Grasping Fog: The Reflective Use of Self and Its Application in Clinical Supervision
The supervisory relationship presents some unique challenges and opportunities involving effective use of self. Supervisors are frequently confronted with situations that may evoke strong personal reactions. This course will help participants develop a meaningful and accessible way to conceptualize, apply, and describe the process of “use of self” to themselves and their supervisees.
This course will use didactic input and experiential learning. Participants will explore how the whole person of the supervisor can be effectively engaged in the way supervision is provided. Strategies for managing obstacles will be introduced, including self-insight, self-integration, empathy, anxiety management, and conceptualizing skills.
This workshop has been pre-approved by the following Minnesota licensing boards:
- Board of Social Work (BoSW): (#CEP-204)
- Board of Marriage & Family Therapy (BMFT): 6 Supervision CEs (#2023-033); this workshop may not be used to meet the 30-hour supervision training requirement found in Minn. Rule 5300.0160.
- Board of Behavioral Health & Therapy (BBHT): (#2023.CE.049)
For participants needing clinical clock hours (CCH), this workshop meets the following requirements, as defined by the Board of Social Work:
- Clinical intervention methods informed by research and current standards of practice: 4 CCH
- Social work values and ethics, including cultural context, diversity, and social policy: 2 CCH
After completing this workshop participants will be able to:
- Identify personal attributes, beliefs, and potential triggers that influence the ways they function as a professional supervisor
- Examine important ethical and clinical consequence of self-awareness and self- influence on supervisory effectiveness
- Apply tools for identifying and evaluating reactions to supervisees
- Recognize how interpersonal dynamics in the supervisory relationship are often replicated in the supervisee’s relationships with clients
- Employ strategies for addressing personal insecurities that may limit supervisory effectiveness
- Understand how the supervisor’s use of self can be a catalyst for professional growth and improved performance by the supervisee
The course content is intended for social workers across the spectrum of experience with providing clinical supervision. Activities target individuals with experience providing clinical supervision (to interns or licensure track supervisees), but can be adapted for first-time supervisors.
After completing this workshop participants will be able to:
- Identify personal attributes, beliefs, and potential triggers that influence the ways they function as a professional supervisor
- Examine important ethical and clinical consequence of self-awareness and self- influence on supervisory effectiveness
- Apply tools for identifying and evaluating reactions to supervisees
- Recognize how interpersonal dynamics in the supervisory relationship are often replicated in the supervisee’s relationships with clients
- Employ strategies for addressing personal insecurities that may limit supervisory effectiveness
- Understand how the supervisor’s use of self can be a catalyst for professional growth and improved performance by the supervisee
The course content is intended for social workers across the spectrum of experience with providing clinical supervision. Activities target individuals with experience providing clinical supervision (to interns or licensure track supervisees), but can be adapted for first-time supervisors.
About the Presenter
Angela Lewis-Dmello, MSW, LICSW
Angela is the President & CEO of Northeast Youth and Family Services (NYFS). She received a bachelor’s degree in global studies and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Minnesota. At NYFS, Angela supports the mission of a community based mental health and social service nonprofit dedicated to ensuring access to trauma-informed and culturally responsive care for clients across the lifespan. Angela has been a Community Adjunct Faculty member at the University of Minnesota School of Social Work since 2012 and owns a training and consulting practice in Minnesota which works with public, not-for-profit, and private organizations focused on trauma-informed care, trauma treatment interventions, and organizational management of secondary/vicarious trauma. Angela has a background in behavioral health administration, program development and evaluation, clinical training and supervision, and community-based participatory research (CBPR). She was a trauma therapist in domestic violence, child sexual violence, and torture treatment.