ABSTRACT
G. Mander writes about the dependent bond which can develop in supervision and how this can be just as pronounced with senior clinicians. These therapists may have long ago ended their own personal therapies and may particularly appreciate and rely on the containment from supervision. Supervision always has some degree of power difference, and if the supervisee is older than her supervisor this differential could be exacerbated by the social stigma of age. The ending of the supervisory relationship can itself involve significant dynamics. Some older therapists may have been with their supervisors for longer than they worked with their therapists. The contributors and other therapists have shared a number of anecdotes about ageing supervisors, including one who was unwell enough to need to lie on the couch during supervisions. There may be both organisational and clinical dilemmas to consider as some registering bodies specifically require that supervisors must themselves be practising as therapists.
