Group Supervision Options in Ontario
Searching for a supervisor offering group clinical supervision? You've landed in the right place.
Search Clinical Supervisors Offering Groups in Ontario
Our goal at the Canadian Clinical Supervision Therapist Directory is simple: to connect psychotherapists with clinical supervisors who offer the supervision services that you’re looking for — like group clinical supervision.
In the last few years, the demand for group clinical supervision has grown significantly. This is in part due to groups being more cost-effective than individual supervision, and it also gives psychotherapists the chance to learn from colleagues — before a similar situation happens.
Chances are if you’re reading this page, you’ve already made the decision that group supervision is for you. If so, you can easily start your search for a group supervisor on our directory by clicking the button below and filtering your search results for group supervision.
However, if you’re still on the fence, keep reading to learn more about group clinical supervision for psychotherapists in Ontario.
What is Group Clinical Supervision?
Group clinical supervision is a structured supervision format where a clinical supervisor provides clinical supervision to several psychotherapists at the same time. Typically, clinical supervision groups have between 3 to 8 participants at any given time. Depending on each clinical supervisor’s preferences, the supervision group may be an “open” or “closed” group.
An open clinical supervision group is when participants (also known as supervisees) can join any time during a group cycle. For instance, if the group runs for 8 weeks, new supervisees can join any time within the 8 week cycle, providing space exists.
Whereas a closed supervision group will have the same supervisees in the group throughout the 8-week cycle, and new supervisees are not permitted to join the group after the first week or two.
Group supervision sessions may look similar to that of individual sessions, with a few exceptions. In group supervision sessions, participants share opportunities to discuss cases or problems happening in clinical practice, and depending on the clinical supervisor’s style, group activities may be introduced.
As every clinical supervisor has their own clinical supervision style, if your curious about their approach to group clinical supervision, you can always ask them before starting the group.
FAQs
Does the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) permit group supervision?
While we cannot speak on behalf of the CRPO, as we’re not affiliated, the CRPO’s Clinical Supervision Guide, that the CRPO “values” differing formats of clinical supervision. However, they outline that a maximum of 50 hours out of the required 100 for RP (Q)s can be in a group format, with the other 50 being either individual or dyadic. Similarly, the CRPO indicates that registrants working towards independent practice must have at least half of their required hours in an individual or dyadic — with the remainder hours eligible for group supervision.
For group supervision to count towards registrant hours, the CRPO clarifies that the leader of the group must be a qualified clinical supervisor. In other words, peer consultations do not fall within the acceptable format for supervision hours (p. 13-14).
As regulatory requirements can change, it’s recommended to review the CRPO’s clinical supervision requirements and consult with the CRPO directly regarding registration and supervision requirements.
I'm registered with another regulatory body that's authorized to practice psychotherapy in Ontario, can you point me to the standards of practice for my regulatory body?
In Ontario, there are six professions permitted to use the controlled act of psychotherapy.
(1) The Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers
(2) The College of Nurses of Ontario
(3) The College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario
(4) The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario
(5) The College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario
(6) The College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario
Each regulatory body has its own set of standards of practice, including guidelines around supervision and consultation. We’ve linked these standards below for your professional review.
The Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers
- Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice
- Practice Notes: Supervision: The Core of Competent and Ethical Practice
The College of Nurses of Ontario
The College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario
The College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario
- Standards of Professional Conduct
- Ontario Psychological Associations Best Practices for Supervision of Registered Members of Other Colleges Authorized in the Controlled Act of Psychotherapy.
The College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario
We recommend contacting your regulatory body directly with questions that pertain to your supervision requirements.
I do not require clinical supervision hours to meet registration requirements, can I still participate in group supervision to build my skills and competency?
This depends on each supervisor’s group rules, as well as your regulatory body’s standards of practice. But, usually, yes, you can participate in group supervision, even if you do not require a specific number of hours towards registration or licensure.
This distinction is often termed as consultation instead of supervision. Many supervisors provide group supervision and consultation services simultaneously. So, even if you do not require a specific number of hours but want to build your skills and competency, group clinical supervision is a great way to do so.
It’s important to note that most regulatory bodies in Ontario emphasize the importance of regular supervision and consultation in clinical practice — even when there isn’t a specific number of hours required toward registration or licensure. However, each regulatory body may have differing expectations regarding how supervision should be formatted.
What's the ideal size of a group when receiving group clinical supervision?
There’s no “ideal” group supervision size, because the outcomes depend on your clinical goals, the group structure, and even the group duration.
That said, some regulatory bodies, such as the CRPO, outline a maximum number of participants per group for adequate oversight and support within the supervision session. According to the CRPO’s Clinical Supervision Guide, group supervision for registration purposes must be capped at 8 supervisees per session.
Group Supervision for Psychotherapists
Searching for group clinical supervision in Ontario is easy on the Canadian Clinical Supervision Therapist Directory. You can simply filter the type of supervision to only include supervisors offering groups.
While many supervisors on our directory offer groups, group dates and times can change frequently, and supervisors may not always provide exact information about their upcoming sessions on their listing. We recommend reaching out to supervisors directly to request details about their upcoming group clinical supervision sessions.
Start your search for group clinical supervision in Ontario by checking out listings on our directory today.
Group Clinical Supervisors in Ontario
Are you a clinical supervisor offering group clinical supervision in your Ontario practice? List your services on the Canadian Clinical Supervision Therapist Directory.
Who We Are
The Canadian Clinical Supervision therapist directory was created by Evaspare Inc. an organization founded by a Canadian social worker.
What We Do
This directory aims to provide a centralized place for therapists to find and work with clinical supervisors and clinical consultants across the country.
Why List with Us
Reach therapists across Canada with a centralized advertisement. Members also get access to the Clinical Supervisor Resource Library, a library filled with resources, tools, and video trainings.