Managing multiple relationships in supervision : dealing with the complexity

Abstract

As we discovered at first hand when we gave our workshop on multiple relationships in a supervision conference held at the Tavistock Clinic in 2005, multiple relationships in supervision practice can and do happen, not only in small communities such as ours, but also in big cities in other parts of the world. When we were planning our presentation, we were cautious about sharing our experience of multiple relationships lest the practitioners present would perceive us as unprofessional! Our caution soon dissolved when we started to listen to their stories though. One member of the workshop told us how she and her supervisee had developed a romantic relationship. Another married couple, who were also colleagues at work, shared that they often supervised each other. Very quickly we were all deeply immersed in discussing the ethical dilemmas of such situations.