First, watch each section of the recording and generate your own impressions and observations based on the suggested questions. Then watch the segment a second time, reading the notes below, which are reports of my thought processes during the session.
Segment 1 (minutes 12:00 – 22:30)
Before watching: Team Quest, which is mentioned in this segment, is an outdoor, experiential team-building program at UNCG. Sara and her doctoral cohort had completed that experience the day before our supervision session.
While watching:
- What seem to be the major decision points Dr. Borders makes during this segment?
- What about Sara’s responses seem to influence how Dr. Borders proceeds?
From here, I invited Sara to practice “soft Sara” in a session with another client later that afternoon; I thought it might be better to try this first with a different client, one who is less hesitant to express emotions. She agreed to try. I end this first focus/item on my plan around “soft Sara” by saying we’ve been talking about “turning down the volume and slowing it down” as a summary and closure for this part of the supervision session.
Sara and Me
12:00 It seems the Team Quest experience was really impactful for Sara and she really wanted to share that with me, so I wondered if she would connect any particular piece of that experience as relevant for our work in supervision. And I wonder if this would give me a segue to asking about “soft Sara.”
12:30 So, Sara is saying she is “loosening up,” getting comfortable, and experimenting with how she is in counseling sessions. I think I can relate this to “soft Sara”?
12:50 So, it seems she has given me the opening, thank you!, and so I want to ask about “soft Sara.”
13:15 Hmmm, she is talking about soft Sara. Cognitive; her go-to. I wish I had asked that question in a softer voice, inviting that part of Sara into the room, to talk to me from that place. I need to look for an opportunity to do that.
14:00 I need to let her think through this and look for my opening to invite soft Sara into the room. Be quiet and observe and listen.
14:25 Say “soft Sara” in a softer voice.
14:28 Ah, soft Sara is vulnerable Sara. So, there is some of the reluctance to be soft Sara.
14:48 She is saying soft Sara is close, accessible… Point out the connection between soft and vulnerable as a first step to trying to get to soft Sara.
14:55 Make soft Sara more visible, real.
15:30 Soft Sara allows instincts; less overthinking; that’s good.
16:00 I’m ready to connect this to her reflection of client sadness in the counseling session. Need to make this more concrete; not sure she’s making the connection I have in mind.
16:45 Yeah, that makes sense. Connect it specifically to emotions.
17:00 Does Sara think this would work with the client?
17:40+I want to challenge Sara to try. I want to affirm her knowledge of the client, yet challenge her. I want to think aloud, think through what might happen…although I’m also not sure what might happen. (Note. The client sometimes sits on the floor during counseling sessions.)
19:00 I need to own that this is my goal with the client.
19:25 I am having an image; I’m going to share, as Sara often uses metaphors herself.
20:00 I need to stop talking and hear her response/thoughts.
20:20 She’s thinking about it.
20:45 Ok, let’s ask her directly around doing this.
21:05 Nice metaphor that connects to counseling language. Keep that metaphor going.
21:30 Affirm that Sara has done some of this, as well as what has happened.
22:00 Affirm this physical-based connection.
22:10 So, gonna do it?
22:15 Didn’t ask that well.
22:25 Interesting. I didn’t expect that answer.
Segment 2 (minutes 31.08 – 41.27)
Before watching: Aware of the time, I then said, “The other things on my agenda are beginning and ending. Can we focus on that?” and Sara said, “Yes.” Having noticed Sara’s slower and softer presentation during the last few moments, I added, “And try to stay in this slow kinda space?”
We had addressed the first item on my plan through my directly having identified it and then through our discussion. I want to change up my approach now and use the recording to have Sara look at what she did and observe for herself, rather than my telling her, what she did and the resulting client response. Having a supervisee focus on the client response often is more powerful than the supervisor telling a supervisee how something needs to change; the evidence is right there. This type of intervention sometimes is also a needed reminder to be aware of and observe one’s client, as relatively new counselors often get lost in their own thoughts instead. Client “feedback” through their responses – verbal and nonverbal – is an important source of information for counselor growth!
