Supervision

If you have a graduate degree in the field of mental health and are in the process of obtaining or have obtained a limited license as a professional counselor in the State of Michigan, I would be pleased to serve you as your supervisor. I am a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in the State of Michigan and I am an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS). I am a member of and abide by the ethical codes of the American Mental Health Counselors Association as well as AMHCA’s state division of counseling, the Michigan Mental Health Counselors Association.

Limited License Requirement: The limited license must be obtained by the supervisee prior to beginning post-degree supervised experience in Michigan. Supervised experience completed in Michigan prior to obtaining the limited license cannot be counted toward the requirements for full licensure. Original licenses are valid for a year or less, subsequent renewals are each for a one-year period.

Counseling Experience Requirements: Counseling experience under the supervision of a Licensed Professional Counselor is required to qualify for a full professional counselor license. Individuals who are Limited License Professional Counselors must accrue 3,000 hours of post-degree counseling experience in not less than a two-year period. The L.L.P.C. supervisee must complete a minimum of 100 hours of face-to-face supervision in the immediate physical presence of the supervisor and must remain in supervision until obtaining full licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor.

Definition of Supervision: Supervision is a process that begins with the relationship formed between the supervisor and the supervisee. This relationship promotes the development of responsibility, skills, knowledge, attitudes, and adherence to ethical, legal, and regulatory standards in the practice of counseling. It is face-to-face contact during which we study your case notes and the audio and videotapes of your work with clients in order to assess professional behaviors, counseling skills, personal awareness, and client/case conceptualizations. Because intentionality is at the heart of effective counseling, the process of supervision includes attention to your awareness of the thoughts and feelings that occur with respect to the counselor/client relationship. Facilitating this awareness, including attention to the motivation behind interventions, is an important aspect of the supervision process.

Supervision is a process which is distinguishable from personal psychotherapy. Your personal issues will be addressed in supervision only in terms of the impact of these issues on your professional functioning.

Content of Supervision Session: The focus of our session is the raw data from your clinical work. You will be expected to bring to each session for discussion and review your written clinical materials of a current client and/or video or audio recordings or your sessions with a client.

Responsibility: As I am responsible with you for the well-being of your clients, it is imperative that you inform me of any and all unusual or untoward events you may experience with your clients. Any time you make a mandatory report, I must be informed as soon as possible.

Evaluation: Evaluation is a fundamental component of supervision. It is an ongoing process that is linked to your professional and personal growth. As your supervisor, It will be my responsibility to evaluate your clinical work and behaviors that directly or indirectly affect your clients. The evaluation criteria are listed on the “Professional Behavior Objectives” form that I will provide during your first supervisory session. These criteria serve as goals and objectives of your supervision experience. Evaluation will be a collaborative process wherein your own oral and written self-evaluations will be a beneficial part of the process. You will also be asked to evaluate me and the supervision process.

Supervision Appointments: Supervision sessions take place in my office at 640 Griswold Street Suite 300, Northville, Michigan. The length of the supervision time varies. Individual supervision is scheduled for 50-60 minutes. Group supervision is usually two hours in duration.

My Commitment to You: Your period of clinical supervision can be a deeply rewarding experience and a time of intense personal and professional growth. I would be honored to be a part of this process. I have an unconditional commitment to you to be open and honest, to be focused on your supervision goals and objectives, and to work to assist you to achieve these goals. I will do my best to provide you with a satisfying supervision experience.

Group supervision is usually two hours in duration and occurs approximately every other Saturday, thereby providing the opportunity for the LLPC to accrue 50 hours of supervision per year.