Finding out if needs, experience, and goals align.
As supervisors we all work a little differently, as supervisees, we are all different. This means finding the best fit or right combination might feel like a never ending task – but it doesn’t need to.
Thinking and reflecting on ourselves and putting this with what we might already know we are looking for, can be an excellent place to start. Communicating this to a potential supervisor can be a great time saver and allow everyone to make effective use of time.
Think about your own professional background
- What is your current Role?
Are you a trainee, newly qualified, an experienced practitioner, a supervisor, manager or consultant?
- What are your credentials, qualifications, Professional Body and supervision arrangements:
Are you a member of the BACP, UKCP, NCPS etc. What is your level of training, what particular qualifications do you hold or are you working towards? What are your own achievements and background? What are your current supervision arrangements and how might you be looking to change these or not?
- What is your current Practice Setting:
Are you in private practice, do you work in an agency, a CIC, for the NHS? Are you in placement, are you working towards retirement or have you only just begun your journey.
- What is your current Caseload Summary:
On average how many clients do you see a week and what kind of work are you doing? How would you describe the weight of your caseload, not just the number of sessions you offer
Think about your experience and your goals
- Trauma Experience:
I am a trauma specialist, so if you are thinking of working with me, how would you best describe your current comfort level and experience working with trauma? What is it you might need, want to develop or already feel competent with? Are you trauma informed or are you trauma qualified in specific processes and treatment approaches? Are you inexperienced in trauma and looking to develop in this area?
- Supervision Goals:
Do you have any clinical skills you are looking to develop?
- Qualification and accreditation:
Are you currently working towards an accreditation or a qualification and what are your needs or requirements with this?
Think about what compatibility means to you and what is your style
- Learning and supervision style:
Do you prefer highly structured supervision or a more informal, conversational approach?
What has worked well for you previously in supervision and what was unhelpful?
What are your strengths and growing edges?
What are your career aspirations?
What are your hopes for ongoing personal and professional learning?
- The “Ladder of Independence”:
My way of working aims to support you to move toward independent problem-solving and gain confidence and mastery in your field. How does the idea of “bringing proposed solutions” to supervision feel to you?
Are you looking to feel ‘held’ in your career currently?
Might you be feeling vulnerable in some way and looking for particular support in order to feel safe to grow?
- Reflective Practice:
Are you comfortable discussing the “self-of-the-therapist,” including your own emotional responses and accountability for your self care?
How might your own learning differences, physical or emotional illness or different abilities show up in the room or need support?
Think about logistics and safety
- Insurance:
Do you hold current professional insurance?
- Availability:
What days/times are you looking to schedule supervision appointments?
I can offer regular times and days so we can plan our diaries well in advance and you are assured of your place in my practice, does this work for you?
Are you looking for ad-hoc consultancy or greater flexibility in your supervision bookings?
Are you looking for in person or online appointments?
- Ethics:
Have you ever had a formal complaint made against you? If the answer is yes, a new supervisor is going to want to discuss the outcome with you.
Which ethical framework do you adhere to?
What supports you personally and professionally?
Which part of your work are you looking to be supervised or not?
What happens when I have thought about all of these things?
Once you are clearer about some of these things, you may find you are in a better position to know what to look for in a potential supervisor.
From there, you might think about how to find them by searching perhaps a key word or location on directories, social media or on the internet in general. You may ask trusted colleagues for personal recommendations, you may put out a shout on a forum and hope the kind of supervisor you are looking for sees your question.
It might be worth using a combination of the above. Not everyone is an insta poster, a tik tok user, Facebook user, advertising on directories, using Linkedin or have their own website, so relying on one method might limit you in some ways.
As we said at the start, everyone is different so you will be now ready to look for someone that seems to align well with you in the ways that you have realised have meaning for you.
I think I might have found someone I want to work with – what now?
Contact them
As you will by now be clearer about what you are looking for and what you need, contact the person or people you feel might fit that criteria and be clear with them why you are contacting them specifically and be clear about some of the points raised above might be really useful.
This really will save a lot of time in the long run!
Arrange to talk to them
You will notice people approach enquiries differently.
This might range from offering a free 10 minute ad hoc chat or discovery call, through to a paid for detailed initial consultation.
There is no right or wrong, but respecting how someone has already told you they work is important.
If they have already told you their boundaries or what they offer, asking for something very different may actually just serve to indicate you are not well suited at this point.
Finally, make sure you are happy before you agree to a contract
Ask all your questions, a good supervisor will welcome them and appreciate the opportunity to answer or reassure you.
Value their time as well as yours.
Good supervisors can get a lot of enquiries so will also be keen to make good use of their time.
If you mess them about in the early stages of enquiries, they will notice this and consider if you are someone they want to work with – remember they have a voice in this decision too!
If they provide you with a contract to read, make sure you do, they must be providing it with this expectation.
If they talk it through with you in email, or in a session, pay attention to the detail. They will have spent time making sure they are happy with their contract, it is for you to decide if it works for you. Not for them to change it to suit you.
Details vary and what works for one will not work for another, and that is ok.
If you are happy and ready to proceed, go for it!
Be willing to go on the journey you have asked for!
One final thing.
If you are working with an experienced professional (and most supervisors are) the chances are you will get exactly what you have asked for and agreed to.
If you have specifically asked for feedback, don’t be suprised when you get it.
If you have agreed to a regular time and day of appointment, but then change your mind about this after 6 weeks, don’t be suprised if they cannot immediately accommodate a change to this.
If you have asked them to hold you accountable, don’t be suprised if they do.
Remember an agreement is a two way thing
If you feel your new supervisor is not offering you what you hoped for, talk to them about it.
It may be there has, despite best efforts, been a misunderstanding which can easily be rectified.
If you do decide to discontinue and there is a notice period, respect you agreed to it just like they did.
These are my own thoughts, which are shared having reflecting my own experience of 20 years as a supervisee, 15 years as a supervisor and 6 years as a trauma specialist.
They are not intended as a rule book by any means, but shared as things you might like to think about to support you and your potential supervisor get off to the best start.
Good luck!