When supervising a graduate student, I assist the trainee as he/she transitions through three developmental levels of skills and experience:

 

• Level One: Trainees are generally highly anxious when testing out their new skills, and they require consistent guidance and support managing the assessment and initial stages of therapy.

 

• Level Two: As trainees build confidence with their new skills, the focus will shift to understanding and integrating the client’s worldview. Supervision assists trainees in reflecting on here-and-now interactions with the client.
   

• Level Three: Trainees begin to employ theoretical approaches while expanding the collaborative relationship with the supervisor.

 

My Cognitive-Behavioral approach to supervision focuses on a trainee's observable thoughts and behaviors in a therapeutic setting, as well as his/her reactions to a specific client. Specific cognitive behavioral techniques I employ in supervision include:

 

1. Creating a specific agenda for each supervision session

2. Bridging relevant information from previous sessions

3. Assigning homework assignments to the trainee

4. Providing capsule summaries to the trainee