Supervision Skills for Therapists

Being a Supervisor means having the capacity to engage the supervisee in their own professional development across several aspects of their practice.  Firstly, to facilitate and educate on their clinical skill development, as well as enhancing knowledge of serious social, emotional and psychological issues, and to enact a vicarious duty of care toward their clients and ensure quality therapeutic outcomes and high ethical standards.

Starting in 2023, Alan will be delivering a comprehensive online and practice-based training program for therapists looking to develop their supervision skills in-line with the International Association of Process Oriented Psychology Standards for Supervision, the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia Supervision Training Standards,  and the Australasian Association of Supervisors membership requirements. The support and presence of colleagues from many parts of the world will provide the best environment to nourish one’s own skill as a supervisor and provide a safe learning space.

Course Details

Course Outline

The training course will focus on:

• Understanding of Process Work theory and practice within a clinical setting
• Up-to-date clinical skills focussing on the psychological and relational issues commonly presenting in psychotherapy
• Development of an effective supervision relationship that supports knowledge and skill development,
• Enacting a duty of care and ethical capacity for the client within supervision
• An overview of other current models of supervision and the skills they provide
• Exploration of the emerging research on clinical supervision.

Course Objectives

On successful completion of this course students will:

• develop and practice process work clinical skills within an array of client issues and processes
• synthesise theory and experiential understanding of the influence of the ethics of power based relationships both within supervision and therapy, and within the larger world context
• develop a supervision style with the support of practice and feedback within a collegial setting
• provide ethically and professionally effective practice in clinical supervision and subsequent therapy
• engage in critical thinking through the development of a supervision model
• create a safe, clear, supportive and ethical setting for the therapeutic relationship and for the client.

Course Structure

Training to become a supervisor requires both the acquisition of new knowledge and the development of new skills over time.

Year 1

• Weekly online two-hour classes for a total of 24 weeks (a total of 48 hours of training).
• Practice sessions with other cohort members (recorded on video for supervision and assessment).
• Practice sessions with supervision clients outside the cohort (also require recording).

Year 2

• Online group supervision including peer feedback and review, and additional training sessions responsive to the skills and knowledge development needed (a minimum of 32 hours training).
• Practice sessions with other cohort members (recorded on video for supervision and assessment).
• Practice sessions with supervision clients outside the cohort (also require recording).

Practical Skills Development

Over the two years, participants must also:

• Complete a minimum of 15 hours of supervision-on-supervision practice by a qualified and recognised Supervision Trainer during and post training.
• Provide evidence of 80 hours of supervisory practice over a minimum of two years during and post supervisory training.

Pre-requisites and Requirements

To participate in this program, participants will need the following.

• A qualification in counselling, psychotherapy, or psychology.
• An existing therapeutic practice that enables them to work with clients in a therapeutic setting.
• Ability to meet in-person or online with cohort members and video record the practice sessions.
• Ability to find practice supervision clients outside the cohort (these sessions need to be video recorded).

If your are interested, please send your application to admin@alanrichardson.net.