From the author: The article was written in collaboration with Leibman I.Ya. The article discusses such an important form of professional support for therapists as an intervisor group. Having summarized data from various sources, the authors analyzed the functions and tasks of intervisor groups, described various options for organizing intervisor groups, their rules and regulations. Intervision is an important form of professional support for psychotherapists, although it receives little attention in the professional literature, so we decided to write an article summarizing the main features of intervisory groups in order to enable our colleagues to navigate and choose a convenient format for the intervisory group in which they plan to participate. Intervision is needed by a psychotherapist in order to correlate his professional position with the position of his colleagues, to receive and provide emotional and methodological support. In some sources there is a definition of intervision (English – intervision: “inter” - interaction, mutual orientation” and “vision” - “vision” - literally a look into the middle, insight) as an “intercollegial” or “intercollegial” method of working in a group of specialists, engaged in psychotherapy [4,2]. One of the significant characteristics for us is that, unlike supervisory and therapeutic groups, all participants in the intervisory group are in equal positions. When talking about intervisory groups, we recall J. Piaget’s statement about the need for a child peer as an equally imperfect partner. Group members allow each other to be equally imperfect and this is an additional reason for openness and collegiality. Sometimes discussing a case is like a brainstorming. If the supervisor’s main task is to reveal the professional potential of the therapist, help him identify his personal style, and it will be a mixture of genre when the supervisor begins to teach (although there is a loophole in the methodological approach), in intervision the participants have equal rights and it is acceptable that the person listening to the message speaks about his vision of the case and what work strategy he would choose if he were in the speaker’s place. Unlike a therapeutic group, all participants are equally responsible for what is happening and everyone is responsible for themselves. The purpose of what is happening is to maintain the professional identity of each participant, with respect for the boundaries of his personality, therefore the desire to change anyone is unacceptable. In the sources we have studied, the following functions of intervisor groups are identified: - exchange of professional experience; - professional exchange of information; - acquisition and support of professional identity; - the opportunity to get support among colleagues; - prevention of “professional burnout syndrome”; - finding alternative ways of working with a client; - analysis of difficult cases. Emphasizing the importance of such work for practicing psychologists, psychologists from the Yerevan Positive Center note that “intervision meetings help make novice therapists more experienced. They allow them to realize the demand for specific practical and theoretical skills and knowledge, and develop deeper meta-skills (ability to learn, accept other points of view, clinical insight), support professional identity. Intervision helps participants see “blind spots” and new opportunities for professional development" [4]. Tasks that can be considered in the intervision group: 1. case analysis, 2. methodological analysis of theoretical material or methodology 3. training of professional skills with discussion. 1. A case analysis is an analysis of a real case from the practice of one of the group members. Most often, this is a case that caused difficulties in the work, or was somehow different from others in the therapist’s experience, maybe it caught him emotionally, made him think about himself, the one that “doesn’t work.” lets go.” Forms of organizing case analysis in intervisor groups: 1. The case can be presented as a message (report). Participants in advance.They agree on who will be the speaker, the group maintains their order. The presenter can present either ongoing or completed work. Depending on how the group is organized, options are possible: the speaker himself decides what he is interested in focusing on and which case to choose, or the direction of the topic of discussion is chosen in advance - then the case is prepared in accordance with the topic under consideration. For example, working with a child in a complex family situation, working with a depressed client. After the report, participants comment on the message according to the group regulations: this can be a methodological analysis, analysis of the process, discussion of strategies, etc.2. Working with a current case. The case for analysis is presented to the group during sharing. The participant states a case that is relevant to him at the moment, in which something needs to be clarified. If there are several people who want to discuss their work, then after a brief description the group chooses what will be considered, which resonates more with the rest of the participants. In some small groups, time is divided equally between the participants: everyone tells their story and receives feedback from colleagues. The speaker can tell in advance what he expects from the listeners, what to pay attention to, what result of the message is important to him; in other groups, listeners simply report their vision.2. Methodological analysis of theoretical material Methodologically oriented groups can prepare some theoretical material for a meeting, discuss it and analyze the case of a colleague from the perspective of the theory under consideration. Some groups (for example, “fives” in the learning process at the third stage of MGI) analyze the theory and conduct exercises that allow become more aware of the issue at hand.3. Professional skill training with discussion. Groups organized by psychologists with little work experience can perform a training function: participants practice certain techniques, learn to work with clients and the group, and continue what they did in training groups at a new level. For example, participants take turns playing the role