We got the recording up on the computer and I asked Sara to watch the first part of the session, saying, “Could you see, what are you inviting her to share with you?” We then watch the first few minutes of the recording.
While watching: Now that you have some sense of Sara from watching her, in this segment try to identify how Dr. Borders is taking into consideration Sara’s personality as she decides what to say and how to say it.
Also, note when Dr. Borders seems to change her approach; what about Sara’s responses might have led Dr. Borders to make that change?
Sara and Me-Part 2
31:08 Be clear that her start of the session was not a disaster (Sara can be pretty self-critical, so I want to take that away at least somewhat). And I need to make my intention clear.
31:30 Great! She got it right away. I thought she would.
31:50 Now note that this is typical for her, not just this session, and what the result is.
32:00 A pro/con perspective on an intention in starting a session this way; again, not absolutely wrong.
32:12 Give it back to her, let her think it through.
32:30 Buffer. Hmm. She gets the overall point, but I’m going to have to challenge this more.
32:40 Don’t interrupt. Listen for how to challenge or reframe this.
33:00 Is this transition for the client or for Sara?
33:10 State this as a challenge for her to think through. (Note: “the form” refers to the Outcome Rating Scale (ORS) that the client completes at the beginning of each session, rating “how well you have been doing” during the past week individually, interpersonally, socially, and overall).
33:15 Stop. Just stick to this point.
33:28 Agree and also take away the “this was wrong” implication in what Sara said. Now go to how to do this, what she will say and do differently; emphasize “intention” so she’ll have that anchor to guide her and her choices.
34:00 We can come up with a better line than that.
34:16 So, yeah, this is about Sara not wanting the client to feel awkward, uncomfortable, the “hostess Sara” we’ve talked about before who can appear in sessions in helpful and not so helpful ways.
34:32 Ok, she’s thinking this through, challenging herself. Good. Let’s see what she comes up with.
34:50 “Still trying to drive the session.” Important point we’ve discussed around how her experiences have influenced this, but a little off topic. Acknowledge and then get back to a different way to start, what to say to start the session.
35:10 I don’t like “work,” especially with this client. I may need to give Sara another phrase/question rather than ask her to do it?
35:50 Reassure a bit, not wrong. But a way that also may give us more information, thus another intention.
35:55 Sara thinks I want her to start the recording again! Ha.
36:05 The client this afternoon, a way to practice starting differently. Illustrate immediacy.
36:30 Wow, this is really hard for her. What else am I going to need to do to help her with this? Listen for clues.
36:50 Let her think herself through this.
37:15 I want to challenge her to try this with the client this afternoon.
37:25 Make the analogy to the intake and how that can suggest to the client that counseling will be question/answer.
37:50 Bring all this back to the client.
38:00 Put the emphasis on Sara trying something different, seeing what happens.
38:15 The immediacy examples struck a chord with her. Hmm, a self-critical statement. I think ignore that; go with the challenge to try something different.
38:27 She’s really thinking hard. Use immediacy.
38:45 Not sure what this is about, where it is going. Be quiet and listen and let her think aloud.
39:20 I think she needs something concrete here to interrupt her thinking. Pull out the ORS form and help her think about how to use that.
39:55 Give her a couple of examples.
40:15 State in terms of curiosity about client’s response, as opposed to her “fear” of starting this way.
40:25 She’s applying this to herself also. Good. Buying in.
40:55 Is she feeling overwhelmed? Too much today about what she needs to change? What have I said about what she did well?
40:58 State something positive around reflection of feelings, a goal she’s been working on.
41:02 Good she heard that.
41:25 She’s remembering a time she could have used immediacy. It’s sinking in.
