Psychoanalytic Supervision

“A 'must read' for all mental health professionals. This is the most valuable book on the subject that I have ever read. McWilliams is a master teacher. She seems to have read and thoroughly mastered every source on psychoanalytically oriented supervision. Without ever condescending to the reader, she shares complex ideas that will be highly compelling to both beginners and experienced therapists. This book is a gem—don't miss it!”

—Glen O. Gabbard, MD, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine


“McWilliams has done it again: here she takes on the subject of supervision with the same sharp and refined eye that she has brought to diagnosis, case formulation, and the challenge of being a psychodynamic practitioner. McWilliams offers a passionate defense of the judgment, wisdom, and mentalizing capacity that supervision requires, whether working with individuals, groups, or within institutes. She pays close attention to the self-esteem of beginning clinicians, emphasizing both the liability and inevitability of moments of shame. At the heart of this book is a well-articulated commitment to maintaining an ethical sensibility. Given McWilliams’s inviting prose, and her candor in revealing personal experiences, this book will have an extraordinarily wide reach.”

—Elliot Jurist, PhD, Professor of Psychology and Philosophy, The City College of New York and The Graduate Center, The City University of New York


“This is far and away the best discussion of clinical supervision I have ever seen. McWilliams distills a lifetime of clinical understanding and wisdom into lucid, gorgeous, and remarkably accessible prose. I recommend this book to clinicians of any level of experience who provide supervision to others, to clinicians receiving it, and, for that matter, to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of what truly meaningful psychotherapy looks like at its very best. A masterpiece.”

—Jonathan Shedler, PhD, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco


“McWilliams offers a visionary framework for contemporary psychoanalytic supervision, compelling the reader toward wisdom and compassion as guiding forces. This book centers the humanity of the supervisee and the supervisor, honoring their resilience even while bearing suffering and the unknown. Riveting illustrations of supervisor–supervisee dynamics are used to engage a more complex and vibrant understanding of teaching and mentoring. This is a critical read for therapists and supervisors of any theoretical orientation who are dedicated to collaborative training and practice.”

—Pratyusha Tummala-Narra, PhD, Director of Training, Counseling Psychology Doctoral Program, Boston College