How do you get the most out of ACT Supervision?

How do you get the most out of Supervision in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?

Sometimes, we love supervision. It’s everything you dream it could be.

You feel supported and know exploring frustrating, embarrassing, or scary events is safe.

Supervision doesn’t always work so wonderfully.

Are you hoping to get more from your ACT supervision? Keep on reading.

Have you ever had a bad experience in supervision?

How much do you learn in supervision?

Many practitioners feel like they could get more out of supervision. But, for whatever reason, it’s just not working as you would like.

Perhaps it’s because:

• Your supervisor comes up with the same ideas you’ve already identified.
• The supervisor talks a lot, sharing their thoughts or discussing similar cases.
• You get little guidance because your supervisor answers your question with another question.

When your supervision’s not floating your boat, you can be left feeling downhearted. You feel stuck, unsure of what to do or whether it’s worth saying how you feel.

The big problem is that you cannot control your ACT supervisor’s actions. Wouldn’t it be great if they could read your mind and enact your wishes without you having to risk upsetting them?

What can you do when you feel unhappy in ACT supervision?

Being an ACT Supervisor, I benefit from exploring this question through the eyes of a supervisor and a supervisee; I have my supervision, of course!

There is one single thing that is vital to getting what you want from supervision: preparation.

If I haven’t prepared for supervision, I’m unclear about what I want. There is a slight chance I’ll leave supervision with something useful, but the chances significantly increase when I’ve taken adequate time to prepare what I want to target.

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How can you prepare for supervision?

You probably have one or two ways you prepare for supervision. I approach it by reviewing my diary to identify the clients on my caseload. It’s helpful to do this first rather than impulsively taking the first client that comes to your mind because it allows you to tune into the big picture.

Consider all your clients, what they might need and what you need. You are the person carrying a caseload, so it’s a compassionate move to choose your supervision agenda with your needs in mind.

I also like to consider how long I’ve worked with clients and whether I’ve taken them to supervision previously. So, for example, if I’ve had many sessions with a specific client and haven’t taken them to supervision before, I might take that client because it seems fair to do so.

Once you decide which clients to consider, you could draw a short, straightforward, functional analysis. For example, ask yourself a series of questions, including:

1. What does the client want from therapy?
2. What behavioural patterns prevent them from realising their dreams?
3. What thoughts does their mind unhelpfully fuse with, i.e. rules and self-as-content?
4. What interventions have I tried?
5. What they say or do leaves me feeling stuck.

These five questions give you a helpful structure to prepare for supervision.

Do I need to have a supervision-question?

As a supervisor, one of my tasks is to help my supervisees clarify the answers to these questions. It’s often evident when practitioners have not prepared because they unclearly present their cases—for example, launching into a narrative about the problem rather than describing the person and why they’re coming to therapy.

When I did my CBT training, the lecturers taught me I needed to identify a supervision question. I believe it can help, and clarifying the question is not always easy. So I am open to supervisees not having a solid supervision question, and I’d always encourage some preparation to increase your chances of getting what you need.

Another good question is how you would like to explore the problem. For example, it could include:

• Role-Plays
• Share an illustrated Functional Analysis
• Ask a conceptual question

When asking about theory, I recommend you relate the question to a specific context. Context never disappears, so aim to bring a case example that has prompted your question.

It’s helpful to fill the knowledge gaps and root your interventions in behavioural principles. It means you can outline your actions, clearly linking theory with practice.

How do you get more out of ACT supervision?

Despite adequate preparation, your supervisor can sometimes do stuff that you find unhelpful. Although it can feel uncomfortable, it’s handy to address it sooner rather than later (or not at all!).

Here is how you can raise a complicated issue with your supervisor:

1. Ask yourself: How much do they know about ACT, and can their knowledge and skills support what you want to learn?

a. If yes, then move on to the next question.

b. If not, you’ll need to look for a different supervisor.

2. Identify what the supervisor does that you don’t find helpful.

3. Please identify what you would like the supervisor to do more of that they are not doing.

4. Write down the description of a request for your supervisor to do more of something new.

5. Once you know what you want, decide when to mention it to them.

In Summary

Getting more out of supervision can be tricky. You and your supervisor are responsible for ensuring it’s working. To make it more meaningful, explore how well you prepare for supervision and improve your process if required.

If you want your supervisor to change how they participate, clarify what you want from them and ask for it reasonably and directly. You have a right to ask for what you want, and when you say it in ‘I’ terms rather than ‘you’ terms, it will more effectively communicate that something needs to change.

Take care and keep going.

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