Full Course Description

The Missing Link in Supervisee Development

The art of psychotherapy can feel full of ambiguity to a supervisee, and so can the art of supervision. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a powerful, evidence-based psychotherapy approach utilizing the six major change processes, and can also be used to help supervisees both personally and professionally. Using the SHAPE framework (Morris & Bilich-Eric, 2017), clinical supervisors can help move supervisees from passive participants to curious, competent, flexible professionals.

In this session, you will learn an accessible, contextual model that teaches supervisees to:

learn from experience and loosen strict rule-governed behaviors
avoid getting caught up in struggles with clients' thoughts and emotions
take small action steps as key to creating a pattern of change

Program Information

Objectives

Determine how the six core principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy apply to clinical supervision practices and goals.
Integrate supervisory strategies for helping supervisees develop psychological flexibility as related to case conceptualization and treatment implementation.
Apply techniques to help supervisees be more present with clients, even with uncomfortable emotions.

Outline

Why Integrate ACT Principles into Clinical Supervision?

Limitations of the research and potential risks
The 6 core principles of ACT
Being in the moment vs. lost in the past or future
Accepting reality as it is right now
Noticing thoughts vs. getting caught up in them
Connecting to a bigger sense of self
Making values-driven decisions
Taking meaningful action

The SHAPE Framework of Clinical Supervision

Supervision Values

Clarify goals and big picture values for the supervision process
Contract to create meaningful commitment
Check in regularly on direction and goals of supervision
Attending to the highs and lows of the supervisory relationship

Hold Stories Lightly

How to help supervisees learn from experience to loosen strict rule-governed behaviors
Attend to workability
Monitor stories and encourage flexible responding

Analysis of Function

How to foster curiosity about the context and function of client behaviors
Functional analysis of how the supervisee affects client behaviors
Attending to the context and workability of what happens in the supervision sessions

Perspective Taking

Why it’s important to promote flexible perspective taking
How to help supervisees notice variations of experience and perspectives across contexts
How to take different perspectives of the same experience
Building reflective ability by seeing things from clients’ and supervisor’s perspectives, and assessing workability

Experiential methods

Why it’s important to use experiential methods to increase sensitivity to client-therapist context
How to show rather than tell – use of role play, modeling, video, direct observation
Noticing the effects of describing versus evaluating
What to do when the supervisee is stuck or when things are not working

Copyright : 22/01/2026

Neurodiversity-Affirming Supervision

Supervision is a critical space for shaping the next generation of clinicians, and neurodivergent supervisees bring unique perspectives, strengths, and challenges to the process.

In this session, Jamie Roberts, LMFT – founder of NeuroPebble Corp, a continuing education platform for neuro-affirming clinical training from instructors with lived experience – will show you what you need to know so you can support the well-being and growth of neurodivergent supervisees. You’ll learn how to:

Adapt supervision to meet diverse communication and processing needs
Recognize and respond to masking and burnout in the clinical setting
Foster collaboration, deliver strengths-based feedback, and reduce systemic barriers

Program Information

Objectives

Identify common strengths and challenges that neurodivergent pre-licensed clinicians may encounter in supervision and early clinical practice.
Utilize at least three neurodiversity-affirming strategies to adapt supervision methods, feedback, and expectations to support supervisees’ success.
Evaluate the impact of supervision practices on the professional development, mental health, and client care outcomes of neurodivergent clinicians.

Outline

The Neurodivergent Supervisee

Defining neurodiversity
Strengths of neurodivergent supervisees
Common challenges

Neurodiversity Paradigm Shift

What is a neurodiversity-affirming approach
Impacts of a neurodiversity-affirming approach on supervisees
Key accommodations to support executive functioning and communication
Help make documentation more do-able
Supervision for development of clinical skills
Reduce burnout
Limitations of the research and potential risks

Copyright : 22/01/2026

Real Talk on Remediation

Supervision isn’t just about guidance; it’s evaluation, accountability, and sometimes, tough conversations. And one of the most difficult yet essential tasks for supervisors is recognizing when a supervisee needs remediation and knowing how to respond.

In this session, Dr. Kate McLellan Walker – author of The Clinical Supervision Survival Guide – cuts through the confusion with a practical, step-by-step approach to:

Set clear expectations and evaluation benchmarks for supervisees from the start
Deal with common supervisee struggles via an easy-to-implement remediation plan
Support supervisees while you protect their clients and reduce your liability

Program Information

Objectives

Utilize two orientation strategies to establish clear expectations for supervisees.
Identify two interventions for remediation when supervisees demonstrate deficiencies.
Analyze risk and ethical considerations associated with inadequate remediation.

