Functional Analytic Psychotherapy and Supervision

The interpersonal behavior therapy, Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) has been empirically investigated and described in the literature for a little over a decade. Still, little has been written about the process of supervision in FAP. While there are many aspects of FAP supervision shared by other contemporary behavior therapies and psychotherapy in general, there are unique aspects of FAP supervision that warrant a more elaborate discussion. The present article provides a brief summary of FAP and then details some of the essential skills required of FAP therapists. Client and therapist conceptualizations can be developed in FAP supervision to help train supervisees in behavioral terminology and identify strengths and weaknesses in the therapist’s repertoire. The process of FAP supervision is described with an emphasis on the importance of utilizing the hypothesized mechanism of clinical change, in vivo contingent responding to problem and improved behaviors. This live insupervision process of creating a more effective therapist repertoire remains at the heart of FAP training. FAP supervision in group format is addressed as are ethical and professional issues related to the demarcation of interpersonal supervision and the therapist-in-training’s own psychotherapy. An approach to the assessment of changes in therapist skills over the course of supervision is presented.