Question 1

Justin has been supervising Brian for 3 months. He knows that if Brian does not succeed, the program director will not view him in a favorable light and Brian will be unlikely to progress in his career. Justin has not been a clinical supervisor for very long but he believes Brian has not done a good job. Justin feels that Brian has boundary issues, he tries to “save” clients and solve their problems immediately, and he hasn’t taken feedback willingly. There is no clear criteria for whether or not Brian “passes” clinical supervision and Justin does not want to hurt his feelings so he tells his program director that Brian did well and is ready to work with clients. How would you explain Justin’s behavior? What are the best ways to prevent this from happening?

Question 2

Jennifer has known Sara for 12 years and is now her clinical supervisor. Jennifer gives Sara a favorable evaluation but once Sara starts seeing clients on her own the program director receives complaints about her conduct during sessions. How does familiarity affect clinical supervision and evaluation? If you had to evaluate someone you’ve known for 12 years, how would you ensure an unbiased outcome?