In 2002, I took my first course on clinical supervision. Based on the information gained in that course and my own personal experience, here are 10 questions that you should ask anyone that you may consider hiring for your clinical supervision:

"Answering Questions" by Jan / garlandcannon

1. What are your credentials?
   If s/he says s/he is licensed, verify it.  In Colorado, you can do that here for free.
2. How long have you been licensed?
   Require a minimum of 5 years.
3. What is your academic background?
   Make sure your supervisor graduated from an accredited program.  For counselors [in the United States], that accreditation should be CACREP.  Does s/he have a Ph.D. or a Master’s Degree?  In what area — counseling, psychology, social work, human resources, etc.?  Why did s/he choose the program s/he chose?
4. Do you have formal training in supervision?  If so, how much?
   Trends in supervision are changing and the professional standard is rapidly shifting to require formal training in clinical supervision before you can provide it to mental health professionals.  In many states, like Texas, your clinical supervisor MUST have formal training in order for you to count your supervision hours toward your eventual licensure.
5. How long have you been providing clinical supervision?
   Again, make sure you get your money’s worth.  Require a minimum of 5 years experience in clinical supervision.
6. Can you provide references for your clinical supervision?
   This is very important.  You want to talk to past employers, previous partners, supervisees, and others who can give you information about professional behavior, personality conflicts, problems, concerns, ethical dilemmas, etc.
7. What can I expect from supervision under you and what therapeutic skills will you teach me?
   This should be discussed and spelled out in a written Contract of Supervision.
8. Do you consider your supervision style to be that of a teacher, consultant, counselor, or evaluator?
   Your clinical supervisor should be ALL of these.  You should expect to learn new information, new therapeutic skills, new ways of conceptualizing your clients, and new resources from your supervisor.  You should be able to consult with her about any clinical concerns.  Although you will not be counseled about your personal issues, your supervisor will help you become aware of the ways that your personal issues get in the way of your clients’ best interests.  And, first and foremost, your clinical supervisor will evaluate your level of performance at all times. S/he will give you feedback about your strengths and ways to strengthen your performance as a counselor.
9. How will you evaluate me and how will you provide that information to me?
   You should expect to receive verbal and written feedback at regular intervals throughout your supervision.
10. How would you like me to provide you with feedback about your style of supervision?
    You want a supervisor who is eager and open to receiving feedback from you about your experience and needs for supervision.

As noted above, these questions came largely from the Institute in Counselor Supervision taught at the University of North Texas’ Counseling Program by Carolyn W. Kern, Ph.D., LPC, NCC and Cynthia K. Chandler, Ed.D., LPC, LMFT.

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Clinical Supervision and Money Gouging

Tags: CACREP, Contract, Feedback, Goals

Even if you are doing many things “right,” you can still end up destroying your private practice. Here’s the 5 top ways you can blow it up fast:

# 5 – Don’t change things up.
Keep doing the same old things you used to do when you started in the business 20 years ago. Be predictable i.e. boring. Keep working with the same old issues (and only those same old issues) that you’ve always worked with. Don’t develop new bodies of work, new skills, or new interests. Allow your work and your practice to become dated and irrelevant. It works every time.

Caution! Caution!

# 4 – Don’t ask your clients.
Whatever you do, do not survey or poll your clients. Don’t ask for their feedback about anything . . . your office location, the way they are greeted at the front desk, your billing / fee collection process, your clinical effectiveness, or their thoughts about your work after they terminate. And, should your clients volunteer such feedback, be sure to argue, justify, or dispute it. Whatever you do, make sure you do not actually consider it and make appropriate changes (see comments above).

# 3 – Don’t ask for referrals.
Don’t explain that you are expanding your practice; don’t tell friends and family that you have a few extra time slots to fill; and, don’t tell clients that your business depends on referrals from satisfied customers. Better yet, tell everyone you know that you have a one month waiting list and are not looking for new clients.

# 2 – Don’t brand yourself.
Branding is for businesses that want to present a clear, succinct and memorable message about who they are and what they represent. By not branding you and your private practice, you can ensure that your business becomes forgettable, at best and, at worst, becomes confused with too many / unprofessional images and messages. To kill your practice, I highly recommend avoiding all tendencies toward branding.

# 1 – Don’t niche your practice.
Most importantly, try to be everything to everyone. Be a generalist. Do everything OK. Work with everyone all right. Refuse to specialize in anything and become forgettable fast.

Why isn’t your private practice surviving?

Tags: Brand, Change, Feedback, Niche, Survey