Peer Consultation for Therapists: What to Expect
By Shannon Heers
At some point during your career, you’ve probably heard of the term “peer consultation”. What exactly does this look like, and what can you expect to get out of peer consultation? Especially if you haven’t engaged in peer consultation before, you may have some anxiety in trying to get it for yourself. This blog can help alleviate any stress or worries you have about engaging in peer consultation and what you can expect from it.
What is Peer Consultation for Therapists?
Peer consultation is a generalized term for obtaining case consultation or clinical consultation as a therapist, from your colleagues. Your colleagues can be peers or you can have a clinical supervisor facilitate peer consultation. Basically, there is no right or wrong way to engage in peer consultation!
Obtaining ongoing professional learning is emphasized for therapists after you become fully licensed, and peer consultation is a great way to continue your professional development. Unlike one-time trainings, there is the option for peer consultation to be ongoing and continual. It’s a great way to get consultation and support for applying the principles of what you have learned, so that your clinical skills can continue to grow.
As an Approved Clinical Supervisor, I love ongoing learning and professional development. I have engaged in peer consultation throughout my career and continue to do so today. I have provided peer consultation in group and individual formats, and I have seen firsthand just how impactful this can be on therapists’ careers.
How Does Peer Consultation Help Therapists?
As mentioned above, peer consultation can act as a supplement to formal training. It can provide a space for ongoing learning and skill enhancement, as well as help you keep up with best practices. It is hard to take time out of your busy schedule to stay up-to-date with the latest research on your clinical specializations, so more targeted peer consultation can help with this.
Discussing cases or therapeutic techniques with your peers can also help you refine your clinical skills. You want to provide the best treatment outcomes for your clients, right? One of the best ways to do this is to continually be learning and applying what you learn, and peer consultation is a fantastic opportunity to do this.
Traditionally, most therapists use peer consultation for case reviews. Presenting challenging cases to your colleagues and/or a supervisor and soliciting feedback can help improve the quality and effectiveness of your clinical interventions. Peer consultation is also a great forum to discuss and seek guidance on ethical dilemmas, helping you to adhere to professional ethical standards.
Emotional support for the tough work you do as a therapist is a nice by-product of peer consultation. Sharing your experiences and emotions, as you know, can be therapeutic and can help prevent burnout and compassion fatigue. Maybe you discover a new self-care technique, or coping strategy, that helps you get through your long days!
Engaging with peers who work with culturally diverse populations can help promote your own cultural sensitivity and competence. Hearing different perspectives of different therapeutic approaches and clinical interventions can only help you grow and develop as a therapist. You can also be reminded (hopefully gently!) of any personal blind spots that may be affecting your clinical work.
Common Misconceptions of Peer Consultation
There are several things that peer consultation is NOT:
- Advice giving
- Trying to prove expertise
- Helping you get a better job
- Business consultation
While all of these topics may come up in peer consultation, depending on who you are consulting with, peer consultation should not be a replacement for formal training, mentoring, business networking, or learning about how to grow your business.
Keeping peer consultation focused on the clinical aspects of your work as a therapist is important because you can get the other stuff listed above in different ways. Peer consultation means that no one is really an “expert” and that you are all in this together.
Seeking Peer Consultation
If you are seeking out peer consultation, you first want to figure out exactly what it is you are looking for. Are you looking for a colleague that you know and trust to give you one-time support? Or are you looking for an ongoing relationship with a group of peers? Perhaps you want to engage in group consultation with a trained and experienced supervisor.
To go further, are you looking for a local consultation group that you can meet in-person on a regular basis? Or do you just want a virtual group that you can fit in during your lunch break? How long do you want to meet with your group, colleague, or supervisor for? Some therapists prefer 60 minutes, some prefer longer sessions.
Once you have identified what you are looking for, the next step is to find it. Do some research about what is out there already, and start a list of who you might contact that you may be able to help you. Check out your professional network of therapists, supervisors, and schools. Do a quick online search using Google. Look through therapist networking Facebook groups (local and national) as well as alumni Facebook groups from your graduate school. All of these are great options for seeing what is out there already.
Create a Safe and Caring Environment
In order for you as a therapist to address transference and countertransference in therapy, you must first create a safe and caring container for your client to share and explore authentically. The skills a therapist will need to do this are empathy, transparency, and being non-judgmental. This will help to open clear communication between yourself and your client.
Now that you are aware of your unconscious feelings and biases which may indicate countertransference, and now that you have created a safe and secure space for your client, you can prepare to discuss and process any noted transference that you see. While you may decide not to openly or specifically discuss any transference you have with your client, appropriately, it is still important to be aware of this happening within yourself.
One thing to make sure of, as you are seeking peer consultation opportunities, is that you feel comfortable with the group you join or the supervisor you want to work with. Ask about who else is in the group, what their specialties are, and how accepting and supportive the group is. Try to interview the supervisor before committing to working with them so you can get an idea about fit.
Preparing for Peer Consultation
Now that you are all set with a peer consultation group, colleagues, or a supervisor, you want to make sure to come prepared. Ask what to expect during your peer consultation session, and then plan out how to make the most of your time together.
