What does "supervised" look like in therapy?

[barefoot]

@Suzetig ’s post has made me realise I probably should have been clearer in mine!

I was talking about supervision while I was in training - because you mentioned this was extra training for your T. Supervision for me now means me simply discussing with a supervisor - no recordings. Client confidentiality is kept intact - no names, no identifying info, no great focus on actual content.

Hope you get clarity soon so that you can make a decision you feel comfortable with

In terms of me as a client - coaching and therapy - I am happy for my coach or therapist to discuss me/our sessions with their supervisor as I know the value of the process of supervision. I wouldn’t agree to being recorded. No thank you!

 

[Friday]

Supervision -in therapy- can mean a lot of different things.

From someone being in the room (extremely rare), to fully recorded sessions that are gone over in full at a later time (less rare), to recorded sessions that are only gone over if there’s a question or problem (fairly common), to weekly/monthly case review with one’s supervisor (common), to consult only (very common).

^^^
LOL, okay this is late and no longer relavent as you are asking... but ties into this piece below

Yeah, I totally will. I have no idea why asking slipped my mind. I guess I was concerned with what he was saying this was in general and how he wanted me to be a part of it and then I remembered some on here saying their sessions were supervised (and you came to mind) and I guess with all of that thinking towards the end of the session and needing to advise my therapist of a lot, it slipped my mind to ask one of the more important things. But I totally will clarify next week.

I had a really fantastic therapist who spent a solid year attempting to convince me to seek trauma therapy (Nope! This is about my divorce, THATS why my life is f*cked up, not ancient history :shifty: ...um... okay. Yeah. Err. Ah. You were right. Even I can see that now. :bag: ).

He was highly credentialed & qualified... but not in trauma. He was working on getting credentialed/certified in trauma, however (all my fun clients I have to refer on, and I’d rather get to keep you all ;) ). Great guy. Great therapist.

Similarly, he wanted me to be his supervised client for his EMDR training. I flat out refused.

A year or so later? He thanked me for that.

He knew my trauma history. He knew I was complex as f*ck. He worked with me across multiple areas. What he DIDNT know was how that translated into EMDR for him. And therefore, for me. We’ve talked about his since then / I know him socially. As a therapist, what he needed were the simpler cases to begin with. He’d thought, because he worked with all of us complex peeps in other modalities before referring us onward to trauma specialists...was that his experience would translate. It doesn’t. (Which is part of why they’ve restructured EMDR training into 2 different levels and individal advanced training courses focusing on different types of trauma, so that therapists are forced to start “small” and work their way up, instead of issuing blanket certifications.) That was back in 2013? I just talked with him Not long ago. He STILL doesn’t feel qualified to do EMDR with me (& is kind of horrified that he asked me, way back when). Even though he’s now predominantly an EMDR therapist, and focuses on the big bad juju cases... it’s in different trauma types (CSA & DV & fundamentalist religion mostly) than mine are. He has a few vets that he sees, but most vets he refers onward to therapists who specialize in that area.

I’m not saying that this is all true of or for your therapist.

I’m mostly sharing because my T was GREAT, but I still turned him down. That’s an okay thing to do. In my case it very much turned out to be the right thing to do.

 

[theshadowoftheliving]

Yes, I think this is why he thought of me. I just don't want to be studied, you know? Maybe not such a bad thing as that how we learn new things in mental health and maybe that's part of it too but yeah, having an even more qualified person really looking over the EMDR to ensure that whatever new success they are having is happening. You know?

It came up as an issue a few times in seeing those therapists, as I could tell that they were trying new things, didn't really know what to do with me, etc. I wouldn't do it again. But at the time it meant affordable therapy, which was a really good thing, and it got me to my current therapist, who is a specialist in dissociation, which is hard to find.

I know my T is supervised and for her that means she has someone she discusses her work with

All decent therapists consult on their cases. Checks and balances are a good thing.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

In my case it very much turned out to be the right thing to do

Yeah, but I am wondering when you know it's right. He's a trauma therapist that has seen a few other cult survivors and is already EMDR certified. In 9 yrs, after 4 other "therapists" (if you can call them that) I'd argue he's the best. For me anyway. So, 9 years. Only getting so far. Been wanting to go back to EMDR again forever anyway. I mean when do you know something is right and maybe a new course of action if you will or something that's not right, right now? I know that is more of a question for myself but I am just wondering how you know it wasn't right for you.

 

[joeylittle]

He needs to log supervised hours in order to complete the certification that he is going for.

This is for an EMDR protocol specifically tweaked for vets?

Just thinking of that flat out terrifies me and I am really scared that I will not be able to follow his directions if someone else is in there with us.

Then you don't do it. It's really that easy. You can go back to EMDR without needing to do it as logged time for him.

 

[Suzetig]

He wanted me, out of all of his patients, to be a part of that.

I think this is the rub, it can feel very flattering to be "the" patient he chooses but the reality is it may not be the right thing at the right time for you. Not doing it won't make you more or less special to him, and emdr with him still won't be a magic wand.

