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Website Materials for Clinical Supervision in the Helping Professions: A practical guide
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Chapter 1 Introduction to Supervision
Pre-Chapter Self-Inventory
Choose the response that best describes your current thoughts regarding each statement using the five-point scale:
1 = Strongly agree
2 = Agree
3 = Undecided
4 = Disagree
5 = Strongly disagree
__1. I have clearly defined goals regarding what I would like to learn by reading this text.
__2. So far in my education I have had excellent models for what I would like to become as a supervisor.
__3. I am approaching becoming a supervisor with confidence.
__4. At times I feel intimidated and overwhelmed by all that I need to know before I start supervising others.
__5. I believe the primary goal of supervision is to protect clients.
__6. I do not see “gatekeeping for the profession” (the process of determining who does and does not enter the field) as an appropriate role for supervisors, mainly because this tends to impede a working relationship between supervisor and supervisee.
__7. I think that the primary goal of supervision should be to help supervisees develop a problem-solving approach to clinical issues they encounter.
__8. My idea of supervision is that supervisees would be taught what to say and do in any situation.
__9. As a supervisor, I would want to provide most of the structure for the supervision sessions.
__10. I think it is reasonable for supervisees to expect a collegial and collaborative relationship with their supervisors.
Questions for Reflection
1. Imagine yourself as experienced supervisor 20 years from now. Write down some thoughts about what you hope you will be saying about your experiences as a supervisor. Do you think you will be able to describe your experiences as rewarding for you personally and professionally?
2. Based upon your response to activity #1 above, what do you most want to work on in this course as you work toward becoming a competent supervisor?
Online Quiz Items
Chapter 2: Roles and Responsibilities of Supervisors
Pre-Chapter Self-Inventory
Choose the response that best describes your current thoughts regarding each statement using the five-point scale:
1 = Strongly agree
2 = Agree
3 = Undecided
4 = Disagree
5 = Strongly disagree
__1. The focus of supervision should be on the supervisee rather than on the supervisee’s clients.
__2. The skills I am learning as a counselor are the same skills that I will need to be an effective supervisor.
__3. Therapy for the supervisee has no place in the supervisory relationship.
__4. It is acceptable for me as a supervisor to determine what role I should serve in for my supervisee.
__5. I believe that I can be an effective supervisor even though I may not know everything my supervisee is doing in his or her clinical work.
__6. I don’t think a supervisor should have to be responsible for determining whether a supervisee is fit for the profession.
__7. I believe I can be an effective supervisor to any supervisee regardless of age, gender, race, affectional orientation or ethnicity.
__8. The supervisor should have a general overview of the clinical activities of the supervisee but does not need to have detailed knowledge of every case.
__9. I have a clear understanding of my model of effective supervision and what my role is as a supervisor.
__10. I believe the supervisor is legally responsible for the professional activities of their supervisee.
__11. When I was first a supervisee, I had a clear picture of what I wanted from supervision and I was able to ask my supervisor for the guidance I wanted.
__12. Most of my supervisors gave me a thorough orientation to the supervision process and prepared me well for what to expect from them as supervisors.
__13. Supervisees should not be expected to prepare in advance for sessions with a supervisor, for it is the supervisor’s role to structure each supervision session.
Contributor Comments on Roles and Responsibilities
Steve Arkowitz, Psy.D.
“I believe my primary role as a supervisor is similar to that of a consultant. Of course the degree to which a supervisor takes on a consultant role will depend on the level of clinical sophistication, education and training of the supervisee. Excluding those supervisees who are completely new to clinical practice, I believe that supervisees usually come to the table with a great deal of knowledge and training. I think a consultation-model of supervision places the emphasis on training and development.
Additionally, when a supervisor takes a consultation approach to supervision, he or she allows herself to also learn from the supervisee. As a consultant to the supervisee, the supervisor is not the expert, but a colleague with either more general experience or some specialized knowledge.”
