Sweet SupervisionCady E. Barbour, M.A., LAPC, NCC

Section III

Format of Supervision

One hour of weekly individual supervision with me, plus 90 minutes of weekly group supervision (four supervisees per group) with a fully licensed clinical supervisor — held in the same time and place, because predictability is a clinical intervention.

§5

A 60-Minute Individual Agenda

  1. 0:00 – 0:07Check-inBrief emotional and professional check-in — affect, current supervision goals, and one light question to open the space. A rattled clinician cannot review a case well.
  2. 0:07 – 0:15Agenda-SettingSupervisee names the 2–3 cases they want to staff and any urgent clinical, ethical, or licensure concerns. I add items from prior notes and my own observations.
  3. 0:15 – 0:45Case StaffingTwo to three cases per session — with problem-solving, validation, clinical support, background, or psychoeducation. We typically go around twice so every case and licensure question is heard.
  4. 0:45 – 0:55Skill, Ethics & DBT CheckOne targeted micro-skill (often a DBT / RO-DBT / DBT-PTSD intervention), plus a standing check on informed consent, risk, referrals, and documentation. Any ethical concern is escalated in the moment.
  5. 0:55 – 1:00Closing & ResourcesSummary, agreements for the week, and any resources — treatment plans, manuals, intervention guides, family-systems materials — passed along. The supervision note is drafted within 24 hours.
§6

Modality & Cadence

Supervisees receive one hour (60 minutes) of weekly individual supervision with me and 90 minutes of weekly group supervision — capped at four supervisees per group — with a fully licensed clinical supervisor. Group meetings run synchronously on a set weekday over Microsoft Teams; individual sessions are delivered in person or over a HIPAA-compliant video platform, in a professional environment that ensures confidentiality.

Individual supervision is always available for deeper case conceptualization and support with more complex work — particularly cases involving emotional dysregulation and trauma. Between sessions, I am reachable by secure message for time-sensitive clinical questions and by phone for genuine emergencies. Response expectations are named in the contract.

The first supervision meeting follows a distinct ten-step outline — introductions and rapport building, supervision overview, emotional check-in, goals, self-care, administrative items, strengths and growth areas, questions and next steps, feedback and recognition, and case review. The full outline is in the packet as Appendix G, with a companion introductory activity in Appendix F.