title: Supervisor variance in psychotherapy outcome in routine practice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although supervision has long been considered as a means for helping trainees develop competencies in their clinical work, little empirical research has been conducted examining the influence of supervision on client treatment outcomes. Specifically, one might ask whether differences in supervisors can predict/explain whether clients will make a positive or negative change through psychotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this naturalistic study, we used a large (6521 clients seen by 175 trainee therapists who were supervised by 23 supervisors) 5-year archival data-set of psychotherapy outcomes from a private nonprofit mental health center to test whether client treatment outcomes (as measured by the OQ-45.2) differed depending on who was providing the supervision. Hierarchical linear modeling was used with clients (Level 1) nested within therapists (Level 2) who were nested within supervisors (Level 3).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the main analysis, supervisors explained less than 1% of the variance in client psychotherapy outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Possible reasons for the lack of variability between supervisors are discussed.
authors.affiliation: a Student Health and Counseling , University of Alaska Fairbanks , Fairbanks , AK , USA.
authors.forename: Tony G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Rousmaniere
authors.affiliation: b Department of Psychology , University of Alaska Anchorage , Anchorage , AK , USA.
authors.forename: Joshua K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Swift
authors.affiliation: c Calgary Counseling Center , Calgary , AB , Canada.
authors.forename: Robbie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Babins-Wagner
authors.affiliation: d Department of Psychology , University of Alaska Fairbanks , Fairbanks , AK , USA.
authors.forename: Jason L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Whipple
authors.affiliation: c Calgary Counseling Center , Calgary , AB , Canada.
authors.forename: Sandy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Berzins
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D009934:Organization and Administration; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000193:education* / Q000592:standards*
keywords: psychotherapy outcome; supervision; training