Clinical supervisors are an integral part of a therapist’s professional journey. Helping therapists navigate client concerns, providing guidance on ethical issues, and navigating the complexities of practice, clinical supervisors take on the responsibility to supervise, mentor and support the next generation of therapists. This article will share 5 compelling reasons to become a clinical supervisor.
Further the Therapy Profession
One of the most noble reasons to become a clinical supervisor is to further the therapy profession. Clinical supervisors provide therapists with essential tools to grow as professionals. Without access to clinical supervision, there would be a noticeable gap between theory and best practice. Unlike traditional trainings, clinical supervision offers a unique way to address real-life situations. Regardless of their years of experience, therapists benefit from regular case consultations to problem-solve urgent client issues and address clinical concerns.
Unfortunately, compared to the number of therapists, there are far fewer clinical supervisors. As many clinical supervisors only provide clinical supervision on a part-time basis, some therapists have difficulty accessing regular supervision. This is particularly troublesome as most regulatory bodies require therapists to receive regular clinical supervision to maintain professional competence. By becoming a clinical supervisor, you can further the therapy profession while also filling a professional gap.
Enhance Client-Care
In addition to furthering the profession, when you become a clinical supervisor you enhance client-care. As supervisees often bring their most challenging cases to clinical supervision, addressing complex cases is inevitable. Even when you’re not directly working with clients, offering your knowledge, expertise and skills helps therapists improve their practice when working with clients. In fact, clinical supervision often informs client assessment and interventions. When you become a clinical supervisor, you help therapists implement effective therapeutic techniques, evidence-based approaches, and therapy best practices so that clients receive the best possible care.
Build Supervisory Skills
As a clinical supervisor, you wear many hats. You are your supervisees’ mentor, educator, cheerleader and sounding board. So, it’s no surprise that by providing clinical supervision you build supervisory skills. As a clinical supervisor, you’ll develop stronger communication, motivation, and problem-solving skills. Although, you likely already employ these skills as a therapist, by providing clinical supervision these skills sharpen as you encounter various scenarios and client situations when working with supervisees.
Obtain Continuing Education Credits
One of the most attractive reasons to become a clinical supervisor is you may be able to obtain continuing education credits (CECs) by providing clinical supervision. Although, every regulatory body is different, some regulatory bodies allow therapists to obtain CECs for providing clinical supervision to students or new therapists. For example, the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW) allows Alberta social workers to count the provision of social work supervision as a category A credit for annual registration, providing that this activity aligns with the social worker’s learning goals. However, as not every regulatory body considers clinical supervision as a continuing competence activity, it’s important to review your regulatory body’s rules, regulations and standards of practice on the subject before submitting it as a CEC.
Build Additional Income
My favourite reason to become a clinical supervisor is to build additional income. Whether you work in a private practice or you work an agency job, providing clinical supervision for a fee can increase your earning potential. Although, many therapists think that they need to start a private practice before charging for clinical supervision, this simply is not true. Conducting therapy and clinical supervision are two different business models. In fact, there are clinical supervision practices that primarily focus on providing clinical supervision to other therapists.
In addition, some clinical supervisors provide dyadic or group clinical supervision session, instead of only providing individual sessions to diversify their income and maximize time. As previously stated, there are fewer clinical supervisors than therapists so providing group supervision is a lucrative way to increase your income potential.
Conclusion
There are many reasons to become a clinical supervisor. But unfortunately, many great therapists never take the steps to become one. My hope is that after reading this article, you move towards your goal and become a clinical supervisor. As a clinical supervisor, you’ll enhance client-care, build supervisory skills, build additional income while furthering the therapy profession; and if you’re regulatory body allows, you may be able to obtain CECs while doing it.
What are you waiting for?