Choosing a supervisor can be difficult. There are many supervisors available in the

New York/New Jersey area with a wide range of skills and experience.

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Here are some questions to ask as you search for a good clinical supervisor:

 

• How many years have you been supervising?

       Although you may find a good supervisor who has little experience, a supervisor with a minimum of 4 years supervisory             experience will probably be able to serve you better.

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• How many years have you been practicing psychotherapy since you received your license?

       A supervisor with less than 7 years seeing patients/clients will have fewer skills and less experience to draw on in                         supervision.

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• What level supervisee do you supervise?

       Try to find a supervisor who has supervised more experienced clinicians, not just beginners.

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• What kind of post-graduate training do you have?

       Post graduate training provides additional skills to supervisors. Supervisors who seek out professional training beyond               required CEU’s also show a commitment to the field. Find out if the supervisor has post-graduate training working with               more than individuals. A well rounded supervisor should have post-graduate training in couples, families, and                               groups. If they do not, you are selling yourself short!

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• Do you continue to receive training/supervision?

       Supervision/training should be a life-long quest for anyone doing psychotherapy.  (I have been practicing psychotherapy             for 26 years and supervising for 23 years and continue to receive training on nearly a weekly basis.)

 

Here are some other issues to address:

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• Do they have approval from the state board of examiners in your state?

       Approved supervisors will be able to provide you a letter stating that they are approved by the state. A “graduate” of                     SIFI. is not qualified to provide supervision to anyone except graduate school interns.

       Just because someone is approved by the state does not mean that they are a competent supervisor. It only means that             they have a certain number of years experience and have completed a 30 hour course.
 

•  You will need to provide the supervisor with a copy of your license*  If you are seeking off-site clinical supervision you           must have a letter from your employer giving you permission to have supervision with the off-site supervisor.

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• Supervisors must provide supervisees with a copy of their license. After supervision begins, supervisors must provide          supervisees with a written evaluation every 3 months until the appropriate number of clinical hours have been accrued.

       This differs for social workers, counselors, and marriage and family therapists who are not yet LMFT’s.

 

  *If you are an LCSW, LMFT or LPC, supervision is voluntary and you do not have to document anything regarding supervision.

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   For more information: contact Paula Ochs