Intervision, as the word itself says, is a vision created between and not from above.
A typical supervision group is led by an external supervisor, where mostly members of the group act as observers or at best make comments.
In the Intervision there’s no supervisor who takes responsibility of the group and gives the final interpretation
Some people associate Intervision with peer-group supervision or a leader-less group. In the peer supervision group, there is a supervisor in turn and therefore it becomes a normal supervision. In the leader-less group, often there are not clear roles. In reality there is often a latent non explicit leadership with consequential inevitable conflicts.
The Intervision group is a leader-full group. it’s a group with a strong authority to which all refer and agree with.
Authority is first and foremost the values:
- listening without comments
- respect
- compassion
- asking questions rather than assuming judging or interpreting
The group process is held together by a strong structure, divided into clear distinct phases.
The group is like any orchestra or choir with a conductor. The members in turn become the conductor, with precise defined and clear responsibilities. He/she doesn’t interpret, decide or have the final say.
The process is grounded in self-responsibility and self-awareness.
The therapist presenting the case is responsible for what to take and what to leave. The “intervisioning” therapists are responsible for the feedback and the suggestions they make.
This clear strong structure creates an atmosphere of safety and trust in the group , which are the core conditions of every healthy group.
The full use of the different sensations, feelings, intuitions, experiences and competencies of every member of the group creates a collective wisdom and a synergy that is quite unique.