I was privileged during my early career to have clinical supervision included in the work that I did in community based agencies in Michigan. For new grads, and even some MACP students in Ontario this is not the norm. Supervision is an incredibly important and expensive investment into your future as a psychotherapist and it is crucial to ensure that you are working with a professional who can assist you in your learning. With that in mind here are my must asks:

1. What is your professional affiliation? Cross college supervision is allowed in the field and can be very beneficial, however, it is important to know the supervisor’s professional registration and how they define supervision. For example, psychologist’s define supervision very differently than psychotherapists and social workers.

2. What is the level of access will you need to my client files? This will vary again across professional affiliation and the contract that you sign with them. Some supervisors, particularly when they agree to be listed on your invoices and receipts, will require access to your client notes, treatment plans and possibly even request recordings of sessions. This is to ensure that you are practicing in a manner that they agree with as they are assuming liability related to your clients.

3. How often will you recommend meeting and how will the agenda be set for these meetings? This will likely depend on your number of client files, whether you are meeting solely with this supervisor or have multiple supervisors, and what your budget allows for in terms of consistency. There will likely be an initial conversation about the topics to be discussed and make sure to ask if your supervisor is willing to engage around all of the topics that you may like to explore. Are they comfortable talking about ethics in business? Are they able to advise you related to the populations you want to gain knowledge of? Will they be receptive to feedback if you want to focus on a different area?

4. Are you available to meet outside of scheduled meetings in case of an urgent issue? This will vary widely based on the supervisor and it is important to clarify if they have the desire to be contacted outside of scheduled meetings. It will also be important to understand any additional cost that may be associated with reaching out in between scheduled meetings.

5. What is the cost? This will also vary widely. I have seen individual supervision priced anywhere from $80 - $200 per hour, I have seen dyadic supervision anywhere from $45 - $115 per participant per hour and group supervision anywhere from $35 - $70 per participant per hour. While cost is absolutely an important factor it is essential to ensure that the other components of supervision align for you.

To summarize, it is my encouragement that you shop around for a supervisor in the same way that you would shop around for a therapist. It is important that they have the professional background, training and experience that you are seeking and it is equally important that you find them approachable. You will need to bring a large amount of vulnerability to supervision for it to be effective and if you do not feel safe enough to show up with your mistakes and mis-steps it will limit your learning. My hope for you initial conversation with the supervisor you choose to work with is that there is a sense ease and rapport in this initial conversation.