ABSTRACT
A distressed supervisee leaves me a phone message. “I think we’d better talk before my next session with L (patient). I’m annoyed and pretty rattled.” An experienced clinician, the supervisee knows when he is overwhelmed and muddled by his countertransference response. I return his phone call, and we agree to speak briefly by telephone later that day. This is a decision of necessity and convenience. I have no open clinical hours. He needs my assistance before his next scheduled supervision. I believe that even a brief consultation will help, and we can discuss these clinical issues in more detail when we meet in person.
