Candidacy Supervision

Candidacy supervisors oversee the practice of individuals who are entering a new profession or who are newly regulated by a governing body. 

In our case, supervision is taken up in accordance with Nova Scotia College of Counselling Therapists (NSCCT) policy. The goals of supervision, beyond simply meeting regulatory requirements, are to create a safe learning space, provide support for professional growth, guide ethical decision making, and to orient candidates to the local and regional landscape of counselling therapy practice.

The benefits of supervision have been established across decades of research. Supervision has beneficial effects for therapist feelings of self-efficacy, self-reported competence, burnout reduction, and for adherence to protocols (e.g. ethical codes, regulatory standards, or theoretical framework protocols). It does not establish a link to outcomes for clients. As in, supervision is unlikely to improve a supervisee’s client outcomes overall.

That said, every effort will be made to focus the supervision on providing effective care to clients. The most effective supervision will strive to make change to a client's experience while also taking into account a therapist's career-long learning arc. 

Our approach to supervision is primarily relational, in that the supervisor works to create a space where the supervisee can feel safe enough to bring their practice-focused questions and seek guidance, even in ways that might feel vulnerable. 

We also integrate from other traditions of supervision, including storytelling, self of the therapist work, and thought experiments for ethical decision making.