· In which supervisory situations might you see yourself acting in the consultant role?
Muriel Yáñez, Psy.D.
“The role of supervisor includes the responsibility for providing a context for mistakes and corrective experiences to take place in a non-shaming manner. Finally, inherent in the role of a supervisor is combining and balancing being an ethical and competent model for the supervisee, demonstrating willingness to continue to be open and learn, and assuming the role of a consultant.”
· How would you go about creating a supportive supervisory environment where the supervisee would be comfortable discussing mistakes and shortcomings?
Questions for Reflection
1. Describe how you viewed the roles and responsibilities of the clinical supervisor before and after reading this chapter and the contributors thoughts on this topic. Has your view changed significantly?
2. Describe what you see as the primary role you will be serving in as a supervisor and why that would be the case.
Online Quiz Items
Chapter 3 Supervisory Relationship
Pre-Chapter Self-Inventory For Chapter 3
Choose the response that best describes your current thoughts regarding each statement using the five-point scale:
1 = Strongly agree
2 = Agree
3 = Undecided
4 = Disagree
5 = Strongly disagree
__1. A positive and productive relationship between the supervisor and supervisee is essential if supervision is to be effective.
__2. As a supervisor, it is acceptable to me to become socially involved with a supervisee who seems more like a colleague to me.
__3. I believe that I can be an effective supervisor even though I may not like my supervisee.
__4. A supervisor’s primary responsibility is to develop an atmosphere conducive to learning.
__5. The methods a supervisor uses are more important to the outcomes of supervision than is the quality of the supervisory relationship.
__6. As a supervisor, I would rarely engage in self-disclosure with my supervisee.
__7. Supervision is an appropriate context for supervisees to express and explore their fears, concerns about their performance, and their self-doubts.
__8. I believe that many trainees have keen insights, useful reactions, and insightful intuitions that they keep to themselves because they doubt themselves.
__9. I think that courage is not the absence of any performance anxiety, rather courage involves identifying and challenging those fears.
__10. To the degree that supervisees are unaware of their needs and personal dynamics, they are likely to use their work mainly to satisfy their unmet needs.
__11. As a supervisor, I will strive to develop collegial and collaborative relationships with my supervisees.
__12. As a supervisor, I would want to be personal and disclose my professional experiences with my supervisees, when appropriate.
__13. I believe that supervisors need to take a personal interest in their supervisees as well as their cases.
Contributors’ Comments on the Supervisory Relationship
A practicing supervisor, Elie Axelroth, Psy. D., captures the centrality of the relationship when she writes: “On a more pragmatic level, it is the job of the supervisor to help interns observe their clients with greater accuracy and insight. A supervisor’s role is to help interns to see their own predispositions and prejudices and their over-reactions so that they gain insight into their blind spots. Effective supervision is not case management, although that plays a part as well. Supervision rambles at times, steers off course into associations and curiosity, and gives interns the opportunity to wander, to explore, and to discover. Supervision is, after all, a relationship.”
· What do you think of this notion that supervision provides supervisees with an opportunity to wander, explore, and discover?
One of the contributors, Steve Arkowitz, Psy.D., had this to say about power in the supervision relationship: “The supervisor is clearly responsible for all of the professional activities of the supervisee and has both the power and the authority in the relationship. What seems to be important here is that the issues of power and authority are recognized and addressed by the supervisor and the supervisee. Equally important is that the focus should be upon assisting the supervisee to develop more power to provide their own decision-making abilities and thus becoming empowered through the supervisory process.”
· What is your view of the power and authority that you would like to have as a supervisor?
Working with Difficult Supervisors
Alle-Corliss and Alle-Corliss (1998) describe several areas where supervisees might encounter difficulties in working effectively with a supervisor. Here are some of those challenges.
· At times, there is a poor match between you and your supervisor. This can afford you a learning opportunity for getting along with a range of personalities. Your supervisor may want you to think and act as he or she does. In this event, you can practice your assertive skills in letting this person know that you want to learn in supervision, but you also want to develop your own therapeutic style.
