Balanced Clinical Supervision
I recently co-hosted a Clinical Supervisor training course with Andrew Laue (who I consider the GOAT of clinical supervision). We had an incredible training at Boulder Hot Springs that was co-created with participants to be both educational and recharging–because why not do both?
If I had to highlight ONE big takeaway from this training, it would be the value of the supervisor-supervisee relationship. We heard from several participants that their supervisory experiences were solely administrative, impersonal, rushed or focused on a checklist of getting things done and seeing as many clients as possible. This led to confusion, frustration and burnout. The good part? They came to training seeking knowledge to “do it better” and give back to their profession with quality supervision.
The post-graduate period of learning offers a magical opportunity for growth and development and often lays the groundwork for the clinician’s future work. New clinicians feel a great deal of insecurity and vulnerability that truly deserves sensitivity and nurturing. SO much development happens in this stage, learning a great deal of critical skills and practice that are not taught in graduate school. (Not to mention billing, bureaucracy, paperwork, etc…overwhelm!)
The clinical supervisor has an opportunity to offer modeling that builds relational skills in the new clinician that is then reflected back into their work with clients through what is referred to as the “parallel process.” Providing psychotherapy requires a relationship with clients–why would it ever make sense to leave this out of the supervisory experience? It does not! Skilled supervisors provide the here and now experience to their supervisees that translates directly into their therapeutic work.
Providing relational security as part of the clinical supervision experience has the added benefit of reducing vicarious liability for the supervisor. A supervisee who feels comfortable bringing their personal challenges, transference, and countertransference to the supervisor develops self-awareness and clinical confidence. When “no question is a bad question,” areas of risk that could lead to trouble or ethical concerns down the road are significantly reduced. Having open and vulnerable conversations is dependent upon the supervisor’s ability to take the lead in their relationship with supervisees.
Clinical supervision ideally covers relational, educational and administrative topics. Busyness, ignorance or lack of support can lead to an imbalance, often shorting or neglecting the relational piece. Restoring balance by developing relationship through competent leadership and modeling is critical to the development of clinicians who can sustain their work in the behavioral and mental health field.
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