Supervision of Supervision

The developmental process of a clinical supervisor has received much less attention in the field than the developmental process for mental health counselors. Supervisors tend to be viewed as competent in their ability to supervise counselors based upon their level of education, professional license, and years of experience as a counselor. The main factor that is commonly used to determine the competency of a supervisor tends to be the experience gained as a counselor. However, strong clinical skills do not equate to strong supervisory skills. Training in supervision has been shown to positively impact the competence and professional identity of supervisors. As the mental health field progresses, ethical mandates for clinical supervisors and educational training in supervision mandated by accrediting bodies will become the standard. ...