Travon is the lead counselor in a small clinic. Elliot has worked there for a few years and reports to Travon. Travon completes Elliot's yearly evaluation and oversees his work. Although Travon is the supervisor, Elliot is actually three years older. They both enjoy watching hockey and often meet for drinks after work to watch the games. Although the other three counselors get together with Travon and Elliot for lunch sometimes, they are not invited to hang out with them after work:
Describe the responsibilities of a counseling supervisor.
Explain the possible ethical dilemmas.
Explain how the social situation with Travon and Elliot could impact the work environment.
Develop a policy that you would implement to minimize ethical concerns related to social activities between colleagues while supporting collegial relationships.
Case study
Supervision is an important part of the ongoing process of professional competence. New trainees in the helping profession benefit from the supervision process. In addition, long-established professionals in the field continually seek supervision when cases pose ethical questions or unique situations requiring outside or objective viewpoints.
Counselors serve such a wide variety of diagnoses, populations, and diverse clients; therefore, it is unrealistic to expect them to be skilled in every area and be able to independently help every client. Seeking clinical supervision demonstrates the willingness to obtain the required services to meet the needs of the client being served.
The Supervisory Relationship
The Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) has developed guidelines for best practices for counseling supervisors. Several of the guidelines address issues similar to those found in the codes developed by the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the American Psychological Association (APA) and are related to the counseling relationship and client's welfare. This is because the supervisory relationship is similar to the client-counselor relationship. The similarity lies in the existence of interdependence in the relationship.
A trainee is dependent on the supervisor just as a client in therapy is dependent on the counselor. The supervisor and the supervisee may face issues similar to counseling. For example, the trainee attributing or projecting qualities on to the clinical supervisor, or the occurrence of transference.
By now it should be clear that sexual relationships where there is a power differential such as client-therapist or supervisor-supervisee is not only unethical but undermines the effectiveness of the therapist or the supervisor.