South Carolina Board of Examiners for Licensure of Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, Addiction Counselors and Psycho-Educational Specialists

Supervision of Licensed Professional Counselors Associates

Policy Statement

A. Supervision of Clinical Contact

1. Supervision is defined as assisting the supervisee in developing expertise in methods of professional counseling practice and in developing self-appraisal and professional development strategies. Supervision shall comply with guidelines developed by the Board.
   

2. The process of supervision shall encompass multiple strategies of supervision, including regularly scheduled live observation of counseling sessions and review of audiotapes and/or videotapes of counseling sessions. The process may also include discussion of the supervisee's self-reports, micro-training, interpersonal process recall, modeling, role-playing, and other supervisory techniques.

B. Acceptable Supervisor

1. Supervisees beginning their supervised professional counseling shall be supervised by a Professional Counselor Supervisor licensed by this Board or a Professional Counselor Supervisor candidate or a qualified licensed mental health practitioner (depending on the type of supervision needed.)
   

2. A supervisor shall not be related to the supervisee in any of the following relationships: spouse, parent, child, sibling of the whole- or half-blood, grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, present step-parent, or present step-child.

C. Role of the Supervisor

1. The supervisor shall provide nurturance and support to the supervisee, explaining the relationship of theory to practice, suggesting specific actions, assisting the supervisee in exploring various models for practice, and challenging discrepancies in the supervisee's practice.
   

2. The supervisor shall ensure that the counseling clinical contact is completed in appropriate professional settings and with adequate administrative and clerical controls.
   

3. The supervisor shall ensure the supervisee's familiarity with important literature in the field of professional counseling.
   

4. The supervisor shall model effective professional counseling practice.

The supervisor shall provide written reports as required by the Board and shall be available for consultation with the Board or its committees regarding the supervisee's competence for licensure.