There are many good reasons for a therapist to advance to the role of supervisor, no doubt with all good intention. Without official licensing requirements, standardized tests or continuing education needed, the workload is minimal.  When working independently, it’s a pretty good deal considering the compensating may be more appealing than that of direct service. Let's think of some more benefits:

It’s gratifying to be a role-model, mentoring, teaching and sharing knowledge and skill

The show rate is better than in the average population

Level of commitment on behalf of the client is strong; after all, these are budding professionals you are dealing with

Paperwork is minimal since there is typically no need to define a diagnosis or provide quarterly/annual reports

From an ethical perspective though, it is not only an endorsement of the supervisee's competence when taking on the role of supervisor, but it is also an unwritten promise to be supportive, challenging, honest and moral. Accepting a supervisee comes along with all the risks of their full caseload. 

It behooves every supervisor to receive ongoing training in order to impart knowledge and skill in the practice profession and in clinical supervision. "Failure to have appropriate supervision experience will make it difficult for the supervisor to ensure their supervisees are functioning effectively and ethically" (Corey, Corey & Callanan, 2007).

Supervisors wear many hats: they are mentors, teachers, consultants and advisors. Beyond the ethical vulnerability of advising on cases by proxy-that they do not meet or treat and thereby taking a leap when making serious decisions, supervisors possess grandiose power and influence.  For many supervisees a supervisor is the one person who can be their anchor in a storm of clients in crisis. Consequently, clinical supervisors must also be ethically attuned, following the professional codes of conduct which can be easily overlooked.

Let's not underestimate the significant influence a supervisor has on their supervisees. Therapists are humans first who possess a full range of emotions, have flaws of their own and blind spots as well as vulnerabilities. While a supervising therapist may lower their professionalism/clinical standard of interaction because they feel that a supervisee may be more of a colleague, by doing so they create a flawed relationship not realizing that counter-transference has gotten the better of them.  Therefore, it is vital for a supervisor to monitor their own behavior to ensure they model ethical practice effectively and also to safeguard against misusing their inherent power in the relationship between them and their supervisee.  Ultimately, supervisors fulfill a pivotal role in the transmission of knowledge and practice; they are responsible for themselves, the welfare of all the related clients and the future efficacy of the mental health profession. 

What is the mandate of a supervisor?

  1. Clinical

An effective clinical supervisor does not just instruct the supervisee. They should also teach by example through the effective modeling of clinical competencies. The clinical supervisor’s role as a clinical instructor or teacher is to:

  1. Evaluate clinical interactions (in all situations and capacities)
  2. Identify and reinforce effective actions by the supervisee
  3. Teach and demonstrate counseling techniques
  4. Explain the rationale of strategies and interventions
  5. Interpret significant events in the counseling process
  6. Challenge the supervisee in a constructive manner.
  1. Supportive

Clinical supervision can be a valuable source of support and encouragement for practitioners. A clinical supervisor’s role as a supporter is to facilitate the supervisee’s growth through the following:

  1. Assist the supervisee in recognizing their personal limitations in order to protect the welfare of both the client and supervisee
  2. Interact with the supervisee in a manner that facilitates their self exploration, problem solving ability and confidence.
  3. Support the supervisee’s wellbeing through being aware of and helping the supervisee deal with such things as stressful events, role ambiguity, career development and skill use. 
  1. Evaluative

Supervisors have an evaluative role too. The supervisor’s role as an evaluator is to:

  1. Assess the practitioner’s skills & approach towards the psychotherapeutic process with the client
  2. Clarify performance standards to be met
  3. Negotiate objectives for learning
  4. Utilize appropriate strategies to address performance and skills deficits in the supervisees approach with clients.

Other Responsibilities of the supervisor:

  1. To ensure venue and mode availability
  2. Personal availability
  3. Record-keeping
  4. Confidentiality
  5. Awareness of limitations in knowledge
  6. Commitment to the process of clinical supervision
  7. Being accountable to the employing organization, the client and the supervisee by promoting safe clinical practice.

(Adapted from Government of WA, 2005)

Many would agree that there is a need for good clinical supervision in the mental health field. What personal qualities are necessary to fulfill that role?

According to Todd & O'Connor (2005), there are Four A's of clinical supervision:

  1. Available: open, receptive, trusting, non-threatening
  2. Accessible: easy to approach and speak freely with
  3. Able: having real knowledge and skills to transmit to the supervisee
  4. Affable: pleasant, friendly and reassuring.

Given the stress level of a clinical social worker at times it seems like a tall order. After a morning of intense cases in walks the supervisee who is "low maintenance", eager, easy to project upon and similar to a colleague-there is a strong potential to “let go” and feel comfortable, being a little less cautious and a bit more direct.  “Why couch my critique?”, the supervisor may ask, “it’s all in the service of learning”. This is the real world!

Let’s not forget that within supervision the parallel process plays out too. The way in which a supervisor treats a supervisee will transfer to the treatment a supervisee provides to his/her client. For that reason it is time to do some reflection. Whether you are a longtime veteran supervisor or just starting out, please be objective while asking yourself the following questions: How much of the time do I characterize the Four A’s and does my role as supervisor cover all three areas; clinical, evaluative and supportive?