Finding a supervisor can seem like an overwhelming task. In this post, I will outline some suggestions to help you make an appropriate match.
Although you’ve had supervisors in your practicum and internship experiences, now that you have your degree this is the first time you get to select your supervisor (unless you are working at an agency.) Here are some important considerations:
- Qualifications. Your supervisor must have the appropriate license type, and also must be qualified as a supervisor. Check your local licensing board to verify this information.
- Client population. You’ll want to select a supervisor that works with the types of clients you will be working with. For example, if you are going to see children, then select a supervisor that also works with children.
- Theoretical orientation. Finding a supervisor with the same theoretical orientation will help you delve deeper and learn more. If your supervisor has an incompatible orientation, you may get confused.
- Personality. I suggest meeting with a potential supervisor in person to get a feel for how your personalities fit. For example, if you select a supervisor that likes to process things silently, whereas you like to process things verbally, you may feel unheard or misunderstood.
- Professionalism. If your supervisor wants to meet in a coffee shop, or offers to barter services, then you may want to consider someone else. Supervision should take place in an office where confidentiality can be assured, and you should pay for your services just as a client would pay a counselor.
For those of you who have already found a supervisor, here’s what you should expect from the relationship:
- Support. Although an important supervisory role is ensuring you meet professional standards, your supervisor should also be supportive. They should not say things to you that make you doubt your own skills, or try to erode your confidence.
- Sessions are about YOU. The content of supervision sessions should be about you and your clients, not about your supervisor. Although there may be times where sharing their experience may help your development, your supervision sessions should not be spent processing your supervisor’s feelings.
- A strong relationship with you. The relationship between you and your supervisor is an important one, for many of the same reasons that the therapeutic relationship is important to the client. If you feel uncomfortable around your supervisor, or find yourself having to monitor what you tell them, or some of their behavior puzzles you, then it might be time to find a new supervisor.
Yours in the Joy of Knowledge,
Dr. Barbara LoFrisco
