Supervision

Supervision can be a lifeline to work with clients that challenge you.  When you are new to therapy or clinical practice, there are a lot of ways to get stuck, feel burned out, ineffective, overwhelmed. School and life experience help you get prepared for clinical work but they are only the beginning.  Most of the learning is done by doing the work.  

Getting supervision outside of your agency 

If you are lucky enough to have supervision offered by your employer, that’s good. But receiving supervision and being open about your shortcomings with your supervisor at your job is tricky. You may avoid talking about situations where you feel reactive or underprepared with your supervisor at your employer which could you keep you from looking at it, addressing it and growing a clinician.  

You may also want some specialized experience from a supervisor which your employer does not have.  Supervision is a commitment to your own development to practice in a way that is fulfilling to you.  

My approach

Like a therapy relationship, I want to build trust and emotional safety with supervisees.  And, I want to offer invitations for challenge and growth with direct feedback and exploration.  I would like to know your goals with supervision and keep that as our focus.  Ideally, we could set a regular schedule for meeting.  I will make an effort to routinely inquire about the process of supervision, and how it is working for you.  I will be a forthright and open with you as possible about my reactions during our work together.  

About me

I have been in practice since 2011, and a therapist since 2013.  I opened my own practice the following year.  I have worked as a case manager with SPMI adults, in an IOP at PrairieCare, as an inpatient psych social worker at Fairview, and a prepetition screener.  Before I attended social work school, I worked as an ILS worker for a number of years.

My clinical training

I have done much of my training in two related but distinct models: Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy or AEDP and Intensive Short-term Dynamic Psychotherapy or ISTDP.  Both these models are integrative, looking at attachment and using psychodynamic theory with specific techniques and assumptions about healing.  I am available to present on these models.

I have also studied psychoanalytic work and done supervision with psychoanalysts. I was the president of Society for Psychoanalytic Studies, a professional training organization in Minneapolis/St. Paul.  

I believe the therapy models I have studied and trained in can be applied to case management and other clinical relationships as well. And, I think learning to conceptualize your clients can help you are a clinician be more resilient and engaged.   

I look forward to hearing from you.