Stuck in Supervision

“She just doesn’t get it – like what I need or want to focus on. She just talks about her own cases and never asks what support I need,”

said my friend, about her clinical supervisor. We sat down at a neighborhood café, her with a Ceylon tea and me my usual half-caf Americano. The table looked onto the busy street, a helpful distraction during what became a difficult conversation. I learned that this dynamic her in supervision had been going on for some time. She had tried to discuss the topic with her supervisor, to find some remedy, all to no avail. Was it the supervisor’s style? Was this just to expect from professional clinical supervision? Or was something else going on? As a new professional and supervisee, she was finding it difficult to figure out what was going on. I was struck with a combination of disappointment in my chosen profession and panic – this was not the first time I had heard this from a friend, a colleague, or even an experienced professional engaged in supervision.

Eventually we both finished our drinks and sitting near the window had gotten a bit chilly. I offered to get a refill. It was the least I could do to fill her cup – a metaphorical twofer I couldn’t pass up (!) – given how stuck and angry I felt on her behalf. Stuck, because what other options did she have? Her supervisor was the practice owner, and also her manager, administrator, and clinical supervisor – not an uncommon multi-role set up in private counseling practices. There was too much overlap of roles and authority. Angry, because there must be a better way to structure supervision and supervisor training. [Texas and North Carolina are both making progress in this area.] I was left asking: How do I empathize with what my friend is experiencing, without normalizing her supervisor’s behavior? What path should she take through this toxic supervision relationship? I certainly couldn’t offer to supervise her instead; she’s my friend and crossing those ethical-legal-professional boundaries makes things worse, not better.

I walked back to our table, thinking intensely, and finally offered this: “Find an adjunctive supervisor to give you the support you need.” I wasn’t happy about it. That solution is emotionally and financially expensive, especially for recent graduates adjusting to their first clinical job and burdened with student loans. Yet, for many professionals stuck with unhelpful, unresponsive or dismissive supervisors, it’s the best they can do. So, how do we do better?

To begin with: Supervision is a good thing, overall. Across the mental health professions, we broadly agree that counselors need the oversight, feedback, and focused attention of professional supervision, to monitor clinical practice, client welfare, and foster professional growth. That’s the assumption, anyway. But the supervision my friend – and many other supervisees – actually get is inadequate, provided by untrained practitioners, with little skill and less accountability. The challenge is that this kind of supervision is ineffective; it produces poor outcomes, for both the supervisee and their clients.

My own experience has been quite different. I have been on the receiving end of some fantastic supervision over the course of my career. I’ve had supervisors sit with me when I cry, push me beyond my comfort zone, and celebrate with me at each new professional milestone. While I’ve put in some hard work, I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today without them. The clinical supervisors, peers, and mentors I’ve had along the way exemplify what counselor education can and should be. But why is this not happening profession-wide? As the beneficiary of their care, time and expertise, I feel it’s my duty to give back to the village from which I’ve come.

That’s why I am focused on working towards a new vision of what supervision should be: A deliberately reflective space, crafted to support the supervisee’s professional goals, developmental needs, where clinical effectiveness guides the supervisory relationship.

At Veduta Consulting, we are focused on this kind of excellence in supervision. My colleagues and I are passionate about the essential role of positive, effective supervision in mental health professionals’ ongoing development. We believe in the power of supervision to improve your clinical effectiveness and achieve your professional goals.

Written by Gideon Litherland MA, LCPC, CCMHC, BC-TMH