Becoming a Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy Supervisor

Download the DIT Supervisor Training Programme application form.

The applicant should fill their section out, then forward it to their DIT supervisor to fill out the following section, who should then forward it to the applicant's line manager to complete and send back to us at DIT@annafreud.org, copying the applicant in.

Applicants from NHS Talking Therapies services may qualify for a fully funded place on this training. Applicants should contact their service lead or DIT@annafreud.org to find out whether their service has been allocated any funded places by the NHS.

If you wish to self-fund this training, please contact DIT@annafreud.org to discuss this option. If you are self-funding, you will then need to secure a supervisor to oversee training requirements. We recommend where possible that supervisors-in-training work with a new supervisor for this stage.

There is a list of accredited DIT supervisors on our website. Where there has been a change in supervisor, we recommend that supervisors make contact by way of handover to obtain some feedback and identify focal areas for further training. If disagreements occur with decisions made in supervision regarding a supervisor-in-training’s progress, a consultation procedure is accessible at any stage of the accreditation process.

Supervisors-in-training are required to record and complete two DIT cases under supervision to demonstrate a secure working knowledge of the model. You will need to record these cases and two recordings from each case will be submitted to an accredited supervisor to rate. We recommend that at least one of these recordings is an IPAF session. Both clinical cases need to pass, not just in terms of familiarity with the model but also in terms of demonstrating ability to work independently as a DIT practitioner. Any major difficulties in working with the model at this stage would usually suggest that more input is required before completing the supervisor stage of training. This could be a further period of supervised practice, additional reading, more training and so on.

After passing two cases, supervisors-in-training will receive six one-hour sessions focused on their supervision of trainee DIT practitioners. By this stage, supervisors-in-training are expected to have secured at least two supervisees of their own. Preferably, one of the supervisions is of a small group and the other an individual. At the end of this process, the supervisor who oversaw the supervisor-in-training’s work is required to write to Anna Freud (DIT@annafreud.org) to advise that all supervisory requirements are complete.

Those who wish to go on to becoming a DIT trainer should discuss this with their supervisor to get their recommendation. Qualified supervisors then register their interest with Anna Freud. There are limited places for shadowing DIT trainings and supervisors are expected to make themselves available to shadow four teaching days from the 5-Day DIT Training course.

Supervisor training deadlines:

• Starting clinical work (the two further cases) - within six months of your application being approved/funding confirmed.

• Completing clinical work (two further cases) - within two years of starting the 1st case. If there are extenuating circumstances, you can apply for one 1-year extension (maximum of three years if extension is granted).

• Completing the necessary supervision of trainees with consultation - within two years of completing the clinical work.

Not adhering to these deadlines means that your training funds will be lost and you will need to fund your training again if you would like to complete it. 

You are required to maintain your DIT Practitioner status by seeing at least one patient a year. This should include one hour of DIT supervision for every 12 hours of DIT therapy work for the first year of work as a DIT Practitioner and using peer supervision beyond the first year.

You are also required to attend a minimum of one CPD day a year during the Supervisor training and beyond.