I am currently unable to accept supervisees for weekly, ongoing supervision, however I am available for semi-regular case consultation, or supervision in addition to other, ongoing supervision.
You’re finally an lcmhca! now what?
Licensure supervision for LCMHCAs in North Carolina
You’ve done the classes, practicum, internship, and even taken the NCMHCE. One last step before you can see clients- finding a licensure supervisor.
Supervision can be one of the best experiences during this time, or one of the worst, which is why it is so important to find someone you work well with and can trust. Similar to counseling, supervision is a bit of an imbalanced relationship. The goal is that with time, you and your supervisor become peers as opposed to keeping up the power differential.
You’re ready to start helping clients.
How supervision works
You can grow into the therapist you’ve always wanted to be.
Clinical supervision is guidance from a fully licensed, qualified therapist that helps you discover who you are as a therapist while also providing case consultation, ethics discussions, and session review.
Generally, when working with someone more freshly out of school, we do a lot more “teaching.” While I want you to develop your own style and way of being in the therapy room, I remember what it’s like to be newer in the field and all of the questions that come along with it. It’s ok to ask for advice, although over the course of our time together you will get a lot more of the “what do you think you should do” type of response from me. We will discuss specific cases you feel you are struggling with, and cases that are going well. We talk about ethical dilemmas, legislation updates, and can get into more esoteric theory-based discussions. And of course, the all-important transference and counter-transference. Supervision is the place to look at how these things are impacting you as a therapist.
Supervision is NOT:
A lot of things! I am not your boss, so you don’t need to worry about getting “fired.” Yes, you are practicing under my license, which means there may be times I set a firm boundary for what I need you to do, but again, the goal is for you to be independent. Supervision is not your own personal therapy. Yes, we may talk about some personal things, but I am not able to work with you on your trauma or family issues. If I think those things are interfering with your supervision time, we will talk about finding a counselor for you. Supervision is not school. There’s no grades, no points off for grammar or spelling or whatever.
Frequently asked questions about supervision
FAQs
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Supervision sessions can be one person or two people, which both count as individual. The board allows for up to 12 people in a group supervision session, however, I find that in groups larger than 6 people don't feel like they're getting all of their needs met, so I limit the number to 6.
According to the board, you must have 1 hour of individual supervision, or 2 hours of group, for every 40 hours worked.
While for some folks that may mean infrequent meeting, I ask that we meet no less than once every-other week, as I find most folks want to check in more than that anyway.
Also, keep in mind that the board requires that I directly observe your skills at each supervision session. Generally this is done through watching a recording of a session. That certainly won't take up our entire time, but for hours to count towards supervision, this is necessary.
Right now, I provide all supervision virtually, although if you are in the Charlotte area, I’m happy to meet up in person!
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Love this question! I spent over 15 years working with children and their families, so anyone who works with kids is my jam as a supervisee. While I am not a Registered Play Therapist, I have extensive training in play therapy and regularly used play techniques with my kids. I've also done a ton of work with parents in addressing their child's needs.
Trauma history with folks? I got you. I spent a few years working with child victims of sexual abuse and their non-offending caretakers. And about 4 years with therapeutic foster care.
Ok, but adults? Yup. While certainly not all, I've done extensive work with grownups too. I love ACT, mindfulness, ERP, and good old person-centered therapy. I've got training in Motivational Interviewing, am IFS-informed, and have worked a ton with neurodivergent adults.
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Very important question! I do not do couples, so if you are looking to do mostly couples work, I am definitely not your person. Substance abuse is another area outside my scope- you would definitely benefit more from an LCAS. While I worked for about a year in an eating disorder clinic, I don't have the skills necessary to provide supervision for folks looking to work with this population.
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I’ve worked in a wide variety of settings and am able to provide supervision for associates working in the following settings:
School-based, in-home, community-based, outpatient, teletherapy, crisis intervention, residential, and more.
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I use a "pay what you can" model for supervision. I realize that starting out in the field, you likely don't make much money, and I know how expensive student loans are! I'm happy to work with you to find a rate that makes sense for both of us. Some guidelines to help you figure out your budget, with suggested ranges in parentheses:
1:1 supervision is one hour per every 40 hours worked, no less than every other week ($50-$150/hour).
1:2 supervision is also one hour per every 40 hours worked, no less than every other week. This counts towards your individual supervision hours, and since you would be sharing the hour with another person, I am comfortable with a lower price ($40-$100/hour, per person).
1:3-6 (group) supervision is one two-hour session for every 40 hours worked, no less than every other week. This can be a cheaper option for many folks but remember you need at least 75 hours of individual supervision for licensure. I also don't always have enough for a group ($50-$100 per 2-hour session, per person).
Fees will be re-evaluated quarterly, and can be re-negotiated as needed.
If your agency or group practice pays for your supervision, I'm happy to discuss rates with them.