Once you become licensed, you may find that you miss your weekly meetings with your supervisor. Well, there is something you can do about this.
You have probably heard about peer supervision groups; where a group of licensed therapists get together on a regular basis to discuss cases and get support. You may even think this is a great idea; but until you have experienced a good group you may not fully realize the benefits.
I have been with my peer supervision group for about 3 years. It’s not always convenient, there are definitely days that I don’t feel like going because I am “too busy.” (Which really just means I am allowing other things to take priority.) But I go anyway and I can tell you it’s worth it.
Private practice can be very isolating. We sit all day in our office with our clients, who are not our friends and do not support us. We support them. But we need support too! Here’s where the peer supervision group can be very beneficial. Having trouble with a borderline client? Chances are your group members have had similar experiences and have learned ways to cope.
In our group, we spend the first 10 minutes or so on business or insurance-related issues. Although I do not take insurance, I have found these discussions to be beneficial in that they motivate me to stay private-pay. We also discuss marketing ideas, or client issues such as no-shows. Talking with others can give you an alternative perspective that may spark some creativity or new ideas. I have my iPhone handy to take notes at all times.
Then, we spend about an hour discussing client cases. Depending on how many people want to present, the time is divided equally. This usually equates to about 10 or 15 minutes each. It’s important to plan in this way, otherwise the first therapist to present may run long and deprive other therapists who also need to discuss their cases. After the details of the case are presented, then any therapist who has a suggestion simply offers it. We usually have one person track the time so that we don’t go over; we all have lives and clients we must attend to so it’s important to end the meeting on time.
What is also great about my group is that we openly discuss guidelines. For example, one of us recently invited a new person who didn’t fit very well with our dynamic (he dominated conversations, did not listen well, etc.) We had an open discussion to remain as a closed group, and if we ever decided to change that we would invite the new person on a trial basis. We also openly agreed to focus on client, rather than personal, issues. It is important for the group to have these kinds of discussions and agreements.
It’s also important to have a good mix between seasoned and inexperienced people. Or, rather, not to have too many inexperienced people. In my group, most of the therapists are very experienced. If there are too many inexperienced people, suggestions and perspectives are limited, making the group less helpful.
If you do decide to join or form a group, be ready to make a commitment. Remember the stages of groups you learned in graduate school? Well, they apply here. At first the group is “storming,” trying to find its own identity. The members need to become comfortable with each other in order for the group to function properly, and the group dynamics need to be understood and adapted to. This won’t happen if you constantly have people coming and going from the group. My group is comprised of 6 (mostly) regular people, and it functions well.
Yours in the Joy of Knowledge,
Dr. Barbara LoFrisco
