What to do when supervision goes bad? A guide to supervision ruptures and repair

Curt and Katie chat about what to do when there is a loss of trust in supervision. We explore what has already been researched (and the limitations there). We also look at what can make ruptures more likely, different types of ruptures, and how supervisors can mitigate the risk of rupture and then repair when ruptures inevitably happen. This is a continuing education podcourse.

Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!

In this podcast episode we talk about how to address ruptures in clinical supervision

Clinical supervision has the potential for errors and requires management from the supervisor to acknowledge, deal with, and repair from mistakes that could rupture the supervisory alliance. This workshop helps to identify the types of ruptures that can occur and offers a strategy on how to deal with them so that they are no longer a problem.

What is the focus within the research base on clinical supervision?

·      Most of the research on supervision is focused on clinical supervision without a consideration of the employment element of the relationship

·      There is not a lot of research on supervision, much less ruptures in supervision

·      Much of the research has been from the supervisee perspective, but that is shifting

·      Without supervisors being involved in research, there is a risk of supervisors dismissing it

What can make ruptures more likely in supervisory relationships?

·      Power differential within the clinical supervision relationship may lead to supervisees feeling unable to talk about mistakes that supervisors make

·      Expectations of safety and confidentiality that are not discussed or are assumed to be greater than they are, with a lack of transparency

·      Supervisors are responsible to address ruptures, but may not know about them

·      Supervisors can fall into risk management and punishment or not allowing supervisees to do anything that may challenge their skill level

What can supervisors do to avoid supervisory ruptures?

·      Acknowledge the fallibility of both the supervisor and the supervisee

·      Supervisors share when they don’t know something and learn what they need to learn to support their supervisee

·      Understanding the impact of each perspective on expectations (i.e., supervisors in agencies are also impacted by the expectations that they have on them from their own supervisors)

·      Identify confrontation versus avoidance rupture risks

·      Being more transparent on the process of supervision and about the supervisor’s competence and emotional responses

·      Understanding and assessing for cultural ruptures, microaggressions, etc.

Can supervisory ruptures also happen based on actions of the supervisee?

·      Yes!

·      Supervisees can misunderstand their role and not complete what is expected of them

·      Supervisees can fail to develop as a clinician

·      Supervisees may ask peers rather than their supervisor for what to do and do the wrong things

How can supervisors repair the ruptures that happen in clinical supervision?

·      Setting the stage for the most positive supervisory experience

·      Cultural humility

·      Pause, Consider, Reflect, Act (C.E. Watkins, Jr.’s work)

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Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:

Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/

Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/