by Mike Emlet

Read Part One

In my post last week I mentioned the necessity of supervision in the formation of a wise, skilled biblical counselor. My focus today is on three ways I facilitate group supervision for our interns. The first two are likely familiar to you, but the third may not be.

The interns and I meet weekly for 2-2 ½ hours of group supervision. The interns come ready to present their cases orally for the purpose of feedback and direction. I encourage them to come with specific questions in mind to gain the most from their presentation. Other interns in the group are the front line in offering feedback to the presenter. I usually offer comments only after the others have contributed, in order to develop critical conceptual and methodological thinking in the intern group. This approach to supervision is tried and true, and it tells much about the intern’s approach to his/her counselee. The way the interns structure their presentations, the kinds of questions they bring to the table, and the kind of feedback they give their peers demonstrate quite a bit about their growth in maturity as a counselor. However, what this approach lacks is observation of the intern actually counseling! It’s much easier to be an arm-chair quarterback than to call the plays in real-time.

For that reason, another aspect of supervision is review of videotaped sessions. I remember the first time I watched a videotape of my counseling. I was surprised to see how many times I nodded my head. I was a veritable Bobble-head! I would never have realized this tendency if the extent of my supervision were simply presenting a case orally to my supervisor. Watching videotape of interns as they counsel provides a window into the real process of counseling. I can see facial expressions. I can hear particular responses and questions. I (or any member of the group) can stop the tape and ask, "What were you trying to accomplish by that response?" Or, "Is there a more effective way to reach your goal than what you are doing right now?" Or, "What were you experiencing at that point in the session?" While it can initially feel a bit intimidating to bring a tape to the group, having several pairs of eyes watching and commenting on your counseling is invaluable. A variation of this would be to watch an intern counsel live through a one-way mirror and then debrief afterward.

Most recently, thanks to the input of CCEF counseling resident Aaron Sironi, we have incorporated the "reflecting team" concept into counseling supervision. The reflecting team, consisting of the other interns and me, watch another intern counseling live through a one-way mirror. After approximately 40 minutes or so, the counselor and counselee(s) physically switch places with the reflecting team. The members of the reflecting team then discuss together for 5-10 minutes what impacted them from what they observed, while the counselor and counselee(s) watch and listen through the one-way mirror. It is not a time for the team to conceptualize or to offer suggestions about the course of counseling, but to honestly, and in an encouraging way, reflect on the process and content of the session. Finally, everyone switches places again and the counselor and counselee(s) end the session by discussing what they have heard (debriefing).

The reflecting team approach has benefits for everyone involved. The reflecting team interns are not mere observers but active participants in the counseling provided by their fellow intern. The counselor-intern feels support and care from the team, and gains immediate feedback regarding his/her counseling posture and approach. The counselees have the opportunity to listen to how others have experienced them and then reflect on that at the end of the session (which is almost inevitably positive).

Supervision in counseling, especially participating in a live session, cuts against the grain of counseling as a strictly "privatized" ministry, but its benefits highlight that we grow best in community. It recognizes that the body metaphor in 1 Corinthians 12 is applicable for counselor training. We literally do need the eyes and ears of others in order to grow in our counseling wisdom.