Chapter 14: Clinical Supervision
Chapter Overview
The authors define clinical supervision, provide, an overview of the supervision process and modalities,
and help you prepare for your role as a supervisee.
Key Words
Supervisors – Mental health professionals who have the training and experience necessary to supervise
mental health counselors.
Supervisee – Counselor or training counselor receiving supervision.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What is the purpose of supervision?
a) Act as a gatekeeper for the profession.
b) Monitor quality of services provided to clients.
c) Develop junior or training counselor professional functioning.
d) a) and b) only.
e) All of the above.
2. CACREP (2009) standards specify that counselor supervisors must have:
a) At least two years post-master’s experience in counseling.
b) Be trained in supervision.
c) Be credentialed or licensed as a supervisor.
d) a) and b) only.
e) All of the above.
3. The clinical supervisor has responsibilities for ethical practice towards the supervisee in the
supervision process. These include which of the follow?
a) Informed consent, fair evaluation, supervisor competence, and vicarious liability concerns.
b) Informed consent, accountability, loyalty, and vicarious liability.
c) Fair evaluation, accountability, responsibility, and perseverance.
d) Fair evaluation, informed consent, perseverance, supervisor competence.
e) Supervisor competence, accountability, perseverance, and loyalty.
4. The clinical supervisor has responsibilities for ethical practice towards the client in the supervision
process. Which of the following must be client be aware of?
a) Limits and implications of confidentiality.
b) Supervisee’s qualifications.
c) Supervisee’s range of case load.
d) a) and b) only.
e) All of above.
5. Which of the following is NOT typically included in the first supervision session?
a) Informed consent.
b) Logistics such as frequency of meeting, emergency contacts.
c) Review of supervisee competence.
d) Evaluation process.
e) Components of legal and ethical practice.
6. Which of the following best describes what the supervisor does during the supervision process?
a) Help trainee reframe situations and thoughts.
b) Build on supervisee strengths.
c) Discuss supervisee theoretical orientation.
d) Address counselor/client boundaries.
e) All of the above.
7. The supervision contract is a very important document. What is the purpose of the document?
a) To secure a practicum and internship site for the counselor student.
b) Provide an outline for the relationship and work between supervisor and supervisee.
c) To protect the rights of the supervisee.
d) a) and b) only.
e) All of the above.
8. Individual supervision is the preferred type of supervision arrangement. However, triadic supervision
has a number of benefits. Which of the following describe these benefits?
a) Opportunity for vicarious learning.
b) Observing multiple perspectives.
c) It is a simpler supervision process.
d) a) and b) only.
e) All of the above.
9. Group supervision usually involves one supervisor and 6-8 supervisees. Again the larger group offers
which of the following additional benefits?
a) Distorted perceptions about self and client can be challenged.
b) Safe place for eliminating self-defeating behaviors.
c) Appreciation of different counseling styles.
d) Appreciation of the universality of supervisee experience.
e) All of the above.
10. Supervisee engagement in the supervision process plays an important role in supervision outcomes.
Which of the following DOES NOT contribute to effective supervision?
a) Taking control of the supervision session.
b) Taking responsibility for learning in supervision.
c) Utilizing self-assessment and reflection.
d) Focus on solutions.
e) None of the above.
11. What factors influence the supervisory relationship?
a) A strong working alliance.
b) Collaboratively developing common goals.
c) Supervisor/supervisee attachment styles.
d) Supervisor attractiveness.
e) All of the above.
12. Ethical issues can arise in any part of the supervision process. What is due process?
a) The process for the supervisor to terminate the supervisory relationship.
b) The process for agreeing a supervisory contract.
c) The process for supervisee to receive negative evaluation in a timely and fair manner with an
opportunity for remediation.
d) The process for the supervisee to terminate the supervisory contract.
e) All of the above.
13. What is meant by vicarious liability?
a) The supervisor takes out liability insurance for the supervisee.
b) When the supervisor is held accountable for supervisee negligence
c) The supervisee is held accountable for his or her negligence.
d) When the supervisee sues the supervisor for negligence.
e) All of the above.
14. Attending to multicultural issues in the supervisory relationship leads to a number of benefits for
supervisee development. Which of the following maybe observed?
a) Awareness of how culture affects counselor, client and supervisor.
b) Skills to address individual differences.
c) Increased knowledge and multicultural competence.
d) Exposure to multicultural issues in counseling.
e) All of the above.
15. Which of the following is NOT a constructive way to address cultural concerns in the supervisory
relationship?
a) The supervisor to disclose his or her multicultural competence limitations.
b) The supervisee to discuss his or her cultural biases.
c) Focus on shared cultural characteristics.
d) Exploring the situation from the client’s perspective.
e) Exploring discrimination and oppression in the supervisory relationship.
Activities
1. Ask class members to think back on their past experiences with supervision and supervisors. Although
they probably have not had experience in clinical supervision, they have most likely been a supervisee in
some form through an employment setting. Ask them in to reflect on their own supervisory experiences
and to make two columns on a piece of paper – positive supervision experiences and negative supervision
experiences. Under each column, they should list the specific factors that were associated with each
experience, both positive and negative. For example, under positive experiences, they could list a
supervisor under whom they worked with which they had a positive working relationship. In class, the
lists can be compared and contrasted and the instructor can explore factors in-depth (e.g., what were some
of the components of a satisfactory supervision relationship) as well as identify common themes among
class member’s experiences. This is a great way to begin the course and presents a context that allows for
students to begin to conceptualize supervision is and how it applies to clinical mental health training.
2. Each student should select and interview one practicing supervisor in the local mental health
community. The student should plan to call the supervisor, set up a one-hour appointment with them,
prepare interview questions based on information from the chapter as well as assigned topics, and finally,
they should be prepared to take notes so that they can organize their report of the interview. Specific
questions can include: the supervisor’s background and training in supervision.
3. Attachment styles of the supervisor and supervisee can influence the development of supervisory
relationship. Conduct a research to understand attachment theory and styles if you are not familiar with
the theory. Identify your attachment style. Discuss how your attachment style may influence what sort of
supervisory relationship you may want/develop with your supervisor.
Discussion
1. Supervisors typically take the lead in directing the supervision session, especially in the early stages of
the supervision relationship. However, it is important that the supervisee also takes an active role to
ensure his or her professional and personal development goals are met. Discuss how as a supervisee you
can play an active role and ensure your specific goals are met. Consider some of personal barriers that
may hinder you in this process and how you can overcome them.
2. Supervisors have vicarious liability because they are responsible for their supervisee’s actions and the
well-being of their supervisee’s clients. The supervisor must take appropriate steps to balance supervisee
development and safeguard client safety. However, the supervisee also has responsibility to understand
when he or she is working out of his or her scope of competence. Understanding the limits of you own
competence is an important skill to develop as ethical practice dictates counselors must always only
practice within their scope of competence. Discuss what steps you as a supervisee can take to look after
your client’s well–being and at the same time minimize your supervisor’s exposure to vicarious liability.
3. Cultural differences are present in almost all relationships and they will be present in the
supervisor/supervisee relationship. Identify two ways in which a supervisor is most likely to be culturally
different form you. Discuss the benefits and disadvantages of working with a supervisor in this situation.
Multiple Choice Questions – Answer Key