Supervision Consulting Advocacy, Essay Example

Part 1: Clinical Supervision

There are two major cross-theoretical paradigms for clinical supervision: developmental, and social role (Holloway, 1995, p. 4). Developmental models have the advantage of being grounded in developmental psychology, with the result being that their great strength is an emphasis on matching the supervision to the counselor-in-training’s level of development (p. 4). All developmental models exhibit some form of this premise: the idea that over the course of training, the counselor-trainee exhibits stages of development, and these stages of development should provide the basis for any effective supervision (Aasheim, 2012, p. 39). By recognizing and delineating each stage, the supervisor can ascertain what the trainee’s learning needs in that stage are, in order to help them to proceed to the next stage of their development (p. 39). Change over time is a key concept, one that gives these models an almost ‘evolutionary’ quality: as the trainee matures and grows in knowledge and experience, what they need from their supervisor changes, and this changes the relationship (p. 40).

The second great cross-theoretical paradigm is that of the social role models (Holloway, 1995, pp. 4-5). Social role models posit that supervisors act in accordance with a set of roles, and in doing so, “establish certain expectations, beliefs, and attitudes” (p. 5). This in turn sets the tone for the trainee, which is why it is so important for the supervisor to understand these roles and perform them well (p. 5). Security and predictability are both important for the trainee to feel in the relationship: they need to feel secure in what will be expected of them, and understand what they need to do (Aasheim, 2012, p. 49). In the Discrimination Model, a popular social role model, supervisors are given three focus areas—“intervention skills, conceptualization skills, and personalization skills”—and three supervisor roles, namely “teacher, counselor, and consultant” (pp. 49-50). The main focus is on the supervisor, specifically on the roles they assume in the course of the relationship with the pupil (p. 50).

The cardinal benefit of supervision is to the clients: it ensures that they are protected from any errors that a trainee might make that would compromise their welfare (Aasheim, 2012, p. 35). In any field, making mistakes is an inevitable and often necessary part of growth for trainees; in the counseling field, such mistakes cannot go uncorrected, because the stakes are so high (p. 35). This is an ethical imperative in the field: experienced counselors who supervise trainees are protecting patients from potential harm, and trainees from potential lawsuits. Thus, the benefits are a two-way street: the trainees also benefit tremendously, in that they are able to develop their skills and learn from their supervisors, as well as, of course, avoiding a great deal of potential legal liability (p. 35).

Part 2: Consultation and Advocacy

The essence of consultation is a cooperative partnership with another professional or other significant third party. For example, a marriage and family therapist seeing a family that has an elementary school-aged child with behavioral problems might enter into consultation with the child’s school counselor, or with the teacher (Holcomb-McCoy, 2007, pp. 55-56). Of course, any time a counselor works with a minor child, they should try to consult with the child’s parent(s) or guardian(s) if at all possible (p. 56). In any event, the essence of consultation is a counselor working with another professional (or in some cases, another third party) to enhance the level of services that they are able to offer to the client (Neukrug, 2012, p. 258). Advocacy is a form of consultation that has a decided bent on empowering clients through a recognition of, and attempts to mitigate, the various “social, political, economic and cultural factors” that may constitute barriers to the client’s wellbeing and success (p. 651).

For my own area, marriage and family therapy, consultation and advocacy are often focused on dysfunctions within the marriage and/or family (Dykeman, 2013, p. 435). For example, a therapist might consult with the parents about behavioral problems that their children are having, or with the children about issues that they have with their parents, step-parents, step-siblings and the like (pp. 434-436). A therapist might also have to consult with each spouse separately in order to help them resolve their issues together (Dykeman, 2013, pp. 432-436; Nassar-McMillan & Niles, 2011, pp. 79-81). This could very well lead directly into advocacy: by way of a hypothetical example, I might help a couple who are having trouble in their marriage due to one partner’s tendency to be afraid of expressing criticism or saying anything negative. I could do this by consulting with each one, and then by empowering one spouse to find the resources that they need to better express their expectations of, and disappointments and frustrations with, the other spouse (Nassar-McMillan & Niles, 2011, p. 80).

I certainly see my role as one that will include a lot of consultation and advocacy. I will have to consult with many third parties, including other specialists as well as spouses, parents and the like, in order to help my clients reach their best treatment outcomes. In the course of so doing, I will also have to be an effective advocate, helping my clients to find the resources and the wherewithal to overcome their challenges and improve their situations. Institutional and social barriers of race, ethnicity, nationality, class, gender, sexual orientation, and the like all pose challenges for particular clients. Awareness of the worldviews of clients is the basis for a great deal of multicultural competency in counseling (Neukrug, 2012, p. 88). This is a prerequisite for adapting one’s practice to culturally-appropriate styles (Holcomb-McCoy, 2007, pp. 57-58). By asking questions, listening, and learning, counselors can build multicultural competencies that will help them to serve clients of diverse cultural backgrounds.

References   

Aasheim, L. L. (2012). Practical clinical supervision for counselors: An experiential guide. New York: Springer Publishing Company, LLC.

Dykeman, C. (2013). Marriage, couple, and family counseling. In D. Capuzzi & D. R. Gross (Eds.), Introduction to the counseling profession (pp. 420-444) (6^th ed.). New York: Routledge.

Holcomb-McCoy, C. (2007). School counseling to close the achievement gap: A social justice framework for success. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Holloway, E. (1995). Clinical supervision: A systems approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Nassar-McMillan, S. C., & Niles, S. G. (2011). Developing your identity as a professional counselor: Standards, settings, and specialties. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Neukrug, E. (2012). The world of the counselor: An introduction to the counseling profession (4^th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.