of facilitator, offering exercises to colleagues, and then a collective analysis follows. In such groups there is also individual work in a circle and group supervision for it. It is worth noting that the division into tasks is quite arbitrary and nothing prevents the group from choosing different forms of work at different moments. This is the result of an agreement between the participants and it is good when a decision is made as a result of an open discussion, and does not arise spontaneously. Organization of the boundaries of the inspection group, rules. Any group needs its own framework and rules of work so that the participants understand what project they are participating in and under what conditions. To do this, it is worth determining: 1) the number of participants and the composition of the intervisor group. Different approaches to organizing the group are possible: psychotherapists of the same level and one direction can gather (for example, those who studied in the program and continue to gather after graduation) or participants with different experience in psychotherapy, but working in the same approach (such a group can arise after a conference or during an intensive course), there are groups that unite representatives of different approaches, and in some cases, representatives of different professions, solving the same problems [6]. There are no strict regulations, everything depends on the goodwill of the participants. They decide what the upper and lower limits of the number of participants will be, whether the group is closed or open. There are groups that try to gather colleagues who are equal in experience [5], there are groups that try to ensure that group members differ in their field of work (psychotherapy, social work, teaching, etc.), previous education, age and gender - in order to to provide a greater variety of feedback and increase the efficiency of using each other’s specific knowledge and experience [1]. 2) open, semi-open, closed mode of operation If the group is open, then the maximum and minimum number of participants is determined, there is a “veto” rule (that is, an unambiguous refusal )for whomor from those who want to take part in the work and what it is (for example: close relatives or colleagues with whom there are many personal intersections cannot participate in the group). If, when considering the candidacy of a new member, at least one of the group members objects, then this candidacy should be rejected, because this can significantly affect the subsequent dynamics of the group. There are groups that work as semi-open - that is, new members are possible, subject to the availability of free seats. For a closed group, it is useful to discuss in advance the conditions for leaving the group and whether there are cases when the group will open to accept new participants. 3), the frequency and duration of meetings, in which cases it is possible to cancel a meeting, skip meetings. Participants agree on how often they meet, the duration every meeting. It is also agreed upon how the decision to cancel a meeting is made. Most often, it is agreed that the participants notify in advance of their absence from the group. There are groups in which the rule is that a participant who misses 3 meetings in a row is eliminated from the group, and if a participant warns the group about the upcoming long absence (more than 3 meetings), then the question of his further participation or leaving the group is decided by the group. Usually the meeting of the inspection group lasts 2.5-3 hours and meets once every two weeks. There are groups that meet for 1.5 hours (for example, small groups on Skype), there are groups that meet for 5 hours (for example, in the case of rare meetings, groups that meet once a month). 4) venue, group space Any group You need a venue and it’s good if you can ensure stability. Sometimes this happens on the personal territory of one of the participants, but it is desirable that it is comfortable for everyone. If the group rents a room, then expenses are discussed: for example, how funds for rent are distributed - among those present or those who are absent also pay. The meeting place of the intervisor group can be Skype. Meetings on Skype have their advantages: - there is an opportunity to meet participants from other cities, - there is no need to waste time on travel, - the cost of renting premises is reduced. However, there are also disadvantages: - there are periodic problems with communication and the participant can be disconnected not only from the discussion process, but also from the report process. The group needs additional agreements on a notification system in case of communication problems, as well as on the format in which the discussion can continue if the participant presenting the case is excluded from the discussion - temporarily or until the end of the meeting - often only an audio format is possible meetings - in this case, the group where the participants had interaction experience in advance remains more stable, since the established relationships allow them to perceive each other more deeply than an audio meeting allows. It is also worth noting that in a group working on Skype there are fewer places for informal communication - on the one hand, this slows down group dynamics, on the other hand, it complicates the passage of dynamic moments, since on Skype it is easier to avoid direct communication. 