Texas Board Approved Supervision
New Mexico Board Approved Supervision
Registered Play Therapist Supervision (APT)
Benefits of Supervision
Supervision supports professional practice and reflection, supports continuing professional development, improves counselor wellbeing, improves work environment and culture, and produces better client outcomes. Altogether, supervision allows us to be better clinicians for our clients.
My Philosophy of Supervision
Although the completion of a training program provides a foundation for entering the counseling profession, I believe that a counselor’s professional development truly takes place through direct contact with clients. Because the counselor’s professional development is a life-long process, clinical supervision is a necessary component to facilitate that growth, provide support and guidance in ethically challenging and emotionally charging cases, and to encourage self-care in the supervisee.
Just as counselors encourage their clients to continue on the path of healing themselves, supervisors are responsible for guiding counselors-in-training to familiarize themselves with the terrains that their clients must travel so they may guide their clients. Sometimes this process involves teaching. Sometimes this process involves consulting. Sometimes this process involves counseling. Regardless of the role that the supervisor takes, the supervision process always involves thinking dialectically and enhancing the supervisee’s resiliency to counsel.
My approach to supervision will involve an emphasis on meeting your needs with regards to my role and taking a cognitive and trauma-sensitive approach. Addressing cognitive dilemmas within the supervisory and the therapy relationship will involve setting appropriate limits, avoiding or working through power struggles, and determining what interventions are most appropriate in the supervision process. Vicarious trauma may impair the counselor’s ability to work through dilemmas; therefore, attending to the supervisory relationship in a trauma-sensitive manner is important if you are working with a traumatized population. Based on the discrimination model of supervision, I will either take on a teacher, consultant, or counselor role, which may vary within one supervisory session.
What to expect in supervision:
Supervision meetings will take place each week for a period of one hour. The purpose of these meetings is to provide supervision of your practicum experiences. One of the most valuable training tools for me as a supervisor was to participate in supervision of my supervision. As such, the focus will be on your interaction with your clients and your reactions to certain cases. Although some information regarding the client (s) is essential, the client is not the focus in supervision; the focus is the counselor’s functioning within the role of counselor. As our weekly meetings are about meeting your needs in the counselor role, we will begin our meetings with a check-in and assessment of your own level of burnout, followed by identifying specific topics you would like to focus on. Once an agenda has been established, we will process for the remainder of the meeting time about the topics you have identified as essential.
I have noticed that the initial meetings involve much discussion about the anxiety surrounding therapists new role as counselors. These feelings are normal, and as you become more comfortable with the process, there will be a shift in our discussions. Please feel welcome to be open about the positive and negative aspects of your experience so that I can provide support and validation.
Supervision Fee:
$75 per supervision hour. If you are seeking employment through NRCS while under Dr. Russell's supervision, this fee will be waived.
*fee is waived for counselors-in-training who are in their graduate program obtaining hours for practicum or internship.
Licensure and Certifications
Licensed Professional Counselor- Supervisor in Texas (#69877)
Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LPCC) Supervisor in New Mexico (#CCMH0210811)
Nationally Certified Counselor (#298363)
Registered Play Therapist Supervisor (#S2711)
