Gordon was a newly hired counselor in a substance abuse treatment center assigned to Todd for clinical supervision. Todd met with Gordon on a weekly basis and primarily used the sessions to merely listen while Gordon presented information about his clients. Feeling frustrated, Gordon confronted Todd about his lack of direction and feedback. In Gordon’s first performance evaluation, Todd stated that he was not utilizing supervision to his benefit and that Gordon was difficult to work with.

The above dilemma could have been avoided with an open discussion about needs and expectations at the onset of the supervisory relationship. An important role of a clinical supervisor is, simply put, to teach counselors how to be supervisees. Effective supervision includes the guidance of those being supervised toward maximizing supervision. Unfortunately many counselors have to figure it out for themselves, or worse, see supervision as more of a monitoring function. Some supervisees let their needs be known to their supervisors, but I suspect that without proper guidance many may not be fully aware of how they can involve themselves in order to best benefit from the supervisory relationship. Supervision is much more than a relationship with an experienced clinician who monitors one’s work with clients. Yet, this expectation is too often typical for supervisors as well as supervisees.

At the onset of any supervisory relationship, issues for discussion might include the roles and responsibilities, the supervisee’s goals for supervision, and an agreement on the areas of focus for supervision. It is also important that the supervisee is encouraged to take an active role in the supervisory relationship.

In recent years, I have worked with several state treatment systems by providing training to supervisors as a means of upgrading their roles and effectiveness as supervisors. In many cases, these were experienced clinicians who, by virtue of remaining in more of an administrative supervisory role, were not maximizing their skills and expertise to benefit those they supervised. Many of the supervisees were not aware of the potential of supervision as a “benefit.” In fact, I found that for supervisors to utilize new strategies and techniques learned in the training, their supervisees needed to be trained as well. A cultural shift was needed along with a new way of thinking for many in the system. Ultimately, the supervisees saw supervision not as a “threat” but truly a benefit while the supervisors began to see their role more as a teacher and less of a watchdog.

It is essential for supervisees to know their role in the supervisory relationship and to be aware of how supervision can enhance their professional growth. Haynes, Corey, and Moulton (2003) suggested questions similar to the following that will help clarify these salient issues:

1. What is the supervisor’s understanding of who decides what issues are brought into supervision?
2. Will the supervisory relationship be discussed and/or processed?
3. What are the supervisor’s expectations of the supervisee regarding his or her work?
4. How and when will the supervisor evaluate the work of the supervisee?
5. What supervisory methods will be used?
It is crucial that the answers to these questions are known to both parties and discussed throughout the supervisory relationship.

A supervisee can maximize clinical supervision by making his or her needs known to the supervisor.

Of course supervisors must ensure this occurs and some have found it helpful to provide supervisees, at the onset of their relationship, a questionnaire that solicits information such as prior supervisory experiences and expectations for the current relationship. Also worth considering is the provision of a document, sometimes called a contract, outlining the supervisory process with the inclusion of rights and responsibilities of both supervisor and supervisee.

Clinical supervisors must take on active roles in teaching their supervisees how they can derive maximum benefit from the relationship. This involves a dynamic process through discussion, questioning, and perhaps even written information. As stated earlier, the supervisor has the responsibility of teaching counselors how to be supervisees.

In the scenario above, Gordon was never given the opportunity to benefit from supervision. Unlike what was provided to Gordon, supervisors can create an environment conducive to a productive supervisory relationship; a relationship that focuses on the supervisee’s professional growth and functioning while, most importantly, promotes effective treatment and personal growth for the supervisee’s clients.

This often starts with “teaching” counselors how to benefit from the supervisory relationship.

Thomas G. Durham,PhD, LADC ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) is Project Director at Danya International, where he coordinates a worldwide program of clinical supervision to alcohol and drug counselors throughout the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.

References
Haynes, R., Corey, G. & Moulton, P. (2003). Clinical supervision in the helping professions. Pacific Grove, CA: Thompson Brooks/Cole.


This article is published in Counselor,The Magazine for Addiction Professionals, April 2005, v.6, n.2, pp.44-45

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