This post reflects on my personal experience with clinical supervision in CBT — and what I’ve learnt along the way.
I have a confession to make—A few years ago I used to hate clinical supervision. Well, ‘hate’ is a strong word—and an example of all-or-nothing thinking!
I did dread it every time it came around though. And when it did, I’d sit down, trying to look engaged, while inwardly counting down the minutes until it was over. For me, supervision felt like a chore rather than an opportunity.
At the time, I was working in a new team, stepping into a role that was both exciting and unfamiliar. My supervisor was also new to the position.
Up until then, my experience of supervision had been very different. I had worked alongside educational and clinical psychologists, where discussions felt broad, holistic, and exploratory. I was used to a certain rhythm—one that made sense to me. This was different. I struggled with the structure, the expectations, and to be honest, with my own resistance to change.
The Roadblocks – Why My Supervision Experience Felt Like a Disaster
Fixed Expectations
From the outset, I had already decided it wasn’t going to work. I compared my new supervisor to my past ones and found her lacking—before we’d even had the chance to develop a working relationship. I didn’t realise it at the time, but I had set us both up to fail.
Not Knowing What I Didn’t Know
CBT supervision has its own structure: agenda-setting, goal-setting, and collaborative empiricism (Beck et al., 2009). I wasn’t prepared for that. I expected supervision to be a free-flowing conversation, but my supervisor expected a structured, problem-solving approach. Neither of us explicitly acknowledged this mismatch, and it showed.
(Spoiler alert: my supervisor didn’t have telepathic abilities, so my unspoken frustrations remained just that—unspoken. Who knew?)
And the result? A fractured supervisory alliance—something that Watkins (2014) highlights as critical in supervision success.
The Communication Gap
Looking back, I can see the issue clearly. We were both waiting for the other to take the lead. I didn’t voice my struggles, assuming she would notice them. She didn’t explicitly lay out expectations, assuming I understood them.
Power dynamics in supervision are well documented (Cook et al., 2018). Supervisors are expected to lead the sessions, set the tone, and address difficulties. But, like any relationship, supervision needs collaboration. The Tandem Model of Supervision captures this well—both supervisor and supervisee are on a shared journey, and how far they go depends on how much effort each puts in (Milne, 2018).
Lessons Learned – What I Wish I Had Known
From a Supervisee Perspective
- Be proactive in setting an agenda. Don’t wait for your supervisor to take the lead—come prepared with topics, challenges, and reflections to make the most of your sessions. Are you dedicating enough time to prepare? If not, are you dedicating enough time to finding out how to prepare?
- Reflect on your role in supervision. Before assuming it’s not working, ask yourself: Are you giving it a fair chance? Are you communicating your needs clearly?
- Stay open to learning from anyone. Everyone has something to teach us. Sometimes, the most insightful lessons come from the least expected sources. A junior colleague might introduce a fresh perspective; a student might ask a question that shifts our understanding; or even a completely different discipline might offer parallels we hadn’t considered. Staying open to learning from everyone keeps us adaptable, humble, and always growing.
- Recognise supervision as a two-way relationship. Supervisors can learn from their supervisees, too! Your insights, questions, and perspectives can help shape a richer supervision experience.
From a Supervisor Perspective
- Create a psychologically safe environment. Supervisees should feel comfortable admitting uncertainties or mistakes without fear of judgment. Encourage openness and curiosity. What’s best? Model it!
- Help supervisees prepare. Don’t assume they know how. Make expectations clear from the start (Corrie & Lane, 2015). Be transparent and consistent.
- Be mindful of power imbalances. Supervisors inherently hold more power in the relationship, which can make it difficult for supervisees to express concerns or admit struggles. Acknowledging this imbalance and actively working to create an open, non-judgmental space can help foster trust and encourage more honest conversations.
- Assess supervisee competency on an ongoing basis. Corrie and Lane (2015) argue that learning and development are not linear processes, with supervisees’ proficiency levels sometimes varying from client to client or even within a single session. Supervisors must therefore make session-by-session assessments of what is required, recognising that even experienced supervisees might need additional guidance at times, while newer ones might excel in certain areas. Flexibility and responsiveness are key to effective supervision.
Final Thoughts
Supervision isn’t always easy, and it shouldn’t always be comfortable. But it also shouldn’t be something you dread. It’s completely natural to feel uncertain, hesitant, or even fearful about speaking up—especially when power imbalances are at play or when we’re unsure how our concerns will be received. Often, we hold back because we assume we’ll be seen as difficult or that our worries will be dismissed. But more often than not, our worst fears don’t materialise.
I wonder if, amongst other things, the heart of good supervision is trust—trust that both the supervisor and supervisee are working towards the same goal, even if they have different perspectives. Embracing the learning process, being open to feedback, and recognising that neither party has to have all the answers are important ingredients in the mix.
At the end of the day, we’re all just doing our best. And when we work together—like two cyclists on a tandem, adjusting to the terrain and supporting each other’s effort—we can go much further than we ever could alone.
References
- Beck, J. S., et al. (2009). Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Basics and Beyond. Guilford Press.
- Cook, R., et al. (2018). The role of power dynamics in clinical supervision. Clinical Psychology Review, 63, 1-10.
- Corrie, S., & Lane, D. A. (2015). CBT Supervision. Sage Publications.
- Milne, D. (2018). A Guide to Supervision in Clinical Psychology. Routledge.
- Watkins, C. E. (2014). The Supervisory Alliance: A Half Century of Theory, Practice, and Research. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 70(11), 1071-1082.