You may feel hesitant to open up and participate at first, especially if you are joining a group with other therapists that you don’t know. I always suggest that therapists try to push themselves slightly beyond what they are comfortable with, but not too far beyond that you become triggered or dysregulated.
Setting goals for yourself for peer consultation can be helpful. Maybe you want case consultation on a difficult client, or you want to learn more about a particular therapeutic modality or intervention. Or even, just generalized support for the tough emotional work that you do everyday. All of these are great goals for peer consultation!
Once you have engaged in peer consultation for a while, make sure to regularly assess if it is still working for you. With your busy schedule, you want to make sure that you are making the most out of your allotted time. And if something isn’t working, try to fix it or try something else!
The Peer Consultation Process
Because there is no “right” or “correct” way to engage in peer consultation, the process of peer consultation will vary depending on your format. If you are doing peer consultation informally with a colleague(s), you will have to create your own process. Here are some questions to ask to help create an informal peer consultation process:
- What question(s) do you have that you want to be answered?
- Can who you’re consulting with provide you with the answers or support you need?
- How do you like to get feedback?
- Do you trust the person you’re doing peer consultation with?
The more prepared you are for going into even informal peer consultation, the more you will get out of it.
If you are joining a peer consultation group that is already formed, there are likely already some guidelines or expectations for that group. Perhaps each person in the group gets an allotted amount of time to present a case or discuss an issue, or maybe the group is more free-flowing. Usually, if there is an identified group facilitator or supervisor, that person will keep the group on track with time and task management.
Starting your own peer consultation group is also an option. Decide who you want to allow into the group, if it’s anyone who is interested or other therapists with similar interests? It is also helpful to decide group roles. Usually, the person who takes on the role of group facilitator tends to get less out of the group than other group participants, so consider rotating that role for each group.
Benefits of Peer Consultation
Peer consultation has multiple benefits, if done in a way that works for you. Every therapist has different needs regarding clinical consultation. Some need more support, some need more constructive feedback, and others may want more skill-building. Overall, here are some benefits of peer consultation that I’ve noticed in my work:
- Enhanced self-awareness
- Increased integration of therapist and self
- Personal growth
- Accountability
- Improved decision-making
- Higher ethical awareness
- Ability to provide and accept feedback
- Improved client outcomes
Wow! That’s a lot of benefits. Imagine being a more confident, self-aware therapist who has great client outcomes. There really isn’t any drawback to getting effective peer clinical consultation!
Challenges of Peer Consultation
So now you know that peer consultation is totally awesome. But, that doesn’t mean that it is easy. Engaging with your peers in a way that challenges you to grow and develop professionally can be challenging!
Accepting that you want or need peer consultation can be the most difficult mindset to overcome. I see so many therapists who are practicing in isolation, without any clinical support or consultation, and that can have detrimental effects on your client outcomes as well as increase your liability. Just like in sports, counseling and mental health treatment benefits from a team approach, even if you’re not formally part of a team.
Another challenging aspect of peer consultation is having the ability to open up and be vulnerable in front of your peers. Therapists often want to be recognized for their intelligence, knowledge, and mastery of counseling and mental health treatment. But peer consultation is about recognizing that you do not have all the answers, and that you may not be an expert (yet). Getting into the learning mindset is an important way to approach peer consultation.
If you’ve ever had non-effective peer consultation or even clinical supervision, you may not know how to act in peer consultation situations. You may not realize that you usually get lots of support rather than being put down, as can happen with bad supervision or consultation experiences. Learning to trust your peers, and that they have your best interests in mind, can be a process after past experiences.
And finally, remember that you may not be a good fit working with every peer out there. Some people you will connect better with than others, and that is ok. Find your peeps, and once you find them, nurture and develop those relationships so that you learn to trust each other. Peer consultation is a great built-in support system, but it doesn’t happen overnight.
Next Steps with Peer Consultation
What are you going to do next to start your peer consultation journey? In this blog, we reviewed what peer consultation is, how it can help therapists, and some common misperceptions of peer consultation. We also discussed how to seek and prepare for peer consultation along with discussing the peer consultation process, the benefits of peer consultation, and challenges.
You should have everything that you need to know about peer consultation as a therapist. Now, go forth and find your peer consultation! If you are seeking online peer consultation, check out Firelight Supervision’s supervisor-led consultation groups. We keep our groups small on purpose, so that you know you will benefit from every group that you come to.
In sum, peer consultation is a valuable professional resource that exists, and all you need to do it put in a bit of effort to make it happen for you!
How we can help
If you are seeking clinical consultation for the tough work that you do everyday as a therapist or counselor, check us out at Firelight Supervision – we’d love to connect and see how we can work together to support you in your work!
Download our Free Burnout Prevention Checklist! You can also sign up for a free phone consultation to discuss options and learn more about us!
Author Bio
Shannon Heers is a psychotherapist, approved clinical supervisor, guest blogger, and the owner of a group psychotherapy practice in the Denver area. Shannon helps adults in professional careers manage anxiety, depression, work-life balance, and grief and loss. Follow Firelight Supervision on Instagram.