Outline

Why Remediation Matters

Protecting clients and reducing liability
Risks when remediation is ignored

Orientation and Evaluation

Contracts and onboarding tools
Set expectations for performance and accountability
Developmental models, bias, and evaluation
Common supervisee struggles and how to measure progress

Remediation in Action

Step-by-step remediation planning
Practical case examples and sample interventions
Limitations and risks – research gaps and cultural considerations

Copyright : 22/01/2026

Identity Development in Supervision

Professional identity development of clinicians-in-training often receives less attention than technical competence, and without intentional support in this areas, supervisees can struggle with role confusion, burnout, and difficulty navigating next steps in their career. In this session, Charla Yearwood, LCSW – director of Our Therapy Lab, a student-run clinic focused on expanding access to culturally-responsive care – will show you how to:

Guide supervisees to identify their preferred practice approaches and client populations
Support supervisees in developing a distinct clinical voice using reflective prompts and more
Integrate identity exploration alongside skill-building to foster growth and confidence

Program Information

Objectives

Analyze the role of professional identity development in effective and sustainable clinical practice.
Identify at least three strategies supervisors can use to guide supervisees in clarifying their preferred practice approaches and client populations.
Develop a supervision plan that integrates identity exploration alongside skill-building to foster supervisee growth and confidence.

Outline

Understanding Professional Identity in Supervision

What it is and why it matters for long-term clinician success
Technical competence versus identity-building
Risks when identity work is overlooked: lack of confidence, role confusion, burnout
Limitations of research on professional identity development in supervision
Ethical considerations: balancing identity growth with clinical competency standards

Facilitate Supervisee Professional Identity

How to facilitate reflective practice for supervisees
Explore theoretical preferences and practice areas
Encourage authentic style, cultural awareness, and confidence
Role of modeling and constructive feedback
Case example

Implementation in Supervision Practice

Practical structures: reflection circles, layered feedback, peer support
How to integrate identity exploration alongside required skill development

Copyright : 22/01/2026

Teaching Clinical Thinking in Supervision

Tracking what clients are saying – and not saying – and then determining what interventions will be most effective can be daunting for supervisees to learn and for supervisors to teach.

In this session, Jon Frederickson, MSW – international trainer and prolific author – will show you how to ask specific kinds of questions that teach students how to think clinically about what causes their clients’ symptoms and what to target in therapy. You’ll learn:

How to help students put new learning into their own words with specific retrieval questions
Strategies to teach supervisees the steps of clinical thinking and assessment
Powerful tools to assess what students are and are not integrating

Program Information

Objectives

Evaluate the research on supervision effectiveness.
Utilize at least one deliberate practice retrieval question with supervisees to aid retention of new knowledge
Use metacognition to teach supervisees clinical thinking.

Outline

The research on supervision effectiveness as a learning tool for supervisees
Lecture versus active learning techniques
Deliberate practice in supervision
Steps of clinical thinking and assessment
Decision tree for clinical thinking
Retrieval questions to help supervisees remember new knowledge
Metacognitive questions to integrate new information into old knowledge so supervision “sticks”
Limitations of the research and potential risks
Demonstration of how to teach clinical thinking

Copyright : 22/01/2026

The Culturally Responsive Supervision Mindset

When cultural responsiveness is missing in supervision, clients pay the price.

In this session, Dr. Sonja Sutherland – professor, diversity consultant, and nationally recognized trainer on racial trauma and cultural competence – introduces a practical model to help supervisors foster humility, dialogue, and growth. You’ll learn how to:

Broach diversity with confidence by guiding supervisees to process discrimination-based stress and trauma
Strengthen the supervisory relationship by clarifying worldview and addressing cultural dynamics head-on
Promote lifelong cultural growth using a developmental model that turns awareness into ongoing practice

Dr. Sutherland’s work has shaped the way thousands of clinicians nationwide approach cultural competence in supervision – now she’ll show you how to do the same.

Program Information

Objectives

Determine developmental language and voci needed for personal and supervisee development of a culturally responsive mindset.
Identify key factors in fostering ethical, culturally humble, and clinically helpful conversations around diversity in supervision.
Integrate steps supervisors can take to encourage life-long cultural competence growth in supervisees.

