Supervision Course

Clinical Supervision Level 1: Foundational Knowledge
An on-line self-study course sponsored by the Psychologists’ Association of Alberta

Welcome!

Welcome to Clinical Supervision Level 1: Foundational Knowledge. As of November 2, 2021, the course is hosted by the Psychologists’ Association of Alberta. This on-line self-paced self-study course provide foundational knowledge about the responsibilities and practices of clinical supervision in mental health professions including psychology, psychotherapy, clinical counselling, couple and family therapy, clinical social work, etc. I initially designed this course to exceed the 30 hours of supervision training required by the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. In the last three years, approximately 200 therapists from across Canada, and a few from the USA and the UK, have taken this course. 

What This Course Will Provide

“Competence” is defined as adequate subject matter knowledge and the application of such knowledge, done with sufficient care. For example, College of Alberta Psychologists defines competences as “knowledge, skill, judgement, and diligence.” I have designed this course to provide the knowledge portion of supervisory competence. I strongly recommend you seek supervision mentoring, or meet with a supervision consultation group to develop the skill component of your supervision competence.

About Me

I’ve been a Registered Psychologist in Alberta since 1987, a Clinical Fellow and Approved Supervisor in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), and a Registered Marriage and Family Therapist Supervisor Mentor in the Canadian Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (CAMFT). I am the supervision columnist for the Psychologists’ Association of Alberta Psymposium newsletter, a Supervision Consultant for the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP), and a member of CAP’s Supervision Review Committee. My “day job” is as a professor with Athabasca University in the Master of Counselling program, where I have the privilege of supporting the development of counsellors and psychotherapists across Canada. 

I’m passionate about clinical supervision. It’s a distinct area of competence, like couples’ therapy or trauma work, so it requires both specialized knowledge and deliberate practice. As counsellors, psychotherapists, and psychologists, clinical supervision is our “signature pedagogy.” One of my missions is to enhance the quality of supervision practice, so you will also find me writing about supervision, presenting on it at conferences, and teaching courses on supervision for the AAMFT and the University of Calgary. My professional service activities are dedicated to improving the quality of clinical supervision: I am one of the College of Alberta Psychologists’ Supervision Consultants and I serve on the Supervision Oversight Committee of the Canadian Association for Marriage and Family Therapists.

If you want to know more about me, click here for my full profile.

Requirements to Be a “Qualified” Supervisor

Each jurisdiction and educational program has its own requirements for clinical supervisors. For instance, some regulatory boards require no evidence of education or competence in supervision, only requiring a supervisor to have been registered/licensed for a minimum time period. Other jurisdictions require specific courses and/or supervision mentoring. Please check with your certification or licensing body to see if this course will meet the requirements.

For example, candidates for the Approved Supervisor designation with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) must take a course sponsored by the AAMFT. Although I am an AAMFT Approved Supervisor and an approved instructor for AAMFT’s supervision courses, this course does not fulfill the AAMFT requirements. Only courses sponsored by AAMFT fulfill their requirements. Please check here for approved AAMFT courses, or ask your state or provincial AAMFT affiliate to sponsor one (preferably taught by me!).

Course Organization and Structure

Recognizing that those interested in this course are experienced counsellors/psychotherapists, busy professionals, and self-directed adult learners, I designed the course to provide maximum choice in terms of readings, access to a virtual clinical supervision reading room, a fully self-paced format (no on-line discussion to keep up with), and regularly scheduled optional on-line support via Zoom for questions and discussion. You will work through ten modules at your own pace. I’ve provided a study process for each module with a curated collection of linked readings, to which you will have perpetual access. Several of the modules will lead you toward a specific learning product, which I require to verify completion of the course.

Topics Module by Module

Required Learning Products

1. Supervision contract/informed consent form.
2. Competency-based supervision plan.
3. Supervision intake form/protocol for first supervision meeting.
4. Supervision disclosure/philosophy statement
5. Evaluation form/criteria
6. Continuing competence plan

Zoom drop-in meetings: https://ucalgary.zoom.us/j/974028448988

6:00 to 7:30 Mountain time:
August 21, 2023 (please note revised time)
October 11, 2023
November 29, 2023
January 10, 2024

Thank you so much for your interest regarding Clinical Supervision – Level 1: Foundational Knowledge.

Please click here for more information about the course.