5) group rules Most often, two rules are adopted in a group: the first is about confidentiality: it is important for the participant to know that the information entrusted to their group will not be discussed with third parties. In an intervisory group, this is especially important because we are talking about the confidentiality of not only the participants, but also their clients. Therefore, it is recommended to change the client name; try not to disclose personal information about the client if it is not important for this discussion and do not take any information outside the intervisor group" [5]. The second rule is "stop", protecting participants within group interaction. For example, in some groups the rules may sound like this :"All participants must observe the principle of confidentiality: we do not expose what is happening in the group to the outside world. "STOP" rule - a participant can stop at any timeprocess directed towards him and turn the process towards the group" [7]. Usually groups also accept the rule for discussing the case: "Being non-judgmental in statements and actions in relation to others and to oneself. In the group, what is happening is not assessed or interpreted; it is customary to talk about one’s feelings and personal experience through the “I-message” [5]. Another option: “Confidentiality rule: - The client’s name should be changed. - Do not provide personal information about the client if it is not important for this discussion. - Do not take any information outside of the intervisor group" [5]. Also important are the rules for discussing the case: "Non-judgmental statements and actions in relation to others and to ourselves. In the group, we do not evaluate or interpret what is happening. , we talk about our feelings and personal experience through the “I-message” [5]. The topic of the agreement is also interaction on social networks: the confidentiality of maintaining contacts, correspondence and mentions of what happened, personal experiences is discussed. Sometimes there can be much more rules and they may include wishes for the personal qualities of the participants. For example, the Intervision Guidelines (UNODC) developed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime recommend the following basic rules: • Do not be categorical, for example, if you condemn or simply refute a behavior or statement, then it is will not lead to positive results.• Avoid asking “Why?” questions. Asking “why” often shows that you simply don’t understand “why” and are therefore judgmental. Open-ended questions to clarify details and encourage people to talk about their reasoning and motivations (for example, “Please tell me more about this”) help elicit more relevant information and promote a collaborative atmosphere.• Don't be arrogant, avoid giving advice and lecturing, which is what how to do or how to behave (“If I were you, I would...”), but try to offer relevant information, tentative suggestions, and discuss alternative solutions. • Try to connect your results with the experiences of colleagues. Accepting someone else's decision is more appropriate and effective than adopting someone else's point of view.• Don't take responsibility for other people's problems, try to motivate and support people so that they can solve their problems themselves.• Listen carefully, that is, don't talk too much don't interpret too much, but make sure you understand by summarizing what someone said or asking if that's what they meant.• Focus more on the here and now, on what people are doing or feel now what things/emotions mean for them now, what they see in the future, etc. This provides generally more relevant information for behavior change than discussing the past.• Pay attention to emotions, how and what people feel, what a particular event means to them, etc. This gives people a deep understanding of why they behaved the way they did.• Show that you understand and care, show that you are interested. Ask people how they are doing.• Be respectful of people, for example, thank people for their opinions and contributions, apologize if you misunderstood, etc.• Don't play the role of "therapist" or "psychiatrist." Listening carefully and paying attention is very important, but you need to avoid being a “therapist.” Questions such as “Tell me how you feel?”, “What does this mean to you?” can lead to antipathy, especially when it comes to proposals for solving a problem. [6]6) dynamic processes and external supervision of the group’s work The supervision group has a resource of time and attention of colleagues, and whether we like it or not, this is a subject of competition between participants. The topic of professional recognition is also very common, not to mention the fact that the personal characteristics and background of each participant’s life influence what happens in the group. It is not always possible to cope with the dynamics on your own and it is worth thinking in advance about the possibility of one-timeinvitations to an external presenter and how this work will be paid. It is useful to agree on this in advance, because... in an acute situation, the desire to leave the group is quite strong and there is not always enough strength to discuss. For example, there are groups in which it is customary to discuss dynamic issues every six months; receive supervision from an external independent supervisor; custom supervisions are paid for by all group members, regardless of the visit [7] .7) tea breaks In some groups, group members drink tea before or after the meeting. In this case, it is good to agree in advance how much time is allocated for this, how the process is organized: will someone be responsible for this and whether additional funds are collected to purchase everything necessary, or everyone brings what they want, or the group refuses this form of interaction. Organization of the group’s work1) group time and its distribution, meeting format. As stated above, most often one meeting lasts 3 hours (180 minutes). Options for distributing the group’s time (work format) depend on the agreement made. For example, in small groups, time after sharing can be distributed equally among all participants and several cases are discussed. Another option (format of work of an intervisor group of 10 people): the work time (180 minutes) is divided into two parts of 85 minutes each, between which there is a 10-minute break. [7] For example, 180 minutes are distributed in intervisor groups of vintegrative dance movement therapy as follows: discussing the minutes of the previous session (all sessions are recorded in the group), drawing up a schedule, putting in order the current requests of participants, working with a central topic (known in advance), a range of questions and completion [6]. Most inspection groups conduct initial and final sharing, when participants report their current status, what they came with and what they expect at the beginning of the meeting, and what they received and what they leave with at the end of the work. If there is no agreement in advance, then during the process or immediately after the end of sharing, the group determines what