- Clinicians often ask me to help them decide whether supervision should be the next step in their career development. After providing psychotherapy to clients and honing therapy skills some clinicians feel called to pass their skills to the next generation. In California therapists may supervise after being licensed for 2 years. Effective January 1, 2022 new supervisors must have 15 hours of supervision training before commencing supervision with AMFTs and trainees, ASWs and APCCs. In addition, they are required to complete 6 hours of continued professional development (CPC) in supervision with each license renewal. For detailed information go to www.bbs.ca.govCEU courses to meet BBS Supervision and Law & Ethics requirements are available at www.supervisionCEU.comThe following are the most common reasons therapists choose to supervise:-Supervision feels like a natural next step in their own cliinical skill development
-Desire to contribute to ensuring the highest professional standards
-Wanting to give back either by replicating an excellent supervisory experience or to redo a bad experience
-Increase job skills and employability
-Boredom, wanting the stimulation of a new clinical role and skill set
These are the most common reasons therapists choose not to supervise:
-Fears of clinical responsibility and liability
-Economic disencentives
-Doubts of their ability to teach theory and articulate their clinical work (which feels intuitive to them)
-Feeling impatient with beginners
-Questioning if they can bridge an assumed genration gap with unlicensed supervisees
Where do you find yourself?
