supervisor training, although it was not with couples. Am I eligible for this course?

Yes. We will accept a generic training in supervision such as one provided by NHS Talking Therapies, however, you will need experience of providing supervision of couple therapy.

Q How will I be supervised on the supervisor training?

The supervision on the training is a mix of peer supervision and consultation to your supervisory work. You will be working in a supervision group with two to three other trainees and will need to attend weekly peer supervision with this group over 6 months. The sessions will last about an hour and is likely to involve telephone or video conferencing.

You will receive fortnightly consultation on your supervision during this time with a training supervisor. The requirement for this training is to undertake and successfully complete two further couple therapy for depression cases and submit recordings for assessment. These are additional to the two cases required for the practitioner training.

Q How will I become accredited?

a. You need to have attended the 1 day course in Supervision of Couple Therapy for Depression;

b. You need to have been assessed as competent on 4 cases, 2 of which would have been in the Practitioner Training and 2 of which will be in the Supervisor training. The supervisor training cases should be 15-20 sessions long. They may average 15 sessions as long as there was enough evidence of competency in the shorter case;

c. You need to have been assessed as competent as a supervisor of Couple Therapy for Depression. This will be based on the Consultant’s review of your rating of and comments on a recording from each of the 2 cases of your supervisee. This is taken together with the consultant’s assessment of your understanding of the model and the supervisory task during the 12 consultations that are part of the course.