Supervision FAQs
If you're new to supervision you might have lots of questions. I included here some information I wish I'd had when I started out as a supervisee. Some of these are big issues and the discussion of them could take up an entire essay! - so I've tried to summarise my answers to keep it brief.
If you have other questions that I haven't covered here, feel free to contact me. I might not be able to answer all your questions, but I can help direct you to someone who can, or other resources.
How do I choose a supervisor?
If you have the option to choose your supervisor, I would suggest doing your research to find out who is out there and what they offer - read websites and bios and ask other people who they see. Be mindful that people have different needs and preferences for their supervision and supervisors, so if someone says "my supervisor is great" they might not be what you need. It's a personal choice.
You can ask potential supervisors about their approach to supervision, their professional background and membership of professional bodies, and what training they have had in supervision. Whether they meet in-person or online, how much they charge could also be important information to gather.
A supervisor is not for life! You can change who you see for supervision, this may be important because of a new piece of work, or to get a fresh perspective. Don't feel that you're locked in once you've chosen your supervisor. When setting up your supervision agreement, it's important to talk about this and how you'd manage should you decide to change supervisors.
Can I meet with a potential supervisor to see if I like them?
Many supervisors, like myself, offer the opportunity to meet free of charge before committing to working together and entering a formal agreement. This allows the chance to ask any questions you may have and to see if you think you will gel with them. Finding a supervisor who is a good fit for you is important and can help get the supervision relationship off to a good start.
How do I know if my supervision is good supervision?
This is a tough question to answer briefly! I believe supervision should be supportive and transformational, so if you come out of supervision feeling like your supervisor has worked alongside you, and you have got what you wanted from the session, those are good signs. Supervision can be challenging, meaning that your supervisor might ask you to look at things from a different perspective, or look at yourself and how you responded to a situation - these 'challenges' should be done in a supportive way to encourage you to think more broadly, or consider a different point of view. Supervision that is too comfortable and doesn't support supervisee development can be unproductive, but some supervisees may feel their supervision is too challenging. It's an important balance to get right, and therefore an important discussion to have at the contracting stage (how a supervisee likes to be challenged, and how both parties will manage these situations). If you're unsure of whether your supervision is working for you, I'd suggest discussing this with your supervisor; looking at expectations is often over looked at the contracting stage and this can help to identify and iron out any assumptions or differences, and can be useful to revisit later in the supervision relationship.
Supervision should never be harmful. If you feel you have experienced some sort of emotional or physical harm from a supervisor, it's important to reach out for help and support. Depending on the situation, it might be possible to discuss with your supervisor, alternatively you might need to approach your manager or the supervisors professional body.
Are our sessions confidential?
This is an important question to cover when discussing your supervision agreement. It becomes even more important if there is a third party involved in the supervision arrangement, for example if your employer is funding your supervision. As a psychologist, I discuss with all supervisees how confidentiality applies and any exceptions.