My Supervision Philosophy
As a supervisor, I value the growth and development of supervisees during counselor training, and their related life experiences, characteristics, and skills. Providing an intentional safe and collaborative space for meaningful interactions between supervisee and supervisor is a necessary ingredient built on respect, informed clinical work for the benefit of clients we serve. I provide a shared safe space for support and collaboration.
While navigating post-graduate licensure process, this phase is often faced with challenges of integrating a wide range of knowledge, skills, and practices. My choice of the discrimination model is based on the rationale that the counselor licensure candidate has accrued a wealth of experience and could use some structure to clearly nurture a process beneficial to clients. Hence the three foci of the Bernard Discrimination Model (intervention, conceptualization, and personalization) provide a framework for dimensional structure of supervisee growth, while the supervisor takes on the role of teacher, counselor, and consultant. Bernard (1979) uses a holistic approach to simply the complex process of clinical supervision focused on behaviors of the supervisee with the supervisor providing guidance in the process. When using the discrimination model a “dominant characteristic is the identification and action upon choice points in the process” (Bernard, 1979, p.60). There are three foci of supervision under the discrimination model: (a) intervention skills (eg., observable actions of supervisee by supervisor), (b) conceptualization skills (supervisee understanding of session, patterns, and interventions), and (c) personalization skills (eg., use of personal style while separating personal issues and countertransference) (Grande, 2014).
In order to meet the needs of supervisor, supervisee and client, I focus on three goals: (1) development of a theoretical framework, (2) development of self, and (3) integration of multicultural perspectives. A well-structured theoretical framework supports evidence of appropriate supervisee intentionality. Development of self supports awareness of areas of growth as well growing edges. In some cases when areas of self-of-the-counselor issues interfere with supervision, the supervisor will refer supervisee for psychotherapy with required attendance and documentation of progress before continuing supervision. Integration of multicultural perspectives provides therapeutic environment built on respect for multiple identities and perspectives.