If you're keen to get back into emdr, why not wait until he's completed this bit of certification and do emdr then? I'm also thinking if this is certification for a specific protocol for Vets, he should probably look for clients in that population. I honestly might have missed that part of your story - are you a Vet?

 

[barefoot]

I’d echo recent posts here. Personally, I would let him learn the new stuff and practise on other people first and then do EMDR with him at some point in the future. It’s not a now or never thing - be a supervised client with him while he is training or don’t ever get to do EMDR with him again.

There are plenty of people he can ask to be his supervised clients - and, in fact, he may need to use a few different clients for this, not just one. So there’s no pressure on you to participate at all and he should absolutely understand if a client declines to be one of his guinea pigs.

I’m also confused why he is asking you if the new training is geared towards Vets. I would have thought that if it’s really for Vets and he is having supervision for it to pass the training, he would pick clients who are Vets! I’d think his supervisor/the training provider might think that was odd! Maybe he has some Vets who are going to be supervised clients too and he asked you as well as he just thought you might benefit too? Or maybe he’s not working with any Vets at the mo? But, if that’s the case, why has he chosen an approach specifically geared towards Vets? Unless that’s a client group he wants to start working with more.
Anyway...who knows...I’m just getting carried away with speculation now! Just strikes me as a bit strange.

If waiting until he’s qualified in it takes away a lot of the stress and terror for you, that sounds like a good option to me.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

This is for an EMDR protocol specifically tweaked for vets?

No, what he said was that the government gave funding for veterans with PTSD and with that is more and new EMDR training, for any therapist. He treats vets as well but I didn't get the impression that the EMDR was only for vets. Just that there is more funding in general for PTSD but the reason is because of veterans. I don't know. I didn't look that up and just went off of what he said.

Then you don't do it. It's really that easy. You can go back to EMDR without needing to do it as logged time for him.

True.

I'm also thinking if this is certification for a specific protocol for Vets, he should probably look for clients in that population. I honestly might have missed that part of your story - are you a Vet?

No. The EMDR is for anyone with PTSD. The reason for the funding is because of veterans. Per him.

But, if that’s the case, why has he chosen an approach specifically geared towards Vets?

The EMDR isn't geared towards vets. The funding to provide further EMDR training was because of vets but the EMDR is geared towards anyone with PTSD.

So there’s no pressure on you to participate at all and he should absolutely understand if a client declines to be one of his guinea pigs.

I think this is the rub, it can feel very flattering to be "the" patient he chooses but the reality is it may not be the right thing at the right time for you. Not doing it won't make you more or less special to him, and emdr with him still won't be a magic wand

I don't think he wants me to be his guinea pig. Nor am I thinking I am "the special" patient. I cannot remember the exact words he used (which I wish I could cause they make more sense and I am using bad wording to describe what he said) but he said something about wanting to work more with my case and EMDR. And I don't see EMDR as a magic wand (or anything for that matter) but, since we have been meaning to get back to EMDR for like a year now, he is already EMDR certified so he at least isn't fresh out of learning about it and is only learning new things. And I know that I am effected in any negitive way he will stop just like he did the first time. I am also confident enough in his abilities to feel safe enough to go ahead with it, fresh out of additional training because he already knows how to keep me from disossiating and reads micro expressions very well. I know I can say no and I know he would completely respect that. But, is it smart to say no at this point in time? That is what I don't know.

I will, though, bring these things to him next week so he can answer not just what supervised means but also address a few concerns raised her. I haven't said yes yet. I half way agreed I suppose but didn't say yes and can still say no and am ok saying no. But I dont want to just say no because it scares me a bit. I want a real logical reason to turn down new EMDR training with would include anything new learned about EMDR and any tweeks in it.

 

[Suzetig]

A logical reason would be that the new training is new to him and I'd want him to be more experienced and try his skills with someone more straightforward where, if he makes a mistake it won't set my recovery back.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

I understand @Suzetig but what I am saying that EMDR in general isn't new to him and he is already EMDR certified. If he wasn't and he was completely new to EMDR then yeah, I'd say no. But he isn't. And I remember a thread that was asking if there was a limited time a person should be in therapy and anthony said 3 or 5 yrs (I'd have to go look) and it's been 9 yrs in April and though a service dog helps I am still severely affected and still have severe symptoms impacting my abilty to function. When do I say "let's try something new"? You know?

 

[scout86]

You might want to write down your specific questions and concerns. (Like that you might not be able to follow his instructions if someone else is there.) That way you'll be sure you cover everything next time you see him.

It seems like you guys have a good relationship, I think you can talk this out and be comfortable with whatever you come up with. He seems like the kind of person who's going to be at LEAST as concerned about how this will affect you as he is about getting the certification. I'd suggest not getting too concerned until you know the details of this specific situation. Sounds kind of interesting!

 

[Changing4Best]

Man! I thought I would be OK with a video running in the session, but when I saw that it was aimed right at ME? Nope. Could not deal with it. Why me? Why not the therapist in the eye of the camera?? I don't know. I just said I could not do it, it was too distracting and that was the end of it. It was turned off, aimed at the wall behind the therapist and that was the end of it. Some other poor soul had to deal with it, I guess.