the meeting time will be devoted to. For the purpose of group restrictions dynamics, there may be an agreement that sharing (initial and final) are not intended for discussions. To resolve organizational issues, time is allocated by prior agreement or the discussion is taken to the group space on the Internet. To discuss one case, an hour of work can be structured as follows: the speaker describes the situation, your vision of the process (20 minutes), questions to the speaker (10 minutes), emotional responses (10 minutes) and listener hypotheses (20 minutes) in accordance with the speaker’s request. Questions to the speaker are asked by the participants one by one in a circle; in the case of a large group, an additional rule can be introduced: one question from a person in turn; if someone did not have time to ask a question in the allotted time, he will reformulate the question into a hypothesis. If there is a need for this format, they can changes may be made: for example, the sequence of expressing emotional responses and questions to the speaker has been changed: first emotional responses, and then questions. Another option for changing the format: at the request of the speaker, you can change the distribution of time: for example, allocate 15 minutes for the story and 15 for questions, since questions from colleagues sometimes help expand the vision of the situation. Participants share emotional responses at will, in a free form, depending on their own needs. This part of the discussion is important for the speaker in that it allows him to understand what is happening in the field of sessions and remains unspoken. The range of hypotheses in a large group is similar to the range of questions - one hypothesis from each participant in turn. If there is no current case, but professionally significant questions have arisen, the group’s time is divided into their consideration. Examples of questions for discussion in the group [4]: ​​Contract and relationship with the client (therapeutic relationship); Position of a psychologist/psychotherapist; Pros and cons of co-therapy;Resources;Professionalstyle; Approaches, methods and techniques; Personal goals in psychotherapy and counseling. If an exercise is being considered, then agree on how much time to conduct, how much for discussion and what format the discussion will be. 2) the moderator and secretary of the group agree on how the process is moderated: selected by the moderator a permanent person or a transferable function between all group members. The group decides whether the moderation schedule will be drawn up in advance or agreed upon before each meeting, or whether one moderator will lead the group for several meetings. Sometimes a moderation schedule is established in advance - for example, at the beginning of the year and they agree on the possibility of transferring the moderator function, for example: "in the event If a participant is unable for any reason to attend the intervision and/or perform his functions, he is responsible for finding a replacement in a timely manner. Replacement can only be carried out by way of exchange" [1]. In a group where one of the participants provides their premises for work, there may be an agreement that this participant does not take on the functions of a moderator. When building a format for work, the group stipulates the rights of the moderator. It has been repeatedly emphasized above that the participants have equal rights. But someone must monitor what is happening in the group: compliance with the temporary format, compliance with the contract, sequence of actions, and serve as a leader. For example: a moderator is the person who observes and marks time and content boundaries. The moderator's function is to set boundaries for everyone. The moderator is appointed before the case is discussed and he talks about when the sharing begins. In sharing, the moderator collects applications and designates them for the group. Also, if there is an agreement, the moderator can indicate to the group moments of violation of the accepted rules: for example, if discussions or discussions of unrelated topics take place in the sharing. During the discussion, one of the participants tries to carry out therapeutic interventions without prior consent. An example of a description of the functions of a moderator in Girshon’s article : "The chair [moderator] has the task of structuring the session. He/she makes sure that all parts of the intervision session are presented and also keeps track of time. It may happen that too many topics are covered in the First Aid section. Then The Chair [moderator] should come to an agreement with the group on planning and priorities. If any topics or issues arise that somehow need to be returned to at other points in the training, the Chair [moderator] should clarify and agree on who, when and. how should one take care of this"[1]. Sometimes in groups, in addition to the moderator, there is a secretary whose task is to draw up a protocol of the session. This record should reflect what was discussed or worked through in the session and how. The secretary ensures that confidentiality is maintained. Personal material must, therefore, be presented in an anonymous form and from a meta-position [1]. In conclusion, we would like to say that the most important thing is to create a safe and comfortable working space for all participants in the intervisor group; this is achieved through various agreements - it is no coincidence that it is quite large In our article we devoted space to the issues of group organization. The very ability to negotiate with colleagues and create comfortable conditions for participation in a group is an important and valuable skill acquired in an intervisor group, useful in therapeutic work. In this work, we have offered a far from complete overview of how intervisor groups can be organized and what tasks professional development of the psychotherapist they serve. We will be glad if the work is of interest to colleagues and someone continues to develop the topic. Literature Girshon A.E., Morozova Y. Guide to intervision in integrative dance-movement therapy. - Access mode: http://idmt.girshon.ru/intervision.doc – Access date: 07/20/2016. Efimkina R. P. Train on cats. - Access mode:: 20.07.2016.