5 Reasons to Seek External Clinical Supervision Right Now
By Chris Campassi
Are you working as an agency therapist and not getting the supervision that fits your developmental goals? Are you opening up your own private practice and need supervision for your clients while you work on your licensure hours? Maybe you are looking to develop a specialty and want to learn from a seasoned professional in the field. Or maybe you are starting to experience feelings of burnout and compassion fatigue, and need support from someone who has been in the field for awhile.
As you know, all pre-licensed counselors and social workers are required to have supervision as they work towards their license. But, there are many benefits of getting supervision from a supervisor outside of your organization to support your professional development.
Your Supervision is Administrative in Nature
Many of you may be working in an agency setting, hospital, school or any other system that designates who will provide your supervision for licensure. Oftentimes that person is also your boss.
Working in these settings offers an opportunity to hone your skills with very specific populations. But at times the supervision you receive is designed to ensure you meet performance expectations and requirements for insurance and funding. At times, your supervision may even feel critical or reprimanding. You may not be free to learn new modalities, and be limited to those dictated by the system.
If you are having this experience, you may benefit from seeking external supervision. Yes, it costs money, but it is very much an investment in your development. When you seek external supervision, you get to choose your supervisor, factoring in modalities you want to learn, personality and fit. And while that person does have some responsibility in monitoring your work and progress, they are more motivated to support your development than ensuring the needs of your agency or work setting are met.
You Want to Develop a Specialty Skillset
Have you begun to think about developing a clinical specialty, but not sure how to determine the best path to certification or advancement? The first step I recommend in expanding your scope and developing a specialty is to work with a supervisor with experience in your area of interest.
Once you begin working with a supervisor that is skilled in your desired speciality area, they will help you understand what requirements are necessary for any certifications you may want to seek. They will also help you strategize with what training you will need, what order you should take them in, and over what amount of time. And finally, they will provide your supervision when you start implementing your new skills with clients until you have met the requirements for certification or feel confident in that scope of practice.
You are Opening up your Own Private Practice
Some of you may be considering opening your own private practice. Maybe you are planning to do this in addition to your current job, and are trying to work on a limited budget. It may seem like a lot of money to pay for a supervisor, but again, consider this an investment in your future success, and an opportunity to avoid costly mistakes or liability risks that others have made.
Because you will need a supervisor for your clients anyway once you get your practice up and running, consider working with a supervisor who has experience in building their own practice and understands the stress of building a caseload of your ideal clients. While this person may not be offering you business advice, they can relate and support you as you navigate how to build your practice.
Compassion Fatigue and Burnout Prevention
Another benefit of getting outside supervision is that the clinical supervisor can get to know you in a more personal way. This may feel more comfortable than with a supervisor at your workplace. This also allows your external supervisor to better monitor for signs of compassion fatigue or burnout.
Being able to openly speak about how personal issues may be impacting your work, in a safe and confidential manner, can help you in these areas:
- Improve self-care
- Set healthy boundaries with work
- Take a break when compassion fatigue sets in
Most importantly, a supervisor dedicated to your developmental process will work with you proactively to minimize the risk of burnout. Your supervisor can also help you develop the insight to understand the signs of burnout and work through issues that can help you avoid burnout.
You Can Do Supervision Online
Now that the world has shifted to virtual meetings, you can now do online supervision from the comfort of your home or office. If you live in a big city, this means you don’t need to drive across town, missing potential appointments for your own clients, to have supervision.
If you work in an agency or school setting, you can meet with your supervisor over lunch from work, or from home in the evening.
The convenience of online supervision also reduces the barriers to finding a supervisor that is a best fit for you. The supervisor you want to work with could work on the other side of the state and still see you very easily every week.
Reach Out for Supervision Now
If you have been thinking about getting external supervision, but have been hesitant, reach out to us and see what we have to offer. Take a few minutes to review the vast experience our team has, as well as the variety of approaches and modalities we can supervise.
We have several supervisors who can offer different types of supervision, depending on your needs. You can do individual supervision, group supervision, triadic supervision, or a combination of any of these. And if you want to work with one supervisor individually and another in a group, we actually encourage you to get a diverse set of perspectives.
If you find someone that seems like they may be a good fit, or several of us, you can simply schedule a Free 20-Minute Phone Consultation and ask us any questions you may have about the way we work and how we can support you. Remember that this is an investment in yourself, and you are worth that investment!
How we can help
Sign up for our Burnout Prevention Check-List Email Series. Check out our Firelight Supervision Comunity for all of your individual, group, and triadic supervision needs! We also offer additional professional development benefits when you join our community. Check it out if this sounds like something you need!
Author Bio
Chris Campassi is an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) and Program Coordinator of Firelight Supervision. He is a licensed psychotherapist in Colorado and North Carolina, blogger, and clinical supervisor for provisionally-licensed and independently licensed therapists. Chris enjoys helping men, medical professionals, and former athletes manage their anxiety and stress so they can live fulfilled and balanced lives. Follow Firelight Supervision on Instagram and Facebook.
