I am pleased to have the opportunity to serve as your clinical supervisor.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Licensure and Education:
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS), a Board Approved supervisor in VA, a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC), a Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC), and a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor (RPT-S).
My licensing as an LPC means that I have the education, qualifications, and experience to practice professional mental health counseling, to assess for mental health disorders, to provide a clinical mental health diagnosis, to formulate treatment plans, and to perform counseling.
My approval as a board approved supervisor for LPC’s means that I am approved to train and supervise residents who are seeking independent licensure as professional counselors.
My national certification, NCC, means that I have met high standards in education and experience and passed a rigorous national exam. It also means I keep my skills current through continuing education, continually strive to improve my skill level, and adhere to a strict ethical code.
My certification as a CMHC indicates that I have demonstrated mastery & skill in the areas of assessment and diagnosis of mental health disorders, counseling & psychotherapy, and administration, consultation, and supervision. It means that I am competent in clinical problem-solving and in identifying, analyzing, diagnosing and treating clinical issues.
My Registered Play Therapist Supervisor (RPT-S) credential means that, in addition to having completed specialized coursework, clinical experience, and training in utilizing play-based models and expressive techniques with children, adolescents, and families, I also train and supervise mental health professionals seeking to become Registered Play Therapists.
My Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) certification indicates that I have met national professional supervision standards.
I have a Master’s degree in Education (M.Ed.) from Lindsey Wilson College. My degree program was Counseling and Human Development with a Mental Health Specialization. I had additional specialized course work and training in Marriage and Family Therapy, providing services to parents and children, and Play Therapy.
My formal education, experience, and training prepared me to counsel individuals, groups, couples, parents, families, and children.
I believe that it is critical to continue learning and improving as a professional. I attend ongoing training throughout the year to continually update and enhance my knowledge, skills, and effectiveness.
Professional Experience:
I have a total of over 25 years of experience in the fields of human services and counseling; 19 years (post masters) providing counseling services, 13 years’ providing play therapy services, and 8 years providing supervision for residents in counseling and mental health professionals.
My supervision training includes 57 hours in the following; the supervisory process, roles and functions of supervisors, professional identity of clinical supervisors, models of supervision, methods and techniques of supervision, MH professional development, evaluation and competency of supervisees, multicultural issues, legal and ethical issues in supervision, crises and risk management, gatekeeping and liability, group supervision, media & supervision, assessment of supervisory skills, relationship issues, parallel process, resistance, and termination. My training also includes a focus on the following models of supervision; Integrative Developmental Model, Reflective Supervision, Jungian Oriented Clinical Supervision, Culturally-Responsive Supervision, Cognitive Behavioral, and Evidenced Based Clinical Supervision.
I regularly attend professional trainings, conferences, and workshops to maintain and update my clinical knowledge and skills.
In addition to working in the field of professional counseling, I also have over 16 years of experience facilitating community workshops, trainings, & presentations. I served as an instructor for the School of Professional Counseling for Lindsey Wilson College for 10 years, helping to prepare future human services professionals and counselors to enter the field.
THEORETICAL ORIENTATION:
I practice primarily from a Person-Centered perspective, incorporating Post Modern, Family Systems, Cognitive Behavioral, and Jungian techniques to increase the effectiveness of services and supervision.
APPROACH TO SUPERVISION:
Supervision is a relationship-based education and training that is work-focused. The supervisor teaches, models, supports, and develops the supervisee. A critical component of the supervision process involves evaluation of the skill and work of the resident or supervisee. Supervision ensures safe and effective practice, offers support for supervisees, and maximizes positive outcomes for clients.
My approach to supervision is integrative. I combine the Integrated Developmental Model, Reflective Supervision, and Evidenced Based Supervision. My approach, therefore, recognizes the developmental level of each resident or supervisee and facilitates improved skills in multiple areas; clinical skill, assessment techniques, interpersonal assessment, client conceptualization, culture, theoretical orientation, treatment planning, and ethics. My approach includes case support, emotional experiencing, processing, personal growth and the development of a professional identity. The priority in supervision is ensuring quality of client care.
The supervision process involves a learning/needs assessment, collaborative goal setting, designing a learning contract, and use of assessments; formal and informal, to determine if goals and objectives have been achieved and criteria for licensure or certification met.
As your supervisor, I will utilize a range of supervision methods to enhance and evaluate your learning; reflection, conceptualization (thinking), planning, and concrete experience (feeling and doing). Examples of these methods include but are not limited to: training/education, discussion, modeling (such as demonstration, live session, or video), reflection and review, providing support and encouragement, monitoring, observation of your work (live), prompting (verbal and/or written reminders, worksheets, and handouts), reinforcement/praise, role play, problem solving and rehearsal of skills.