Paul Matthew
Are you looking for a supervisor for your Counselling course placement? Or maybe you’re an experienced counsellor looking for a new supervisor. This article is for you.
I remember it well, I was just finishing up the first year of my Pluralistic Counselling Masters course and got accepted to a placement. Panic hit me, i’d have to find a supervisor.
They told me on the course to find someone who was ‘the right fit’ but what did that mean, did I want someone who would challenge me? Did I want someone I felt I could be open with? Did I want an empathic safety blanket?
One question was searing in my mind Could I afford it?
Here are 10 things to consider and some common pitfalls when finding your first (or next) supervisor:
1. Consider the Costs
Consider the costs, what can you afford, what do you need. Some supervisors do a reduced rate for students, I found this and continue to try to offer similar now I am a supervisor.
I was putting myself through a Counselling Course with absolutely no money, I was working a demanding, but not so well paid, job to pay the bills and scraping together money from gigs with my band to pay for books and training courses. Along with a mortgage and other household bills, you can imagine (or perhaps that’s where you are now) the thought of an extra expense was difficult.
2. Meet With a Couple of Supervisors – but don’t overdo it!
Arrange to meet with one or two supervisors but don’t be scared to say yes to the first one if you feel it’s the right fit. Always give any potential supervisors you have arranged appointments with lots of notice; There really is nothing quite as frustrating as offering a free appointment to a student (or qualified counsellor) for them to tell you they already found someone minutes before the appointment. Remember these appointments could go to someone else. There will always be supervisors around, don’t feel like you should book several meetings at once, do this one or two at a time. Remember supervisees are earning a living.
3. Do your searching well in advance of starting your placement
It’s always important to remember that although your placement, and supervision is the most central thing on your mind, it may take some weeks to meet with and get a first appointment with a Supervisor. Give yourself a month or so in advance of starting placement to interview supervisors. This will give you a chance to choose the right one and the supervisor a chance to work you regularly into their calendar (as well as get to know you) before you start properly.
4. Consider the ‘Vibe’
My younger clients use the term ‘Vibe’ a lot and I have retconned it into my own vocabulary when talking to potential supervisees and clients. Do you like talking to this person? and equally importantly, Can you see yourself learning from them, growing with them and being challenged, but supported by them? Do they have the time to respond to your emails. This is just as important for your first supervisor as changing supervisor. Remember relationships grow and develop and you may find yourself with 2, 3 maybe 4 supervisors in your time as a therapist. I personally have had two.
5. Is the Supervisor conveniently located and/ or are you willing to travel?
My practice is in Dundee and I speak to students and qualified therapists from all over. It’s really important to check your Uni or Placement Providers rules on Face to Face or Online Supervision when you are finding a supervisor. It is a requirement on some courses for instance that you have one hour twice a month and that more than 50 percent is in person if that’s how you will be practicing when on Placement.
6. There’s nothing wrong with moving on (Consider your goals)
I have had two supervisors, the one I had when I was a student was experienced, warm and friendly. He had a bit of a #therapygoals counselling room surrounded by books. He didn’t have the same modality as me but that wasn’t a priority for me (See later). Due to his retirement, I had to move supervisors 5 years ago. I found my current supervisor and found a suitably challenging and supportive supervisor who fit my needs as I began to grow my business, qualify as a supervisor and gain accreditation.
It can feel really hard to move on but remember this is a perfectly natural part of our profession.
7. Consider Modality
One thing I hear a lot is “there aren’t that many Pluralistic Supervisors out there” and at any given time I always know at least two with some space. Don’t be scared to look around and don’t be scared to know what you want when it comes to modality. For instance with Pluralistic Counselling training, it isn’t a requirement that your supervisor is Pluralistic but consider this, do you feel that you have a clear enough grounding in Pluralistic therapy to be able to practice Pluralistically when your supervisor is Person Centred or Psychodynamic and guiding you in that way? Some do, as I said earlier, my first supervisor was Transpersonal but equally many struggle when it comes to Accreditation, doing things like case studies in staying grounded within the Pluralistic Framework.
8. What do you want from supervision
This one is something that’s useful to think of while choosing a supervisor and throughout your time as a therapist. How does the supervisor run their sessions? What preparation do you do in advance of supervision to get the most from it? and what is it that you personally would like to get from supervision? It is such a personal thing and even the most experienced therapists that I speak to will give you a slightly different answer to those questions. For instance, how does your supervisor feel about a holistic approach where you talk about your whole life with emphasis on your client work? Or perhaps your supervisor (or the one you are interviewing) wants the focus to be on clients only, what is it you feel you need?
9. Consider the opinion of the people you know (But don’t be afraid to zag when everyone zigs)
Finding a supervisor is a very personal thing but it’s always good to ask around, who are your course friends interviewing? If you are qualified, what experiences have your colleagues or counsellor friends having? Maybe you’re moving supervisor, the collegiate nature of supervision is that maybe your supervisor knows someone who can offer what you are looking for. Don’t be scared to ask a supervisor you have contacted who says they are full if they would consider you on a waiting list of if they have recommendations, experienced supervisors may be supervising other supervisors with space.
10. Enjoy the journey and get all you can from the process
Doing a counselling course is challenging, being a qualified counsellor is challenging. It’s important on the way to be mindful, take advantage of the experience of your supervisor but also consider the collaborative nature of supervision. While this applies to most, if not all modalities, a pluralistic approach to supervision considers no-one the expert but that there are two people in the room (or on the zoom call), working together to help you grow, learn and become the best counsellor you can be. That is true at year one and at year twenty on this journey.
I hope this article was helpful. All of this guide comes from my personal experience as a Pluralist Supervisor, therapist and, years ago, trainee.
Thanks for reading!
Paul Matthew
Director, Supervisor, Therapist
Harmony Counselling and Psychotherapy
