3 Tips For Managing Anxiety in a Clinical Supervision Relationship
By Pansy Ayala
As a social worker or therapist, do you struggle with anxiety and worry about how it might show up in your career? Are you concerned about anxiety getting in the way of you building a meaningful relationship with your clinical supervisor or getting the most out of clinical supervision? If so, you’re not alone.
Anxiety is a normal emotion characterized by uncertainty, fear, or worry and it can show up in many different ways for each person. Most of us experience anxiety in everyday life but anxiety can sometimes become more persistent and consistent. This can leave you feeling more on edge, feeling threatened by the unknown, and thinking about unrealistic catastrophic situations.
Naturally, you might want to avoid doing things that make you feel this way. But, having a strong and successful professional relationship with your clinical supervisor doesn’t have to be an intimidating and stressful experience. Try these three tips to manage your anxiety so you can have the clinical supervision relationship that you want!
1. Know that your clinical supervisor wants you to succeed!
Your clinical supervisor wants you to be successful! They are passionate about guiding the next generation of clinical professionals to be the best clinician that they can be. Clinical supervisors want to support and challenge you to grow and find your voice. This may look different depending on the individual style of a supervisor but the intention is the same.
Clinical supervisors have been where you are now and know what it feels like to be pre-licensed and building skills and experience. It’s normal to feel a sense of inadequacy or incompetence when you are first learning something new but try to remember that being open to learning new skills and being challenged will help you grow. Your supervisor is invested in you and will be there to support you. Trust the process!
2. Manage your expectations.
When you’re feeling anxious, your mind and body are under stress and it can be hard to focus your attention on productive problem solving. Managing expectations by identifying what is realistic and achievable will allow you to figure out what you can and can’t control.
For instance, if you are struggling with social anxiety and fear that you may embarrass or humiliate yourself or worry that your clinical supervisor will notice that you’re nervous, think about ways that you can prepare for your individual supervision session. It might be helpful to create a list of questions or concerns you’d like to talk about or rehearse case presentations.
It can also be helpful to explore and identify what your anxiety is about and find a way to address the anxiety. This may look like working with a therapist or becoming aware of your physical symptoms and working on regulating your body.
3. Take risks in supervision with your clinical supervisor.
While it may feel uncomfortable and vulnerable to take risks, doing so will allow you to develop a strong and secure relationship with your clinical supervisor. Having a strong and supportive relationship means that you can more openly address what you are feeling and share questions and concerns you have about yourself as a clinician or about your work with clients.
People often feel alone with their feelings and experiences and are pleasantly surprised and relieved when they learn that others share similar feelings, thoughts, and experiences. Taking risks in a supportive environment can also allow clinicians to first-handedly experience what it is like for clients to be vulnerable with them in therapy sessions. Clinicians can develop a deeper sense of compassion, empathy, and understanding for clients when they allow themselves to be open and vulnerable to new and challenging experiences.
How can we help
As a therapist, becoming more aware of our feelings and how and why these feelings affect us is essential to ensuring that the work that we do with clients is effective. The relationship you have with your clinical supervisor is an important one and finding ways to manage your anxiety so that you can engage, learn, and grow will help to create a meaningful and supportive relationship.
At Firelight Supervision, we have multiple clinical supervisors to choose from on who might be the right fit for you!
Author Bio
Pansy Ayala is a licensed therapist with Catalyss Counseling and specializes in working with professionals and parents who are experiencing anxiety, depression, grief and loss, and/or relationship issues. She uses a holistic, individualized approach to better understand who you are, what areas of your life you find problematic, and how you can reach your goals.