Outline

Broaching Diversity with Supervisees

Addressing discrimination-based stress and trauma directly in supervision
Creating space for open discussion, validation, and growth

The Supervisory Relationship

Clarifying supervisees’ worldview
Exploring the impact of worldview on clinical development
Strengthening the supervisory alliance

Theoretical Model of Cross-Cultural Civility & Culturally Responsive Mindset Development

Overview of the Civility-Centered Developmental Model
- A stages-of-change framework for cross-cultural responsiveness
Integration of key frameworks:
- Transtheoretical Stages of Change
- Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies
- Racial Identity Development Models
- Multicultural Orientation Framework
Practical applications for supervisors:
- Identifying developmental barriers in supervisees
- Supporting awareness, openness, and insight
- Fostering a cross-culturally responsive practice mindset
- Risks, limitations and scope of practice

Copyright : 23/01/2026

Trauma-Informed Supervision

Supervising clinicians who work with trauma survivors requires more than good intentions – it demands a trauma-informed, evidence-based approach. Without it, supervisors risk practicing outside their competence and leaving both clinicians and clients vulnerable.

In this session, Melinda Paige, PhD, LPC, CPCS, NCC – renowned counselor educator, trauma expert, and author – shares practical models and tools for supervisors committed to ethical, trauma-competent practice. You’ll learn how to:

Apply six key principles of trauma-informed ethical decision-making in supervision
Recognize and address supervisee wellness concerns, including secondary traumatic stress and compassion fatigue
Use evidence-based techniques to foster resilience, vicarious growth, and competent trauma-sensitive supervision

Program Information

Objectives

By the end of this 75-minute presentation, participants will be able to:

Identify six key principles of a trauma-informed approach to ethical decision-making.
Recognize signs in supervisees that may indicate secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue, or other wellness concerns.
Apply at least two evidence-based, counselor-centered techniques for trauma-competent supervision.

Outline

Part I: The Foundations of Trauma-Competent Supervision

The Pervasiveness of Trauma: Discuss the growing public health concern and the ubiquity of trauma
Ethical Imperative: Explain why specialized training and supervision are ethically required for trauma-focused care
The Six Principles: Introduce the six principles of trauma-informed approach to ethical decision-making (Safety, Trustworthiness & Transparency, Peer Support, Collaboration & Mutuality, Empowerment, Voice, & Choice, and Cultural, Historical, & Gender Issues)

Part II: Methods and Ethical Issues in Supervision

Relational Approach: Discuss the importance of a practitioner-centered, relationally based supervisory alliance

Recognizing and Preventing Harm: Highlight the risk of retraumatization and the factors that may cause it (e.g., confronting clients, using physical restraints, limiting client participation)

Ethical Considerations: Address the ethical principles of self-care and the responsibility of both supervisors and supervisees to prevent vicarious traumatization and secondary traumatic stress

Part III: Assessing Wellness and Fostering Resilience

Assessment Tools: Explain how to assess compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue in supervisees
Building Resilience: Discuss strategies for building vicarious resilience, including facilitating meaning-making, recognizing post-traumatic growth, and promoting self-reflective practices
Beyond Self-Care: Introduce restorative practices like mindfulness and autonomic nervous system regulation as crucial components of supervision

Copyright : 23/01/2026

Attunement in Supervision

Emotional attunement in supervision helps supervisees help their clients, and teaching supervisees to use themselves in their work improves outcomes – how do you get there?

In this session, George Faller and Leanne Campbell – seasoned therapists and certified trainers in Emotionally Focused therapy (EFT) – will show you four steps to focus your supervision sessions to achieve attunement with your supervisees so you can:

Create an effective alliance and gauge supervisee’s conceptual understanding of their work
Facilitate a deeply impactful, active-learning experience for supervisees as they experience personal and professional growth
Remove blocks or barriers so that supervisees can deliver on-target and attuned interventions to clients

Program Information

Objectives

Identify four elements of attunement in supervision.
Define the concept of self-of-the-therapist to include self-at-best to improve attunement.
Distinguish emotional misattunement and utilize interventions to reestablish attunement.

Outline

Introduction to supervision practices
Why emotional attunement in supervision is important
Key elements of attunement and how to foster them – ACES
Self-of-the-therapist work in supervision
Special Challenges to attunement/mis-attunement
Limitations of the research and potential risks
Demonstration of attuned and mis-attuned supervision

Copyright : 23/01/2026

Supervision and Burnout

Burnout doesn’t just take clinicians out of the field. It drains meaning from the day-to-day work. And in supervision, these same patterns can shape how trainees think about their entire careers.

