Practical Supervision

Strategies for Site

Supervisors
Courtney B. Walters, MA, LPCS, NCC
cbwalte2@ncsu.edu
Informed Consent for Supervisees
Information that should be discussed during your first meeting:
Your qualifications and theoretical orientation
Goals and purposes of supervision
Expectations, roles, and responsibilities
Logistics of supervision
Ethical and legal considerations
Documentation of Informed Consent
LPCS Professional Disclosure
Statement
LPC Supervisor Application, page 10

Supervision Contract Examples

Supervision Contract Template (SACES)
Sample Supervision Contracts
Supervision Contract (NASW, Ohio)
Sample Supervision Contract (AAMFT)
Goal-Setting
Establishes that professional growth will be the focus of supervision.
Set goals that are realistic, measurable, and attainable within the course
of the semester.
Goals might address counseling competence or skills, diagnosis and
treatment planning, self-awareness, or professionalism. The supervisees
developmental level, area(s) of need, and learning priorities should be
taken into account.
Be intentional about addressing and evaluating these goals throughout
the semester.
Update goals as needed.
Supervisory Styles Inventory (handout)
(Friedlander & Ward, 1984)
May use to initiate a conversation with supervisee about his/her
expectations of you or to ensure that you are a good fit.
Supervision Styles:
Attractive Warm, supportive, often friendly.
Interpersonally Sensitive Invested in the therapeutic process and what is
happening to the supervisee.
Task-Oriented Provides structure to the supervision session and focuses
on goals and tasks.
Suggested Materials for a Supervision File
Internship contract
Copy of supervisees liability insurance
Supervisees resume or CV, interview notes (if applicable)
Informed consent documentation
Supervision goals and objectives
Supervision log (date, time, length of session, modality)
Evaluation materials
Copy of ethical codes and graduate program requirements
Copies of any required forms, such as client consent for recording
Individual Supervision Format
Communicate with your supervisee to
determine what your supervision sessions
should look like. Providing some structure
for your meetings will help your supervisee
to be prepared in advance.
Example:
15 minutes: Checking in, brief review of all cases
and documentation
20 minutes: Case presentation and video clip
15 minutes: Discussion of case, supervisor
observations and feedback
10 minutes: Review of supervisee goals and
progress
Supervision Methods and Techniques
Case Consultation Written Activities
Structured questions (handout)
Thematic topical selection of cases for
training purpose
Audio/Videotaping
Use of Interpersonal Process Recall
(IPR) (handout)
Review a tape and give written
feedback
Structured process commentary
Journaling
Activity log
Review of written documentation
Process recording/verbatims
Structured case review sheet
(handout)
Simulated case scenarios
Actual case vignettes
Supervision Methods and Techniques (cont)
Live Observation
Sit in room during session
Observe behind a mirror

Interactive Life Supervision

Individual behind mirror with phones
or listening device
Watch part of session then participate
Cotherapy
Supervision Methods and Techniques (cont)
Modeling and Demonstrating Experiential Methods
Model intervention strategy Role play
Demonstrate skill, supervisee Role reversal
rehearses, then role play Psychodrama
Gestalt empty chair
Family sculpting
Art therapy
Genograms
Relaxation techniques/guided imagery
Ethical Self-Exploration with Supervisees
Three steps:
1. Promote self-exploration. Use thought-provoking questions, experiential
methods, or recordings.
2. Connect supervisees self-awareness to work with clients. How might
your family background, thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, and feelings about
people impact your relationship with clients?
3. Prompt supervisees to explore options for change as a result of self-
awareness.
*Role play/demonstration of this process.
References
ACES Task Force (2011). Best practices in clinical supervision. Retrieved from
http://www.saces.org/resources/documents/aces_best_practices
.doc
Campbell, J. M. (2006). Essentials of clinical supervision. Hoboken, NJ: John
Wiley & Sons.
Friedlander, M. L., & Ward, L. G. (1984). Development and validation of the
Supervisory Styles Inventory. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 31,
541-557.
Russell-Chapin, L. A., & Chapin, T. J. (2012). Clinical supervision: Theory and
Practice. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.