Strengths-Based Supervision in Clinical Practice

"Dr. Edwards has provided a positive strengths-based overview of clinic-based supervision. Supervisors will come away with a new, more positive approach on how to conduct their relationships with those they supervise. The book is especially strong on the MFT forms of supervision though other approaches are also referenced. The illustrations from his interactions with supervisees are especially helpful in fleshing out the ideas he is highlighting. Supervisors in clinical settings will find much to consider in this volume."

"Strengths-Based Supervision in Clinical Practice is a clear shift toward the relational and mutual supervisory practice that challenges and encourages the clinician to move beyond the established hierarchical models of supervision. Intentional and conversational in its presentation, the author affords the reader a refreshing, empowering, and integrated command of clinically oriented practices."

"Jeffrey Edwards provides a refreshing conversational style in which to communicate the distinctions and, dare I say, strengths of a strengths-based clinical supervisory stance. While acknowledging the contributions of other supervisory theories, Edwards offers a lively re-viewing of key tenets of the counseling profession's philosophical roots that mesh with his strengths-based model of clinical supervision. Counselor education has always struggled reaching the masters level supervisor and Edwards' book may be the first for use in the counseling profession to do so in such a clinically relevant way that fully embraces the systematicity of field-based clinical supervision."

Dr. Jeffrey K. Edwards earned his doctorate in Counselor Education at Northern Illinois University. As an Approved Supervisor of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, he was a clinical supervising faculty for the Family Institute of Northwestern University. His clinical specializations are in the areas of Couple & Family Counseling and Sex Therapy, Substance Abuse, and Clinical Supervision. He is a professor Emeritus at Northeastern Illinois University and taught courses in Introductory Family Counseling; Advanced Marriage and Family Counseling; Children, Youth and their Systems; and Clinical Supervision. He was the president of the Illinois Counseling Association and the Illinois Counselor Educators and Supervisors Association and served as an executive board member of the Illinois Association of Marriage and Family Therapy.

Forward Prologue Part I- In the Beginning 1. The History and Traditions of Clinical Supervision 2. Executive Skills of Strengths-Based Supervision Part II- A Time for a Change to a New Model 3. A Time for Change 4. Strengths-Based Clinical Supervision Primer: Social Constructivism and Postmodernism 5. Strengths-Based Clinical Supervision Primer: From the Roots of Psychology 6. Larger Systems: Strengths-Based Management and Leadership Part III- Faces of Strength: Putting my Currency where my Mouth Is 7. Supervision Sessions and Personnel Management: Vantage Point, Point of View, and Perspective 8. Two Case Studies Part IV- Moving into the Future 9. Lessons Learned and Where to from Here? 10. Epilogue