Supervisor Bio: Dr. Joachim Sehrbrock, R.Psych.
I am a registered psychologist and have been offering psychological services for two decades. I hold the ranks for Clinical Assistant Professor (Department of Psychiatry) and Adjunct Professor (Department of Clinical Psychology) at UBC. I am also the owner and director of Alethea Services.
During my clinical training, I completed clinical practica, two internships, and a clinical post-doctoral fellowship in psychodynamic and psychoanalytically informed community mental health settings in the San Francisco Bay Area.
I completed certificate programs in psychodynamic psychotherapy through the Institute of Contemporary Psychoanalysis (ICP) and the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis (SFCP) Extension Program, with advanced training in contemporary object relations therapy, self-psychology, intersubjectivity, and relational psychoanalysis.
I have been a psychodynamic supervisor in the UBC psychiatry department since 2015, where I also offer academic day lectures on psychodynamic case formulation and issues of diversity. My particular research interests are in the area of sociopolitical psychology, prejudice, and issues of sex and gender.
Overview
One of the key principles of my supervisory approach is to offer specialized psychodynamic psychotherapy supervision tailored specifically to each psychiatric resident’s strengths. I use principles of evidence-based supervision, integrating comprehensive theoretical knowledge with clinical practice to enhance residents’ psychodynamic therapeutic competencies.
Case formulation informed by psychodynamic theory is a particular area of emphasis in my supervisory approach, ensuring that residents learn to use therapeutic interventions that are relevant to unique patient needs, individualized, and clinically effective. Supervision sessions foster professional growth through balanced, supportive, and constructive feedback, creating an encouraging and enriching educational environment.
Theoretical Orientations for Supervision
Three primary theoretical orientations inform my supervision:
- Contemporary Object Relations Theory: Emphasizes how internalized relational templates, developed through early relational experiences, shape individuals’ expectations for interpersonal interactions. A primary therapeutic goal is to help patients become aware of these relational templates and to facilitate meaningful change through transferential therapeutic processes.
- Relational Psychoanalysis: Highlights the significance of both real and imagined relationships within therapeutic processes, focusing on the co-constructed nature of therapy.
- Critical Psychology: Broadens the therapeutic perspective by considering sociopolitical, cultural, and systemic factors influencing mental health, encouraging deeper reflection on broader contextual dynamics within psychotherapy.
Goals of Supervision
The primary goals of supervision include deepening theoretical knowledge, enhancing assessment, case formulation, and treatment skills, refining administrative capabilities, and fostering professional development through active participation in the supervisory process.
Residents will develop proficiency in psychodynamic case formulation, therapeutic alliance-building, clinical intervention strategies, and reflective practice, all within an ethical and culturally sensitive framework.
Supervision Structure and Format
Supervision sessions occur weekly for 50 minutes and are individually tailored to accommodate residents’ schedules, recognizing occasional absences as part of the learning process. Residents engage in psychodynamic treatment with at least one patient consistently throughout the supervision period. During supervision, residents have three options for presenting clinical material:
- Summaries of sessions: Facilitates focused, concise reflections on clinical sessions.
- Recordings: Offers direct observation of therapeutic interactions enabling precise feedback.
- Transcripts: Provides detailed examination of therapeutic exchanges, allowing for in-depth exploration of therapeutic processes.
Supervision feedback is consistently balanced, highlighting strengths while constructively addressing areas for growth, and includes formal evaluations aligned with UBC Psychiatry program requirements.
Reading Curriculum
Residents have access to one of two structured reading curricula designed to complement supervision.
- The Psychodynamic Reading Curriculum (Standard) includes classical readings in contemporary object relations theory and practice
- The Psychodynamic Reading Curriculum (Sociopolitical) incorporates essential psychodynamic literature enriched by critical, cultural, and sociopolitical perspectives.
Weekly readings are recommended to enhance learning; however, I recognize residents’ busy schedules and the required flexibility to accommodate varying workloads and commitments.
Next steps
Feel free to reach out directly to inquire about availability and further details, as well as to ensure alignment with your professional goals.