Does your therapist get supervision

Yes, this is my dilemma. I’ve been so skilled at the whole push-pull thing that I wonder if this is another version of it. At the same time, my concerns feel real.

I also recently told him about the longing between sessions, so maybe this is my response to that?

Maybe . . . you long for him to be thinking about you, too, between sessions? Asking for consultation/supervision about you would be evidence of that?

It’s possible, but it doesn’t feel like that’s going on. It would be more likely that I just feel like I shared a bit too much, and now feel the need to compensate by withdrawing a bit.

I know my T has a very strong professional support network that he uses. However, it is more informal so I would guess if I asked if he was in supervision he would answer “no”. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have support or other professionals to bounce things off of. I know at one time he did get traditional supervision... with someone I know and almost went to as a T... we laugh a lot over that one. I also know even though I was not formally told, that he does provide supervision to at least one other T.

I don't think supervision means anything. I would have no more confidence in an unknown supervisor having a clue than in any individual therapist. I think it is all made up.
I know the two I hired met with a group of therapists not supervision but like group therapy for themselves.
The first woman told me she hired a supervisor for one specific thing one specific time and the second one told me the name of the supervisor she said she hired when I first hired her.

Well if he isn't smart enough or insightful enough, no amount of supervision is going to change that.

Several people have referred to therapists talking about clients in supervision. I think this might be a bit misleading. Therapists use supervision to talk about themselves, their practice and their responses to clients - counter transference, skills development, interventions, etc. This is not really the same as talking in any detail about clients.

I know but I wonder if getting supervision might be a sign that a therapist is interested in learning and personal growth, etc. And is not getting supervision a sign of complacency?

Therapists do talk in supervision about clients. I know this because I used to be responsible for keeping track of supervision documentation at my old job. The last therapist C had told her she was getting supervision from Sebern Fisher to help her specifically with providing C with neurofeedback. Later, she also received supervision from another therapist specifically for C because that therapist had experience treating DID and the therapist did not.

Yes, supervision is also used to talk about countertransference and stuff like that, but therapists certainly do talk about specific clients in supervision.

Not in my experience. My therapists were constantly reading, studying, going to classes, teaching classes, etc. Definitely the opposite of complacent. There are many ways to learn. Supervision would only be one of many different ways to learn and grow both personally and professionally.

I know my former T was constantly taking classes and courses to get continuing education credits. I admit I don't know if this is something they have to do to keep up their license or if it was just something she did. She did say she took a class once just for helping me. That made me feel both good and bad. =/

Long term T didn't have supervision. She was in her 60s and had been practicing for almost 40 years. However if the need arose, she had other therapist friends who she would call and discuss things with. When I wanted to start Emdr sh we talked to her friend to learn the basics of Emdr so she can best support me

Emdr attends a monthly supervision specially for EMDR. She has talked to them about my case a couple of times.

Either this on the upside, or might also be a sign that they do not trust their own perceptions/knowledge and have problem with making independent, confident decisions (insecurity).

I don't know if my Ts had supervision during the time I was seeing them, never asked. I know that the first one saw another T (the same) both as a personal T for him and as supervisor in a group, but that was before I met him (his T/supervisor died). My second T was a much better fit for me in general, but I definitely detected a trend for conflict avoidance and even avoidance of coming up with clear, direct observations and suggestions - I didn't like these features in him. But on the surface he seemed pretty sure of himself, or at least that was the image he projected. Maybe consulting with other Ts might have helped him broaden his perspective and see that I was the kind of client who actually looked for feedback and even constructive criticism, which he was very reluctant (afraid? uncertain?) to give. I will never find out now. If I ever decided to see a T again, I would probably ask them interview questions about supervision and other methods of using professional community/feedback. If for nothing else, I would hope that one who likes peer feedback might also be more open to giving direct feedback to a client who welcomes it.

