ABSTRACT
I work as a systemic psychotherapist in general practice. Over many years, I have developed different ways of working with my medically trained colleagues, often based on the concept of supervision. For systemic therapists, supervision is a familiar part of training, even though the opportunities for live supervision may dwindle as trained staff members are employed in secondary services. For doctors, neither live nor reported supervision are part of the accepted working practice. In addition, the word “supervision”—especially among doctors—often implies a higher level of knowledge. I therefore prefer to think of supervision in terms of professional collaboration. Collaborative work in general practice—between therapist, GP, and client—can over time provide an added dimension to the relationship between doctor and patient. Rolland (1998) and Blount and Bayona (1994) emphasize the importance of interdisciplinary teams working collaboratively to generate new descriptions for patients in their cultural and life contexts, stressing the importance for patients of integrating the psychosocial and biological aspects of their lives. Collaborating by generating different perspectives on which the patient has the opportunity to comment provides the opportunity for professionals to attend to the affect of their deliberations and to learn from the patient.
