Clinical Supervision for trainee counsellors

Clinical Supervision for trainee counsellors

Clinical Supervision for trainee counsellors – As a trainee counsellor seeing clients for the first time can be daunting, having a good supervisor to support you can be essential to help you navigate this process and ensure that you and your clients are contained and well supported.

If you are looking for a new supervisor below are some tips on what to consider.

  • Start looking for a supervisor early – before you start your clinical placement, research supervisors who align with your way of working. Maybe meet with a few supervisors, it is important that you find someone that you are comfortable working with. If you leave finding a supervisor until the last minute you may not be able to work with the person you really want to and things will be rushed and pressured.
  • Have a list of questions or things to discuss before you meet with your supervisor for the first time. Everyone has different concerns but make sure that you think about what you will need from your supervisor before you commit to working with them. For instance:
    • Work out how much supervision is required by your course and can your supervisor see you for the required amount of time. Don’t make the mistake of not having sufficient supervision. It is likely that you won’t pass your course if you don’t have enough.
    • Can you ring the supervisor between sessions? Will they charge for you to do this?
    • Will they fill out any necessary forms? Do they charge for this or request that it is done in the session?
  • Have a proper supervision session before you see your first client. Having a session before you see your first client will mean that you can talk about any nerves and how to manage them, you can practice your confidentiality and work out how you will manage the session. For you to be able to offer your client a safe and contained space, you must also feel safe and contained having supportive supervision can help with this. It is your responsibility as a counsellor to make sure you have the necessary support structures in place.

Paul Carter offers clinical supervision for trainee and qualified counsellors. You can find out more about Paul and the supervision he offers here. SUPERVISION

The BACP and UKCP have a number of fact sheets and useful resources on choosing a supervisor

BACP – Supervision

UKCP – Supervision

If you would like to make an appointment with Paul to explore if he would be the appropriate supervisor for you please call him on 07843813537 or fill in the form on the Contact Page, if he doesn’t answer he is probably in a session, please leave him a message and he will call you back as soon as he can.