Self-supervision models in counseling practice

¶ … Self-Supervision in Counseling

Given the nature of psychotherapy it inevitably requires, even in controlled, clinical environments, that a counselor perform some degree of self-supervision. To disallow some degree of freedom of self-assessment would be akin to parrying single-handed. Often it's the relation of personal experience to a patient's own that creates and fosters an effective healing environment. A counselor's ability to do this comes from the autonomy to create and mold his or her own curriculum. By focusing on a competency style of assessment, a patient's progress can serve as benchmark of performance.

No two situations are alike in the realm of psychotherapy. The field seems to reinvent itself every few decades and faster still in recent times. In order for a practitioner to stay relevant, they must continuously shift and adjust their methods with each and every patient. It then becomes necessary to adjust performance assessments as well. For the sake of the counselor and the patient, regular check-ins are necessary in the early years of practice.

Mistakes are made and need to be rectified as in any profession. At no point does a counselor or therapist cease to learn and grow. But to use the same method of evaluation for every employee harms patient and counselor alike. A therapist based in hard Jungian methodology will have a very different technique than a more organic counselor that picks and chooses from a variety of psychotherapy schools. One might show poor performance while the other excels. By instead focusing on the progress of the patient the method becomes less important. Furthermore, as a therapist or counselor learns to grade themselves, the transition to maintaining their own private practice becomes significantly easier and less jolting for the clients and patients.

At some point many counselors will operate on their own and self-assessment no longer becomes a choice. There is no one to answer to when you're the boss. If a psychotherapist is used to assessing their own performance then they themselves will be that much more effective. That benefits all parties involved for patient to doctor. A counselor's duties are first and foremost, pushing and challenging their client in a safe environment. it's imperative that a client feel unthreatened but still be pushed beyond their comfort zone which, oftentimes, becomes interacting with daily life. How then, to judge growth?