· There will be times when supervisors do not follow through with their commitments, and it may be hard to arrange for a meeting time. Realize that supervisors get bogged down with their many responsibilities. As their client load grows and pressures increase, they may not initiate the regular supervision sessions that they have promised. As soon as you notice a problem, do your best to deal with the situation. Let your supervisor know that you need regular supervision and let this person know specifically what you are needing.
· You may have an inadequate supervisor. Clearly, it is appropriate for you to share your concerns as they arise and express that you are not getting your needs met. Doing this may be very difficult, which means that you may have to seek assistance from other appropriate sources. It is important that you handle these situations with tact and professionalism.
· Working with difficult supervisors can be a real challenge. There are some supervisors who may tend to be judgmental, critical, and aloof. Again, this may be a chance to learn how to deal with difficult administrators or clients that you will meet in the future. Look for a support system where you can address your concerns.
Questions for Reflection
1. Describe your thoughts about the importance of trust and respect in the supervisory relationship. Must they be present for supervision to be effective? What can be the consequences if trust and respect are not present between the supervisor and supervisee?
2. Based upon what you have learned about supervision to date, how can you as a supervisor balance the need for a healthy supervisory relationship with the need to monitor and evaluate your supervisee’s clinical performance?
Online Quiz Items
Chapter 4 Methods of Supervision
Pre-Chapter Self-Inventory
Choose the response that best describes your current thoughts regarding each statement using the five-point scale:
1 = Strongly agree
2 = Agree
3 = Undecided
4 = Disagree
5 = Strongly disagree
__1. I think it makes sense to conduct supervision with individuals and with groups equally.
__2. I would use similar supervision methods in both group and individual supervision.
__3. It is largely the choice of the supervisee to decide what methods will be utilized in supervision.
__4. I believe that the relationship between the supervisor and supervisee is more important than the methods utilized.
__5. Supervisors that I know tend to use the same methods in supervision that they use in therapy.
__6. I think group supervision is more productive than individual supervision because of the interaction among supervisees that occurs.
__7. Supervision is a collaborative process where the supervisor and supervisee work together to use supervision methods that best fit the supervisee and the setting in which the supervision is occurring.
__8. Direct observation of supervisee’s work such as viewing videotapes of sessions with clients is no more effective than talking about the cases in supervision sessions.
__9. I think it is important to have a number of supervision methods available to use rather than relying on just one or two.
__10. I have a good idea which supervision methods to use with which
kind of supervisees.
Contributors’ Comments on Methods of Supervision
Marijane Fall, Ed.D., and John M. Sutton Jr., Ed.D., describe how they would proceed with supervision: “One sentence that best represents our philosophy is, ‘Supervision begins and ends with the supervisee’. This supervisee focus is in contrast to counseling where the client is the focus. While we do not advocate that client welfare be ignored and place the supervisee secondary to the client in cases where client welfare is threatened, in most instances, the supervisee remains our focus. It is this particular theme that intertwines throughout our model of supervision.
Prior to supervision, it is the supervisee's responsibility to construct the supervision agenda. ‘Supervisees are the architects of their own learning and need to be proactive, assertive, and most importantly, courageous in reflecting on themselves, their clients, and their counseling behavior (Sutton, 1998)’. In the process of reflection, the supervisee considers both content and process issues to be brought up in supervision. Some examples of content items and issues are introducing new cases, reviewing previously discussed cases, reviewing administrative issues, crisis issues, ethical and legal issues, evaluation issues, awareness of self and others, and professional development. Examples of process items for supervision are dilemmas, impasses, unresolved issues, counselor feelings, and needing help due to stuckness. In fact, in the process of reflection some issues may be resolved. The end result of this pre-supervision reflection process is that the supervisee arrives for supervision with a prioritized agenda.