Rookie Counseling

Starting practicum is scary enough, here are a few resources to make the process less mystical.

Supervisee Rights

Supervision is not just about checking a box. You have “rights” to good supervision. Here is a document by Giordano, Altekruse, & Kern (2000) that outlines what you should expect from your supervisor. The document discusses the nature of the relationship, expectations for the first supervision session and the relationship, and potential ethical issues.

Some of your rights include:

• Supervision meetings should be face-to-face (in person or virtual) and completely confidential.
• Supervisor should help you identify and strengthen your theoretical framework (whether if matches their own orientation or not!).
• Supervisor should maintain a positive relationship with supervisee. If for some reason this is not possible even with direct attempts to resolve any conflict, you might consider finding another supervisor.

Supervision Hours Requirements

The BBS Handbook for Future Therapists includes the supervision requirements for Trainees and Associates working toward their LMFT licenses. Below is an image that outlines the supervision requirements for trainees and associates.

What to Bring in to Supervision

Most people associate supervision with case consultation, but there are so many more things you and your supervisor can work on during supervision.

• Case consultation. A classic way to spend supervision often involves a brief conceptualization of your client and an investigation into treatment goals and potential interventions.
• Client conceptualization. Spending time conceptualizing clients with your supervisor can help you expand your working knowledge of your preferred theory.
• Treatment planning. Working with your supervisor on treatment planning can help you create an informed roadmap to keep your sessions moving forward.
• Progress notes review. Reviewing notes with a supervisor can help you determine what is clinically relevant for your notes and what might be a breach of your client’s confidentiality.
• Watching recordings of supervisee’s therapy sessions. It’s honestly horrible and awkward, but super helpful to identify things you may have missed in the moment.
• Private practice questions. If your supervisor has experience in private practice, don’t be afraid to use them as a resource for your practical questions regarding the sometimes complicated world of private practice.
• Legal and ethical issues. Especially when working with minors and other vulnerable populations, having a second perspective on any potential legal issues can help sharpen your own judgement around legal issues in counseling.
• Self care. Having someone to hold you accountable to practice self care can be an important
• Compassion Fatigue. Your supervisor has most likely already experienced compassion fatigue and may be able to help you identify signs that you might be experiencing compassion fatigue. They can also offer you support while you establish a new self care routine or manage your caseload.
• Trainings and CEs. Supervisors are already well into the routine of finding new trainings and CEs to maintain their license. They can be a great resource for you to discover helpful and affordable trainings.