In this session, Dr. Sean Davis – AAMFT-approved supervisor and co-editor of Clinical Supervision Activities for increasing Competence and Self-Awareness – will share a practical framework that helps you and your supervisees bring clarity, direction, and depth back into clinical work.

You’ll learn how to:

Guide supervisees to build safety and attunement before jumping to technique
Show them how to spark hope and expectancy when clients feel struck
Apply a practical framework to prevent burnout and foster purpose in your supervisees – and yourself

Program Information

Objectives

Define elements of burnout in the helping professions.
Evaluate the impact of the therapeutic pyramid model on burnout.
Use knowledge of the therapeutic pyramid to supervision practice to improve outcomes.

Outline

The hidden elements of burnout in the helping professions
Therapeutic pyramid model to infuse work with depth and meaning
Way of Being in clinical practice
Teach Way of Being to supervisees
Limitations of the research and potential risks
Video illustration
Case studies

Copyright : 23/01/2026

Ethical Considerations of Artificial Intelligence for Supervisors

Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept – it’s here, woven into documentation systems, training platforms, and even reflective practice – and supervisors can’t afford to ignore it.

In this session, Dr. Amy Fortney Parks – founder of the Clinical Supervision directory, host of the Supervision Simplified podcast, and nationally recognized clinical supervisor – will help you:

Examine cases where AI has been applied to psychotherapy training and supervision
Identify risks and responsibly integrate AI into supervision
Maintain the human relationship at the heart of clinical growth

Program Information

Objectives

After attending this session, participants will be able to:

Identify at least three ethical concerns related to the use of AI in supervision.
Determine evidence-based scenarios where AI may complement supervision while preserving clinical judgment.
Develop a framework for piloting AI in supervision that includes consent, risk assessment, and supervisor oversight.

Outline

The AI Landscape in Mental Health Training

Overview of current research on AI in supervision and psychotherapy training
Demonstration of potential AI functions – fidelity checks, reflective prompts, case summaries
Early peer-reviewed findings and professional guidance

Ethical Considerations for Supervisors

Core concerns: confidentiality, competence, bias, accuracy, scope of practice
Case examples highlighting risks and connections to ethics codes
Vignette pause and reflect – where would you draw the line?

Practical Applications & Guardrails

Review AI-generated supervision feedback for red flags
How to draft informed consent language specific to AI in supervision
Design a three-tier safeguard of pre-use boundaries, real-time monitoring, and post-use review

Limitations and Risks

Summary of research gaps and limitations
Potential risks of over-reliance on AI in supervision
Ethical guardrails: emphasizing human oversight and clinical judgment

The Group Supervision Blueprint: Stages, Strategies, and Skills for Effective Facilitation

Group supervision isn’t just guidance with more chairs in the room—it’s a completely different skill set. The group leader has to balance developmental stages, personalities, and dynamics, all while keeping the focus on growth and accountability.

In this session, Amie Bryant, best-selling author, seasoned clinician, and Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS), cuts through the guesswork with a clear, practical approach to:

Set up effective group supervision and name three benefits that make it a powerful tool for learning
Identify stages of group development and anticipate challenging behaviors before they derail progress
Apply facilitation techniques that build cohesion, strengthen interpersonal dynamics, and create supportive supervision environments

Program Information

Objectives

Identify the core components of effective group supervision, including facilitator roles, ethical responsibilities, and strategies for establishing psychological safety.
Differentiate stages of group development and apply stage-appropriate facilitation strategies to support supervisee growth and group cohesion.
Select practical group supervision techniques—such as feedback, case conceptualization, and management of interpersonal dynamics—to enhance supervisee learning and professional development.

Outline

The Group Supervision Blueprint: Stages, Strategies, and Skills for Effective Facilitation
Foundations of Effective Group Supervision

Definition and purpose of group supervision
Roles, responsibilities, and core competencies of the facilitator
Ethical considerations and psychological safety in group settings

Stages of Group Development

Overview of group development stages (forming through adjourning)
Common tasks, challenges, and supervisor interventions at each stage
Supporting cohesion, trust, and productive group functioning

Key Facilitation Strategies and Skills

Setting the frame: contracts, structure, and expectations
Managing group dynamics and interpersonal roles
Balancing psychoeducational content and process-oriented work

Advanced Group Supervision Practices

Feedback, evaluation, and parallel process
Cultural humility and socio-cultural awareness in groups
Intentional endings, rupture/repair, and supervisor self-reflection

Boundaries and Dual Relationships in Clinical Practice: Top Ethical Challenges

As clinicians, we come face to face with ethical “gray areas” daily and often skate around potential issues that could put our business, clinical work, or clients in jeopardy.

