supervision for counselors Archives | Consultation & Supervision Directory

The Power of Being A Supervisor

Hey Supervisor! You have power and if you are reading this blog, then you likely have either been a clinical supervisor or have received supervision from a clinical supervisor and you likely know “They are watching”. Supervisors you have a lot of power. Weird to say out loud, huh?

Supervisor Positional Power

As a supervisor, you have positional power. Positional power is the natural power you receive by being placed in a position above someone and naturally, as a supervisor, your position is placed above that of the supervisee, giving you power.

Supervisor Personal Power

Also, you have personal power, which is the skill and ability to influence others.

The job of a clinical supervisor should not be taken lightly. You are in a position where people are learning from you, watching you, imitating what you do, assuming what you are doing and saying is correct.

There is no way to know who is watching, absorbing, and repeating your actions.

This power can be used for the good or for the bad. You know, superhero or supervillian style.

Good Versus Bad Experiences With Power and Supervisors

Many of us have experiences with good supervisors and many of us have experiences with those that we learned a lot of what-not-to-do from.

I recently heard of a beautiful story, where a clinical supervisor provided 150 of clinical supervison to the trainee. When the hours were complete and the board approved the increase in licensure, the individual was celebrated amongst their peers, recognized at the team meeting, and both the supervisor and supervisee exchanged gratitude toward each other.

I also heard of a story, that wasn’t so beautiful. A story where a clinical supervisor provided the 150 hours of clinical supervision to the trainee and then, prior to the trainee turning in their information to the board to get their licensure increased, the supervisor became upset with the trainee and stated if the trainee sent the hours forward they would contact the board and tell them to decline the trainees licensure increase.

Both of these stories identify how much power you have as a supervisor. These stories show you how important your job is and identify the need for ethical decision making. It shows how much YOU are influencing those around you and identify you are a role model. These stories prove you’re a leader and prove the importance of your job.

Your job is serious, it is important, and has implications. You are training the next generation on morals, ethics, values, therapy, modalities, diagnosis, and power.

Pssst….if you’re one of the amazing supervisors out there and you aren’t yet listed on our directory, what are you waiting for?

Carry on, supervisor.

Photo by Miguel Bruna on Unsplash

What Are The Benefits of Consultation?

Working as a mental health therapists doesn’t have a guidebook, recipe, or playbook. We are constantly working off of our education, experience, gut feelings, and research. It is without a doubt, a profession that keeps us on our toes. This is why consultation is so important in our field of work. There are so many benefits to consultation.

Consultation in the mental health field, typically falls into two different categories; clinical consultation and business consultation. Clinical consultation isn’t a new phenomenon in our profession, by any means. Many people have engaged in this practice, while others are left wondering what’s so great about it. Let’s break down some of the benefits of Consultation.

Mental health therapy can feel lonely.

That’s interesting to say, isn’t it? We are surrounded by people all day. The fact of the matter is, we are typically moving from therapy session to therapy session and not spending time in between decompressing from the information we hear. Finding a consultant to speak through cases helps us to decompress.

Consultation can get help with tricky cases.

Many people are seeking consultation for specific areas of therapy. For example, if someone is struggling with providing couples therapy (or just needs some new ideas, clarification, or support) they can seek a consultant who specializes in couples therapy.

It provides a second opinion.

Do you ever have those times you think you did the right thing during session, but you are second guessing it. These are the perfect scenarios to bring up during consultation. You can get a second opinion on how to do things differently next time, or reassurance that another professional agress with your recommendation/response.

It looks good in court.

For those of us who have had to testify, can we say intimidating?! If/when you have to testify in court, it is really nice to be able to say that you received consultation on a case. This is providing the court with the knowledge that it wasn’t just you that had a specific recommendation, but by receiving consultation on it, there were multiple professionals in agreement. Additionally, it goes to speak to your character that you would be willing to pay for consultation to better yourself as a clinician, when it isn’t a requirement in our field.

Business Doesn’t Always Come Naturally.

Not all of us are business savy. Some of us struggle with managing the financial aspects of the practice, while others are struggling to manage and supervise other therapists and keep a positive work environment. If you find yourself in this category, a business consultant might be just what you are looking for.

These are just some of the benefits of consultation in the mental health field. No doubt, there are plenty more. Go ahead and take a peek at our consultation directory listing and see who you can find that matches just what you need.