Segment (minutes 42:10 – 47:12)
Before watching: I really wanted to address the ending of the session also, but had little time left. Listening to Sara think aloud a little longer about what we had just talked about and how that might apply to her client, I was wondering how I could get right to the point around the ending. We did not have time to watch the recording of the ending of the session. I was trying to think of a way to connect the point around the ending to other points from the session so that she could grasp it and integrate it in a short amount of time. I thought of something she had said that seemed a way to frame my point around her session endings: “the client will let me know” seemed relevant.
While watching: What considerations does Dr. Borders seems to be making here, based on how the session has progressed thus far and based on the fact that this is near the end of the supervision session?
Sara and Me-Part 3
Watch a second time, reading my thoughts and observations during this segment:
42:40 To set the stage for this, note that she had questions about her intentions about ending the session. Then connect to her words.
42:58 I meant what she could DO differently, but she’s going to her own concerns. Listen. May have to go at this more concretely?
43:05 She’s processing her motivations. Something here I can use?
43:22 No, that’s not what I meant. Correct. Go at this differently.
43:40 She’s thinking about this sort of abstractly. Make it concrete.
43:50 Make sure she hears that I’m exaggerating here for effect.
43:53 Good. She’s not hearing heavy criticism.
44:00 Ok. She’s getting it. But I think it can be more specific to letting the client tell her.
44:22 Illustrate that it may not be that she has to DO something big.
44:28 Directly challenge that she thinks the last 10 minutes are needed for this transition.
44:36 We are near the end. Give her some positive feedback about her work in this session. I’ve challenged her a lot today.
45:00 Look for more examples of positive work to share with her.
45:20 Ah, a metaphor comes to mind for client that says good work is happening.
45:35 Ok. Go back to ending the session and connect to this client.
45:38 Note that even if she asks, this client may not act differently, so not all Sara’s responsibility. Want her to hear that in case it doesn’t go well.
45:53 Ha, she’s connecting back to hostess Sara.
46:15 She needs reassurance?
46:30 Let her continue to own the positive aspects of hostess Sara. Seems needed to balance out all the challenges today.
46:40 She got the point and is restating it for herself, sort of talking to herself.
46:45 Just struck by her voice tones while she’s talking. Tie back to “soft Sara.”
47:00 Can I enhance this awareness of her voice tones?
47:10 Good awareness, and hopefully this is starting to get really integrated into her thinking and in-session observations.
After some further discussion, I intentionally stated to Sara (“I really want you to hear this”) that there was a place for “in charge Sara,” reminding her of an experience with a suicidal client earlier in the semester, and a place for “soft Sara,” such as the client from today’s tape who seemed to be saying ‘I want to go to the emotion but I’m scared.’ Then, I asked, “Okay, how do you wanna end today?” to deliberately model the idea we had discussed. Sara didn’t ask for anything in particular, but reflected on her learning curve, progress made and much work to be done, and wanting to be comfortable with where she is on that learning curve.
Reflecting on those last few minutes, and the rest of the supervision session, as I walked back to my office, I wrote this in my supervision case notes:
Sometimes today Sara seemed to be reassuring herself. So, it seems she needs more of my reassurance that she is making progress, as she certainly is. Even though she pushes herself to grow and really wants my feedback, I need to balance this out better. I need to be deliberate in pointing out more of the specific things she has done well and the positive client responses, and I need to be doing that in all of our sessions.
Later, Sara wrote the following about this supervision session:
This supervision session sparked some much-needed awareness on my part around my vocal energy with clients and pacing in sessions, awareness that continues to be very helpful in my work. I appreciated the space Dr. Borders gave me to process my experience in the counseling session and to consider some “what-ifs,” and I valued her encouraging tone and attention to detail. I felt as if Dr. Borders was becoming frustrated when she asked me to name a time in my “real life” when I am naturally more “soft.” (Note. This part of the session is not included in the recording segments shared in this module because other persons were identified.) I wonder if she had said, “I am reaching for straws here,” or, “I’m having a hard time figuring you out right now,” if I might have gotten out my head and deeper into processing what was actually holding me back. I found this supervision session to be particularly helpful and it is one I’ve reflected on many times as very meaningful in my development as a doctoral student and a counselor.