And of these “gray areas,” boundary issues and dual relationship challenges are a leading cause of lawsuits and licensing board complaints filled against behavioural health practitioners.

In this training you’ll receive a truly expert analysis of a range of boundary issues that behavioural health practitioners encounter. From the ethics of intimate relationships with clients and former clients; the healthy parameters of practitioners’ self-disclosure; boundary challenges when working and living in small and rural communities to the use of nontraditional interventions and much more!

So watch ethics expert and former chair of the task force that wrote the NASW Code of Ethics, Frederic Reamer, PhD, as he provides guidance to behavioural health practitioners who grapple with these challenging situations and their aftermath. Dr. Reamer will cover a myriad of ethical dilemmas that behavioural health practitioners face in their careers and provide practical ethics-informed advice and actional solutions. You’ll also learn:

Ethical standards governing boundaries and dual relationship
Techniques to prevent harm to clients Protocols to prevent litigation and licensing board complaints

Purchase now and avoid ethical entanglements that can increase your risk of professional liability!

Program Information

Objectives

Identify the nature of boundary issues and dual relationship challenges in the behavioural health professions.
Determine high-risk circumstances that can lead to problematic boundaries and dual relationships.
Utilise ethical standards governing boundaries and dual relationships.
Choose protocols to prevent harm, litigation, and licensing board complaints related to professional boundaries and dual relationships.

Outline

The Nature of Boundary Issues and Dual Relationships in the Behavioural Health Professions

Code of Ethics
Boundaries and dual relationship case examples
Boundary crossings and boundary violations
Common practitioner mistakes
Prevent lawsuits and licensing board complaints
Unethical conduct
Assess boundary-related risks
Importance of careful documentation when managing boundaries

Boundary Issues in the Digital Age

Communicating with current/former clients online
Browsing for information about clients
Challenges related to clients searching for information about their therapists

Patterns of Boundary Issues and Dual Relationships

Intimate relationships
Emotional and dependency needs
Personal benefit
Altruism
Unavoidable and unanticipated circumstances

Ethical Standards: Boundaries and Dual Relationships

Conflicts of interest
Unethical conduct
The boundaries of self-disclosure
Professional negligence
Standards of care for ethically complex cases
Importance of supervision
What healthy boundaries look like

Risk Management Strategies Protecting Clients and Practitioners

Professional negligence and malpractice related to professional boundaries
Codes of ethics standards
Statutes and regulations
Standards of care and ethical practice
Ethical decision making
Create a strategy and common warning signs

Stronger Supervision, Stronger Teams

Led by Rachel Ledbetter—developer of Motivo and seasoned supervisor—and Carla Smith—the Chief Clinical Officer at Motivo—this session will show you how clinical supervision can be a powerful strategy for recruitment, retention, and improved client care. Walk away with practical tools you can apply immediately, whether you’re supporting one supervisee or leading a team.

You’ll learn how to:

Foster professional identity and clinical confidence through targeted supervision strategies
Strengthen recruitment and retention by creating a supportive and growth-oriented supervision culture
Elevate client outcomes by guiding supervisees toward reflective practice and sharper clinical decision-making

Program Information

Objectives

Apply supervision strategies that build supervisees’ professional identity and clinical confidence.
Develop a supervision culture that supports growth while improving recruitment and retention.
Facilitate supervisees in reflective practice and clinical decision-making to enhance client outcomes.

Outline

The Role of Supervision in Stronger Teams

Why supervision is more than oversight
How supervision shapes professional identity and confidence
Risks, limitations and scope of practice

Supervision as a Recruitment & Retention Strategy

Creating a supportive and growth-oriented culture
Linking supervision practices to team stability and engagement

Supervision and Client Care

Guiding supervisees in reflective practice
Strengthening clinical decision-making for improved outcomes

Practical Tools & Applications

Actionable strategies you can implement immediately
Adapting approaches for both individual supervisees and larger teams