Clinical Supervision & Mentoring
For Students & Emerging Practitioners
When you are a psychology student or an emerging practitioner stepping into the field of health, clinical supervision and mentoring are not optional; they are the foundation of becoming a competent therapist, an ethical therapist and a grounded therapist. During my Bachelor’s in Psychology, I remember staying up at night thinking about questions that many students think about but do not say out loud:
- What will I do in my therapy session with a patient?
- What happens when someone shares their feelings with me?
- What can I really do to help people as a therapist?
It is easy to answer questions on a test and get a good grade. Being a therapist is not like taking a test. Being a therapist is about meeting people and helping them, which requires trust, responsibility, and being present.
I often asked myself:
- Who am I as a therapist?
- Why would people want to talk to me?
- Why should people trust me with their stories?
- What skills do I need to become a therapist and a credible practitioner?
Those questions made me think about what I wanted to do.
I learned a lot in school. I quickly realized that being a good therapist requires more than just a degree. It requires thinking about my actions, getting guidance from others, and having a space to learn and grow as a therapist. At the time, it can be hard to figure out what to do to keep learning and growing as a therapist. There are many workshops, training sessions, and certifications available. Many students and new therapists struggle to figure out:
- What is really useful?
- What is real learning?
- Who is an ethical teacher?
- What is just another piece of paper?
For me, it was never about getting a lot of certifications. What mattered most was how those experiences were helping me become a therapist and a better person. A good therapist is not defined by the number of degrees or certifications they have. It is shaped by being aware of oneself, being able to think about one’s actions, and the quality of supervision and mentoring they receive.
Clinical supervision is more than talking about cases. It provides a space to:
- Build confidence as a therapist
- Deal with uncertainty and self-doubt
- Learn tools and approaches that work in real life
- Think about my experiences and become a better therapist
Explore how my personal life and thoughts influence my work as a therapist. Mentoring, alongside supervision, helps with the bigger picture, providing clarity, direction, and a sense of identity as a therapist. It is also about building my abilities, understanding where I am, where I want to go, and what kind of therapist I am becoming.
-Ms Rhea Singh