Clinical Supervision and Professional Development

Clinical supervision plays a crucial role for professional development and is mandatory for trainees and qualified psychologists and psychotherapists alike. Its function and style can vary significantly and range from case management to the depth of reflexive supervision characteristic of counselling psychology and psychotherapy. While the literature has thoroughly described the purpose and the characteristics of helpful and unhelpful supervision, the relationship between the personal and the professional elements of supervision is largely ignored. Trainees often embark on their professional journey with an unclear and, at times, fearful sense of integrating the clinical and the personal. Yet, the two cannot be separated. This article aims to reflect on a personal journey in supervision and to bridge the gap between the professional and the personal. The reader can expect a very personal style of writing as I recount some episodes of my own learning and transformation, and I use the theory to make sense of that journey. Given that it’s in the intersection between the different selves that transformational learning is created, the profession ought to encourage and foster more transparent, reflexive dialogues.

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Supporting the supervisor: organizing professional development to enhance practice

The Cognitive Behaviour Therapist ◽

10.1017/s1754470x1500046x ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sarah Corrie ◽

David A. Lane

Keyword(s):

Professional Development ◽

Clinical Supervision ◽

High Quality ◽

Professional Development Needs ◽

Current Context

AbstractAlthough clinical supervision is deemed central to the delivery and dissemination of high quality CBT, knowledge of what constitutes ‘optimal’ CBT supervision remains limited. In consequence, understanding of how best to support the development of supervisors is also restricted. This article considers the professional development needs of CBT supervisors, identifying the current context in which CBT supervision is mandated and delivered and seeking to clarify the domains of knowledge, competence and skill that must be mastered. We propose ways in which CBT supervisors might construct their professional development activities and raise questions relating to the need for a more organizationally embedded approach to the development of CBT supervisors in the current professional climate.

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Effective clinical supervision of allied health professionals: a mixed methods study

BMC Health Services Research ◽

10.1186/s12913-019-4873-8 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

David A. Snowdon ◽

Michelle Sargent ◽

Cylie M. Williams ◽

Stephen Maloney ◽

Kirsten Caspers ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Professional Development ◽

Mixed Methods ◽

Qualitative Analysis ◽

Learning Style ◽

Clinical Supervision ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Allied Health ◽

Mixed Methods Study ◽

Supervisory Relationship ◽

Allied Health Professionals

Abstract Background Clinical supervision is recommended for allied health professionals for the purpose of supporting them in their professional role, continued professional development and ensuring patient safety and high quality care. The aim of this mixed methods study was to explore allied health professionals’ perceptions about the aspects of clinical supervision that can facilitate effective clinical supervision. Methods Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted on a purposive sample of 38 allied health professionals working in a metropolitan public hospital. Qualitative analysis was completed using an interpretive description approach. To enable triangulation of qualitative data, a quantitative descriptive survey of clinical supervision effectiveness was also conducted using the Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale (MCSS-26). Results Three main themes emerged from qualitative analysis: Allied health professionals reported that clinical supervision was most effective when their professional development was the focus of clinical supervision; the supervisor possessed the skills and attributes required to facilitate a constructive supervisory relationship; and the organisation provided an environment that facilitated this relationship together with their own professional development. Three subthemes also emerged within each of the main themes: the importance of the supervisory relationship; prioritisation of clinical supervision relative to other professional duties; and flexibility of supervision models, processes and approaches to clinical supervision. The mean MCSS-26 score was 79.2 (95%CI 73.7 to 84.3) with scores ranging from 44 to 100. MCSS-26 results converged with the qualitative findings with participants reporting an overall positive experience with clinical supervision. Conclusions The factors identified by allied health professionals that influenced the effectiveness of their clinical supervision were mostly consistent among the professions. However, allied health professionals reported using models of clinical supervision that best suited their profession’s role and learning style. This highlighted the need for flexible approaches to allied health clinical supervision that should be reflected in clinical supervision policies and guidelines. Many of the identified factors that influence the effectiveness of clinical supervision of allied health professionals can be influenced by health organisations.

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Supervision: Self-Assessment in Supervision: The Use of the Rubric as a Means of Self-Assessment

Perspectives on Administration and Supervision ◽

10.1044/aas21.2.68 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 68-75 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Janice Wright

Keyword(s):

Professional Development ◽

Clinical Supervision ◽

Complex Task ◽

Speech Language Pathology ◽

Speech Language Pathologists ◽

Self Assessment ◽

Clinical Supervisors ◽

Knowledge And Skills ◽

Language Pathology ◽

Professional Development Needs

Self-assessment in supervision is a complex task; therefore, using a rubric as a means of self-assessment may be a valuable tool. This article will discuss the development of a rubric using the Knowledge and Skills Needed by Speech-Language Pathologists Providing Clinical Supervision (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association [ASHA], 2008a) as the foundation of the tool. The proposed rubric can serve as a tool to self-assess skills and professional development needs in the area of clinical supervision. ASHA has outlined 11 competencies required by supervisors of students and Clinical Fellows (CFs) in the field of speech-language pathology (2008a). Using these competencies paired with a rubric model proposed by Arrasmith and Galion (2001), this article will provide a means by which clinical supervisors can guide their professional development in supervision.

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