Choosing the right Supervisor for your internship

Finding the right supervisors

If you have decided to do a 4+2 or 5+1 internship you may feel quite overwhelmed by all the different tasks and requirements, so it is important to find the right supervisors who can support you with this process. We frequently receive enquiries from provisional psychologists who are struggling just to find a supervisor, let alone find someone who is a good match.

We hope that the following questions will help when speaking to prospective supervisors:

Do you have experience supervising provisional psychologists? Supervision is an integral component of your internship and you need to feel confident that your supervisors are able to support and guide you throughout the various stages of your development, from a new provisional to a full registered health professional.

When speaking to prospective supervisors who have only recently trained as Board-Approved Supervisors, ask how familiar they are with the supervised pathway to registration. For example, are they able to provide support in writing your Internship Plan, and do they feel confident assisting you with your case studies?

Do you have any resources to support provisional psychologists? Experienced supervisors are likely to have a number of resources, or access to resources, such as psychometric tests, textbooks, readings, handouts, therapy worksheets etc. When you are just starting out it can be helpful to know what resources are available and what you might need to access independently.

What is your background and experience in different areas of psychology? It is important to find supervisors who can support you in your psychological placement and can transition with you if you move to a different role during your internship. Asking prospective supervisors about their previous roles and work history will help you determine whether their skills and experience will help you meet the requirements and demands of your psychological placement. For example, if you are working as a school counsellor you will be looking for a supervisor who has good knowledge of developmental psychology, psychometric assessment (cognitive, academic and behavioural), and a toolkit of interventions for children and/or adolescents. If you are working with adults who have experienced adverse childhood experiences, you will be looking for a supervisor who is trained in trauma-informed approaches to treatment.

It can also be helpful to ask what roles previous supervisees have worked in, as this can help determine whether the supervisor is familiar with the requirements of your psychological placement, and whether your placement will enable you to meet all of the required competencies.

What are your main areas of interest?

You are probably interested in a few different areas of psychological practice and will want to find a supervisor who can help you develop knowledge and skills in a range of topics, and provide exposure to different theoretical orientations, therapeutic modalities and interventions. Asking supervisors about their preferred approaches to treatment and any additional training they have undertaken will also help you decide if they are a good match for you.

Can you describe your supervisory approach?

There are a number of mandatory tasks and competencies to complete in order to gain registration, in addition to ongoing record-keeping such as weekly logbooks and reflective journals. While it is your responsibility to complete these tasks and keep track of the requirements, it is important to find a supervisor who can provide you with support and assistance with the various aspects of your internship.

Asking about a supervisor’s expectations of supervisees can also be helpful in deciding whether you a good match. Some supervisors are more methodical in their approach and prefer to work through the competencies and tasks systematically, whereas other supervisors may be less structured and will cover the competencies as issues arise during supervision. Ensuring a compatible approach will facilitate the supervisory relationship.

A supervisor’s therapeutic approach may also influence their supervisory approach. Most supervisors will be happy to provide you with a brief overview of their preferred modalities and explain how their approach to treatment and intervention will inform the supervisory relationship.

Do you have access to a test library? How can you help me meet competency in psychometric assessment? If you are completing a 4+2 internship you are required to demonstrate competency in at least nine different psychometric tests. The 5+1 program also requires you to meet competency in psychological assessment, which may include the use of psychometric tests. If your workplace does not have an extensive test library, and most don’t, you will need to find at least one supervisor who can provide access to these tests as well as training in test administration, scoring and interpretation.

What are your supervision fees? Most supervisors will charge a set hourly rate, and fees vary greatly. Fees should be discussed upfront as you need to be comfortable that you can afford this rate consistently throughout your internship.

What is your availability for supervision? Some supervisors can offer appointments in the evening or at weekends, and others work standard business hours. Many employers are happy for supervision to take place during work hours but depending on the needs of the organisation this isn’t always possible. It is important to discuss availability, including any planned leave, with all prospective supervisors before entering into a contract or agreement, to ensure supervision will be available consistently throughout the duration of your internship.

Written by Claire Trevitt, Registered Psychologist and Supervisor at Mind Connection. We always like to ensure a good match with our supervisees so would be very happy to chat and answer questions to see if we can meet your needs.