Generally speaking, now I am someone who values peer feedback, second opinions, consultation etc very much, in part because I had a way too strong tendency not to engage in these when I was younger, in my own professional life. I often thought that I was very independent and confident in my perceptions but, in reality (looking at it more deeply), a lot of it was more avoidance and not wanting anyone else to interfere with whatever I wanted. I've learned from experience how doing everything on my own, making decisions based only/mostly on own perceptions and conclusions, can limit one's capability and productivity. Consulting with professional equals or mentors can be good even just for the mental balance of the person that seeks consultation even if the other does not offer a solution and a new perspective; it can be good just to realize others struggle with similar professional challenges and for peer emotional support.

So, at this point of my life, I would think more highly of a T who uses their professional community proactively, whether it is one-on-one supervision, peer groups, attending classes/conferences, and even just regularly revisiting their own theoretical inspirations and methodology. If the T otherwise comes across as a reasonably confident, competent, decisive person, seeking feedback and external influences would be a sign of an open mind and a higher level of maturity for me.

My therapist is a big advocate for career-long supervision. He has two supervisors, and supervision at least twice a month. He sees it as part of his professional development, and I'm sure he must get something out of it in terms of personal development too. I dont think his supervisors make decisions for him or anything like that, he is a very experienced practitioner, they more facilitate, and give him space to reflect on and process what happens in the therapy room. I'm glad he has it and I am sure I reap the benefits without even knowing it.

Then I guess the bigger question I have about my T is what is he doing to continue to grow and learn? He doesn’t do supervision and he doesn’t teach. I have no idea if he reads or goes to conferences. I now notice that some other T’s address this briefly on their webpages which, to me, shows that they think it’s important. My T does not happen to mention on his webpage. I guess, for some reason, I want to know that he’s not complacent.

Can you ask him this question directly in a session? If I had your dilemma, I definitely would.

Yes, I don’t see him for almost 2 weeks, but I think I’ll find a way to bring it up. I don’t want to sound contentious or judgy though.

I know it's a question of personal perspective, but I would never think about such a question as contentious or judgy. More the opposite!! I would love if anyone asked me, in part because I would have a lot to share and also simply because I would love the curiosity and an exchange on what works for whom. I imagine that observing the reaction of your T to this question might be meaningful - if they show discomfort/anxiety/avoidance, if they deflect and do not answer, it could potentially be a red flag. I personally really believe that people who have a strong drive for self-improvement usually like to talk about it with others. Even just for the sake of pride, to show off that they have this motivation and are doing things to figure life out better and grow. What's better ground for helping others do the same?

Of course it happens to all of us that we are not currently in a phase of life where we can reasonably focus on growth and improvement, sometimes it's a step or many steps backward... But I firmly believe that a person who has self-improvement and growth in their primary values will react to such a question positively even if they are currently stagnating somehow... they would likely be happy that someone else pushed them a little.

Of course now I've given you my own projections , but I am reasonably confident in this one because I have met lots of and lots of people in various areas of life who love to improve and grow, and I know how they tend to react to such challenge... there is definitely a general pattern. I think if someone plain avoids such challenging conversations or becomes overtly defensive, it can be a quite sure sign that they are not exactly fit to help others to overcome their challenges, at least right now.

I would just make sure to ask the T this question in a session, not via email or anything outside of expected exchanges.

I did not not say that therapists do not speak about specific clients in supervision, of course they do. My point was that the emphasis is on the therapist's competency and approach (amongst other factors) rather than the client's stuff. You illustrate my point - the therapist sought supervision because she did not have necessary experience or knowledge to deal. That was her aspect, not C's (albeit prompted by C's circumstances).

Well my Emdr T believes on being transparent in anything related to me. Whenever she has had outside contact with T or supervision she tells me exactly what she says about me and the advise she is given. When she has done so it was because there where areas of Emdr that wasnt helpful for me so she was looking for other ideas because she wants to provide me with the best possible care. She also makes sure to reassure me that she keeps my identity completely anonymous.

I don't know...when I saw the T in training a couple times while on a break from Dr. T, he had me sign something that said he could talk to his supervisor about me. He said how he could talk about me to her, but otherwise would be confidential (as in, she was the only person he'd talk about me with). That suggested he'd talk about actual clients vs. his reactions to them.

And when Dr. T consulted with the group about me, he definitely talked about *me*, like he told me he said I was a client with attachment issues (and something else, I forget what he said) and what had happened regarding the stone.